Several heads shot up at the unexpected shout and so did Yuri and Conrad's. The mere sight of Wolfram made Yuri pale as a ghost.

This was it. This was what Wolfram was trying to do. Yuri understood it all now. He could see it very clearly now, why wolfram never got sufficiently mad at getting married to Murata and finding out Yuri's role in it. He could see it now, why he never tried to send him to his grave or worse commit a lover's suicide just as he kept threatening him throughout their time together.

He was just waiting...setting him up to do something foolish or maybe to collect sufficient proof, so that he could have some basis to burn him to a crisp. And, now, watching him so close to Conrad at this dinner, he must have finally had enough.

'So, that was his plan.' Yuri thought. '...to provoke me to go after Conrad, so that he may finally confirm his years long doubt. And here he was watching with his own eyes: Me sitting with Conrad, almost jumping at the dream prospect and feeling giddy with pleasure.'

Yuri had agreed, too quickly, when Wolfram had asked him to go to a somewhat mysterious date. And his heart had almost skipped a beat at seeing Conrad sitting there. He remembered how his reaction had caused a ripple to appear at Wolfram's forehead and Yuri had felt almost bad for him...almost.

But right now, he felt far from being sympathetic towards a certain glowering blond, sauntering slowly towards them with a deadly aura surrounding him. Yuri shivered visibly, his posture tensing with dread.

He could do nothing but watch with a horrifying anticipation as the blond neared one step every second. The instinctual fear that Wolfram had instilled in him causing a part of him to want to run away...away from all of his troubles, away from Wolfram and away from Conrad who never even spared him a glance this entire time but the other part of him remembered that he was no longer engaged to Wolfram and therefore had nothing to worry about. This was just a casual dinner, nothing more. The thought echoed painfully in his mind: '...NOTHING MORE!'

The situation was adverse but his optimistic self told him that there's a chance. As long as he stays strong and fight for what he wants, there's a chance and eventually hope. It promised him something good by the end of this day and urged him to stay strong and face Wolfram head on just this once, for his own happiness...for Conrad. But then, his other conscience also screamed at him that Conrad clearly didn't want to be here with him. His hopes drowned but still, for his as well as Conrad's sake and if nothing else then just for public courteous sake, he stayed. Using all the courage that he could muster, he stayed where he was and kept looking, kept waiting and kept fidgeting.

Conrad, too, had jumped at the sound of Wolfram's voice. Not only was it unexpected but it also reminded him once again of the fact that his brother was no longer engaged to Yuri and maybe he was the cause. A part of him felt really guilty and teared. In spite of the guilt, another part of him was happy to have this date with Yuri, even though he was sure that the boy was upset about the breakup and now forced on a date with him. He knew that he had broken his younger brother's heart, his Yuri's heart and yet again was being a monster by playing with two different lives and emotions of the two most important people to him by accepting this date so soon after the breakup, but he couldn't help it. He had waited a bit too long and had sacrificed his happiness a bit too many a times and he knew he's not a saint and can't wait forever. Now was the time to be as selfish, as monstrous as he could be. He had actually transformed into a full-blown cold-blooded monster before on the battle field and committed unmentionable crimes. Even his own family had dreaded him then. At least what he's doing now is nowhere near to what he'd done then. Even if he goes through his resolve, he'd still be less of a monster than that.

Finally settling his inner disputes, Conrad resolved to take the much dreaded plunge and explore what could be there for him. And he would start with siding with Yuri in the upcoming conversation. Of course Yuri needed mental support, and physical as well if Wolfram got too out of control. His eyes hardened at the mere thought. 'I'll not hesitate if Wolfram...' he vowed mentally. His hand involuntarily reached to grab his sword but fortunately, it was absent. He regained his senses and felt ashamed. How could he even think of raising his sword against his own brother? Wasn't his sword supposed to protect his loved ones?

Conrad thought that he finally might be cracking under all the pressure of hidden emotions. That maybe he was going mad. He had often heard that blind love may lead to madness. But he never thought that he would be fortunate (or unfortunate?) enough to experience it first hand. Still he reached out and grabbed the boy's hand to offer some comfort. After all, a confrontation was about to occur.

xxxxx

It felt like forever but Wolfram finally reached their table and loudly banged the table top with both his fists causing both the occupants and several other to jump slightly. Yuri, as usual, was still shivering while Conrad held his hands in his; both occupants staring at the intruder.

At the sudden havoc, one of the workers arrived in order to try and resolve the intruder's problem and hence provide Maou Heika the privacy they guaranteed.

"Sir! You're not allowed to cause disturbance here like this. Please, leave our customer's alone and follow me. I'll try and help you." He started to drag Wolfram away but the scalding look shot at him had him retracting. He looked at the young king and a nod of confirmation assured him that he may leave things in his capable king's hands and retreated, politely asking to keep their voices low as it was disturbing their other customers.

Yuri had good-naturedly accepted his request assuring that they won't be bothered again. Then, he asked Wolfram to sit with them, to which he surprisingly complied. Satisfied, the worker retreated leaving the three alone.

Wolfram looked at the two for a moment when his eyes diverted to their joint hands. Following his gaze, Yuri noticed his felony and quickly withdrew his hands, at the same time explaining that it wasn't as Wolfram might be thinking.

Wolfram just mumbed, 'You Spoilt Cheater!' before turning his attention back towards his good-for-nothing older half-brother; his eyes accusing, hurt most evident in them. He never spoke a word, yet said everything he felt about his situation at that brief moment.

Earlier, Conrad had been a bit angry at Wolfram thinking that he might try to hurt Yuri somehow. But the moment those accusatory and anguished emerald green eyes unleashed their full intensity at him, his anger immediately vanished being replaced with an intense guilt and self-loathing. His head hung downwards on its own accord, a slight red tinge of shame adorning both his cheeks.

Meanwhile, Yuri was speaking nervously but continuously, telling Wolfram that he was assuming things wrong and that Conrad was innocent. Till now Wolfram hadn't paid him much attention. He was busy glaring at Conrad but was still listening to Yuri's blabbering.

"L-Listen Wol-Wolfram! You're-re taking the entire thing wr-wrong. L-Look it wasn't as as it looked. Conrad was just tr-rying to comfort me o-over the br-roken engagement." Yuri made a quick excuse and waited for Wolfram's response. He got none.

'Broken engagement...? My foot!' Wolfram thought never taking his eyes off of Conrad's stature and never uttering a word. He just glared with the same unreadable and unchanging expression. '...weren't you the one to plot the entire thing. Why would you need comfort? Can't you come up with something better, wimp. You really think I'm that big a moron?'

Every passing moment was becoming heavier and heavier with the heavy silence lingering over the three men. Yuri couldn't understand why his ex-fiancé was behaving in this manner.

'After all, all this dating thing was his and Yozak's plan.' Yuri thought. 'Umm...ok, maybe it wasn't his plan for me to spent time with Conrad but still, it was his idea that I should sit with him because all of a sudden he and Yozak had some important business to attend to. And speaking of Yozak...where the hell was he now?'

Yuri looked around. He was getting more and more confused and angry with every passing moment. Yuri didn't like the way Wolfram was staring Conrad like that in disdain.

'Even if his plan had been to set me up so as to catch me red-handed, he should've been screaming at me, not blaming Conrad for this entirely.'

Yuri was feeling extremely bad for subjecting Conrad to such a situation. He absolutely hated the idea of being the cause of the rift between the two brothers. And watching Conrad's head hung in shame was not helping any either.

'He's, probably, blaming himself again.' Yuri thought. "Wolfram! Please listen to me..." Yuri tried once again but failed miserably at gaining any attention from the said blond.

Yuri saw red at being side-tracked so easily and knowing that his beloved was taking all the brunt on his behalf. Finally, Yuri could take it no more and spoke out in frustration.

"Wolfram! What's wrong with you? Weren't you the one who suggested that I sit with Conrad? Then, why are you getting so hot headed? And stop glaring at Conrad like that...he did nothing to receive such treatment and ju-..."

However, Yuri's rambling was cut short when he received the coldest glare that he'd ever recieved in his entire life, from the same blond in question.

'Yeah Nothing!' Wolfram thought ruefully, not letting his inner emotions show on his face. 'No...he did nothing. Nothing other than pinning for a taken man...his younger brother's man...his younger brother's fiancé. And ultimately, snatching him away from me by tricking me in such an unworthy and cowardly manner. Forget whose plan was it initially. Yeah...you're right Yuri, he did nothing for me to forgive him easily. Nor you for that matter.' With this thought Wolfram huffed away back to his intent glaring of his older half-brother, his eyes shimmering with unshed wetness.

Yuri had wanted to say something more but his own thoughts and body decided that very moment to disobey him completely. He could do nothing else than fidget uncomfortably as those hard, emotionless emerald green eyes had held him captive. Wolfram's continued silence was nagging at him. And then when Wolfram decided to huff away from him without saying anything, Yuri felt hurt, hurt because Wolfram would no longer talk to him. But more than anything else, he happened to catch a glimpse of Wolfram's suffering, through the wet shine in his eyes, which he tried so hard to mask under his angry fake persona. The actual evidence of the knowledge of how hard Yuri had hurt Wolfram teared his heart and threatened to crush his happiness. He felt lowly. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by Conrad.

Yuri could do nothing but gap like a fish; not knowing what to say, how to diffuse the situation. But he didn't even need to for suddenly he heard a low, even but hard tone that he'd come to recognize over several years of companionship.

Wolfram's tone chilled Yuri to the bones and, both, he and Conrad flinched visibly.

"Leave us alone!" Wolfram said straightaway. Yuri was startled.

"Huh...?"

"Didn't you hear me? Leave us alone." Wolfram jerked his head towards the silent brunette, his tone commanding once again - low and threatening. Still no emotion in his voice.

"B-But why?" he spoke quietly. Yuri was utterly lost now yet he tried to put up a brave front. His mind was racing with a thousand undesirable scenarios. He seemed almost terrified of the blonde's sudden command.

'Why did he want Conrad alone? What is he planning? He's not going to do something bad to him, is he?' Yuri pondered. 'No...of course not. He's his brother.' Yuri corrected mentally. 'But then what? Maybe he thinks Conrad helped me with my plan? Oh No! It would destroy their relationship forever.' He freaked. 'I've got to stop this. I don't want to be the cause of their broken relationship and renewed distance.'

Hastily, Yuri spoke up once again before his courage could fail him. "Wolfram! Please listen. I think we can work this out if you calm down a bit and talk to me. Please...listen Conrad had no hand in my plot earlier, if that's what you're thinking..."

"Aaahaa!..." Wolfram, finally, screamed victory. "So, you finally admit." And that was enough, Yuri blushed furiously and fell back into the dark pit of self-loathing, nodding all the while. This time Conrad came to his rescue.

"Please, leave him be Wolfram. He's already feeling very bad enough-"

"As he should be. And you better stay out of this. You've no right to speak to me anymore anyway." Wolfram spat angrily. He didn't speak more and seemed to be lost in his thought for a moment. Conrad looked at him intently but cautiously, trying to figure out what the blond was thinking.

Wolfram wanted to hurl insults at him but for some weird reason, it was becoming more and more difficult to do that to Conrad ever since Yuri came to this world and he, unknowingly but finally, started accepting Conrad as his treasured older brother whom he missed so strongly during their years apart. A small unidentifiable smile appeared on his face. He was truly happy for that fact, and eternally grateful to Yuri for that. The mere thought eased up some of his anger towards Yuri for hurting him so much and he felt genuinely happy that he was going to do something for Yuri's happiness, even if it was at his own expense. But that only made him feel that much more great.

Conrad couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was that a smile he just saw on his little brother's face? However, it was gone within an eye-blink. This left Conrad more confused. What was going on within his brother's head?

Wolfam loved Yuri greatly and would've never relinquished his hold on him but his situation could not be helped now and so Wolfram had resigned and vowed that he'd do as much as he could for the man...no two men...he treasured the most. After all, it was a well known fact that Yuri's and Conrad's happiness lay in each other. Even a blind man could see that and almost everyone in Shin Makoku had acknowledged that fact silently. Heck, there were even multiple betting groups existing in the castle solely dedicated to Yuri and Conrad's relationship. Of course he knew, he was not an ignorant. Earlier, this fact had irritated and angered him greatly. But now...sigh...but now, he guess he, too, will start waging some of his money. After all, rumors had it that the Yuri-Conrad betting circles were doing exceptionally well. Yozak had become rich overnight. And with Yozak and himself working so hard towards the cause, there was no way that he'd ever lose. Wolfram smirked a little. And he could always do with some extra money.

But not now. Right now he had a role to play, failing which, he might have to bear some heavy losses in his future betting spree.

"Wolfram please listen, I need to spe-." Yuri tried once again, eyes fixed intently to the floor.

"And you." he said to Yuri, having had enough of his whining. "Get the hell out of here. I haven't got all day free for your royal demands in order to speak my mind to his untrustworthy, traitor ex-half-brother of mine. Yes...EX-half-brother..." he punctuated cutting off Yuri's protests effectively. "You may resume your lovey-dovey time together once I am gone. But make yourself rare for as long as I am here."

The finality in his ex-finance's voice had Yuri's heart as well as his final hopes of peace and friendship crumpling into pieces. The last light of hope left his eyes as he silently stood and left their table to use the restroom...a wrapped bundle of utmost misery.

xxxxxx

Note from is_sm: Hi guys! This was the latest chapter of 'Starting Over' after a very long time, I know. But that was my fault. Please forgive us for not updating sooner as few set of ill situations had our hands bounded. But I hope, you like the new chapter. Please review as much as you can and let us know what you think and feel free to bother us as much as you can by pointing out errors or complaints. Mew Rima's Dragon and me, we both, rely on you all to fuel us so that we can ship out more and more chapters for your entertainment. Kindly support us! See you later. And I promise I'll try my best for not setting you off on such a long hiatus next time. Promise!