"Conrad!"
"Welcome back your majesty." Conrad helped Yuuri out of the Fountain in Shinou's Temple.
He was back.
Since his escape from death, Yuuri had been actively experimenting with this new time travel thing- he found out (through many bruises) that if he ran forwards and leapt at a high rate into something, usually a wall or large solid object worked best- he could enter the time tunnel.. but it could only bring him backwards.. as far as he could tell.
Also no time-clones..!
He hadn't ran into a time-clone of himself since it started- so he guessed time was like a movie, and you could rewind to any part and pick up right where you left off.. which was totally awesome.
He used it recently to get some life-saving test scores at school and spend his time doing some pretty fun things, like play baseball for hours with friends and eating the same awesome food over and over- also he could sleep for as long as he wanted!
He also didn't really mind the feeling of falling as much anymore, it was pretty fun.. almost better than water-travel between worlds.. he hadn't seen Shinou lately though.
Yuuri was now confident enough with his abilities to start experimenting with them in Shinmakoku on a certain brown-clad soldier.. Conrad.
Yuuri discovered that the people he talked to before and after time traveling- didn't remember anything of what he'd just said.. had thought of many, many ways to use his time travel for some pretty awesome things.
"Hey Conrad- can you close your eyes for a sec?"
"Yuuri?" Conrad was busy handing him a towel and removing lily-pads from his shoulders.
"YUURI!" Wolfram stormed closer. "Did you not see me waving to you- you inconsiderate whelp? You didn't even say hi to me!"
"Oh- Hello Wolfram, what's gotten into you today?"
"What do you mean!? You've been gone for months and when you get back you don't even acknowledge me!"
Conrad chuckled nervously, "Now, now, he's just glad to be back."
"Yeah-" Yuuri said, suddenly smiling, he had an idea.. Heart racing..
Boy, he really hoped his time-travel would work for him this time too.
"But I'm not really all that sorry this time Wolfram, because-" he turned and grabbed Conrad's uniform collar, dragging the man closer.
Conrad did not expect this and was thrown a bit off balance, "Yuuri?" his eyes widened when he realized what his king was about to do. "Your-!"
Yuuri swallowed Conrad's words, pressing their mouths together in a firm and solid kiss, and Yuuri, boldened by the thought that he could re-do this at a whim, even added some tongue in there.
It was like a dream, he could do anything he wanted – with no consequences.. unlimited possibilities. Damn this was great- and Conrad tasted so good, who knew? He tasted like cinnamon and berries and other sweet things, with a hint of Conrad's true taste, something more husky and distinctly masculine.
WHUMP!
Yuuri was so violently thrown from Conrad it took his breath away as he fell backwards towards the stone edge of the fountain.
"Wolfram, no!" Conrad was grabbing Wolfram, and holding him back from Yuuri.
Then Yuuri realized Wolfram had been shouting and screaming at them the whole time.
"YOU INCONSIDERATE CHEATING PIECE OF TRASH, LET GO OF ME YOU MONSTER!" Wolfram screeched, and pushed Conrad away, drawing his sword to slash at his brother.
"I can't believe you! My own brother- and just when I started to actually- CARE and accept you as my brother, I knew I shouldn't have, I HATE YOU! I've always hated you, you're a worthless, lying, human CREEP!" he was screaming, chest heaving at Conrad who stared-
Who stared heartbroken and confused at the whole scene.. well. That was a look Yuuri NEVER wanted to see on that handsome face. Conrad looked so hopelessly lost and upset that it tore at Yuuri's heart and soul- apparently this was not the way to go about kissing Conrad.
Not to mention Wolfram, who was now heaving- tears beginning to build in his emerald eyes.. Wolfram was his friend-! A truly dear one at that.. he definitely didn't deserve what Yuuri had just done, what had gotten into him..?
Yuuri couldn't stand looking at their miserable faces for another moment. He quickly leapt to his feet, and went running off to jump face-first into a pillar.
SLAM! Re-do!
"Welcome back your majesty."
"Yuuri!" Wolfram was waving from afar, fast approaching.
"Thanks Conrad," he grinned, licking his lips.. he could still taste the soldier.
"Oh... hey Wolfram."
0-0-0-0-0
After a few days back in Shinmakoku Yuuri had decided he would soon need to have a very serious, dangerous talk with Wolfram.. and that he wanted to try confessing his er.. desires..? Maybe love, even? To Conrad.
Yuuri was nervous and wanted to get it right the first time.
He also didn't want to use his time travel abilities.. he just wanted Conrad to say yes- (Gods, he hoped Conrad would say yes, what if he didn't..?) and then from there, take time like it was meant to be.
He felt like it was cheating- or manipulative to use the time travel on those who he loved..
Because of that- and since the kiss.. Yuuri refused to use the time travel on Conrad for.. impure reasons.
When he was on Earth, he had fantasized daily about ravishing Conrad, and then jumping back in time to do it all over again.. playing with Conrad's body and making him scream in bliss over and over sounded like pure heaven- and he had been so eager to see the man again but.. after the look on his face from that kiss, and the feeling that he'd hurt both brothers..
He decided it was best if he did this the right way. He just didn't know when he was going to tell them both.. he had to plan it out more.
He stood in front of a mirror in the Maoh's chambers, looking himself over.. What if Conrad didn't like him like.. that?
Could he go back in time- maybe to when he first came here.. and slowly work his way into the soldier's heart? Not slap Wolfram? He knew that would totally be cheating- what he promised himself not to do but..
If it meant Conrad would fall head-over-heels in love with him, Yuuri was willing to live it all over again.. even the bad times.
He scanned his eyes over his own body.. trying to see himself as attractive in Conrad's eyes.. and failed.
But- wait! The number on his chest! Yuuri looked closer, panicked- "I thought it said 90?" Yuuri tilted his head at the number, "Why does it say 08?"
"Your Majesty?"
"GAH! Conrad!" Yuuri turned around; blushing when he realized he was only in his underwear. "Ah- I didn't even hear you come in.. ahaha.."
"I'm sorry, I did knock though." the brunette smiled apologetically while he bent down to pick up Yuuri's pants and hand them to him. Conrad's eyes were quick, however, and he noticed something was off.
"Yuuri- what's that on your chest?"
"On my..?" Yuuri was halfway through putting on his pants.. oh no! He didn't want Conrad to see the mark.. he might ask questions and then Gunter would get involved and everyone would be all weird about what it was and why he had it- he didn't need all that fuss right now, damn it!
"AH! Oh-! Uhhhhhh- wait right there!" Good thing he could just fix it!
SLAM! Re-do!
"I'm sorry, I did knock though." the brunette smiled apologetically while he bent down to pick up Yuuri's pants and hand them to him. Conrad's eyes were quick, however, and he noticed something was off.
"Yuuri- what's that on your chest?"
"Shit, I didn't go back far enough." Yuuri groaned and looked at the mark on his chest. "Oh well, I can always just go back agai- hey wait it says 07 now!"
"Y-yuuri..?" Conrad walked closer, not really believing what he heard.
"Nothing! Wait right there!"
"Yuuri-!"
SLAM! Re-do!
"Your Majesty?"
Yuuri didn't turn around when he heard Conrad's voice.. instead he looked in the mirror at the mark on his chest.. "06.." he muttered.. was it.. counting down? What was going on..? What was this mark anyway?
"Yuuri?" Concern was in the soldier's voice as he came closer, and Yuuri covered the mark with his hand, turning to look at Conrad.
"H-Hey! I uh- I didn't see you there.." Yuuri smiled nervously, suddenly very self-conscious of his own actions.
What if there was a limit on how many times he could go back in time?
This thought made everything feel so much more important somehow.. heavier.
Conrad held out Yuuri's pants to him, and Yuuri turned away to put them on, so Conrad didn't see the mark, being very careful to hide it as he slipped his shirt on as well.
This didn't go unnoticed by Conrad.. but at least he didn't see the mark on Yuuri's chest.