Unfitting

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou is the property of creator Tomo Takabayashi and licensor Geneon Entertainment, Inc.

This fic was written for the fanfiction contest at the LiveJournal community kkmwolframfans.

This version of the fanfic is edited because the original version contains elements that are inappropriate for the ratings allowed on this site. To read the unedited version, please see the link to my fanfiction writing journal on my profile page.

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I. At First Sight

One of the burdens of being the Queen's son was that one was held responsible for a greater measure of things than most people could possibly fathom. On any given day, Wolfram had soldiers to train and paperwork to review and court members to greet. He had no time for engaging in childish games. Certainly, he had better things to do today than to waste his valuable time making much ado over something as foolish as the arrival of the new Maou.

Wolfram didn't understand what all the fuss was about. The maids and servants had been in running themselves ragged for days now, shirking their duties in favor of useless tasks such as scrubbing the fountain and straightening the tapestries. Wolfram had to threaten to incinerate the kitchen in order to get his breakfast this morning, because the head chef had been elbow-deep in pastry dough for the new Maou's banquet and couldn't be bothered with something as trivial as his regular daily tasks. Even now, nearly all of the staff was gathered by the windows, searching the horizon for their first glimpse of the Maou and leaving Wolfram to cool his heels, waiting for the stone that he'd requested hours ago to sharpen his sword. It was insubordination, pure and simple, and Wolfram fully planned to make the servants pay dearly for every step he'd had to walk with that heavy stone in his arms.

Even his mother had been primping in her room all morning, in preparation to welcome the one who would usurp her throne. Truly, the whole thing was beyond comprehension. If Shinou required a new Maou, he needn't have looked any farther than Celi's own children. Wolfram could think of no one more qualified to be Maou than his Brother; to select another person - someone not even born and raised in Shin Makoku! - was nothing less than a betrayal.

An abbreviated cry from outside made Wolfram look up from his work. A few maids scurried past his open door in a flurry of giggles, their enthusiastic exclamations telling Wolfram that their long awaited arrival was finally here. He sighed, sheathing his newly sharpened sword and rising to follow the rest of the staff to the courtyard. He might as well get this over with; he'd have to meet the bastard sometime, and he'd much prefer for the meeting to be on his terms. As he stomped through the corridors, Wolfram busied himself by thinking of ways to get himself out of the dreaded exchange and back to his duties as soon as possible. By the time he stepped out the main entrance and into the light of the afternoon, he'd conceived no less than four ingenious excuses as to why he had more important things to do than stand around for what would no doubt be an unending barrage of lengthy ceremonial formalities.

But when Wolfram got his first look at the Maou, sitting in a graceless heap at the foot of the stairs, words failed him. Wolfram looked down at his new king, an irreverent scowl on his face. From one look only, he could tell that this child wasn't fit to be the leader of their country. He apparently couldn't even ride a horse without being thrown onto his royal behind. He didn't even have the dignity to compose himself; he just sat there, gazing up at Wolfram in wonderment with his deep black eyes.

The new Maou was actually sort of cute...not that it made any bit of difference.

II. Swept Off your Feet

There was much that Wolfram didn't understand about his fiancé, most of which infuriated him to no end. He supposed it was all part of Yuuri's upbringing on that strange other world called Earth, where dragons were creatures of myth and people didn't learn swordsmanship and, most importantly, they had adopted the ridiculous notion that two men could not be married. Wolfram certainly had his work cut out for him, tasked with helping Yuuri to unlearn the backwards ways of his former world and to adopt the proud traditions of his homeland.

All of this was quite trying enough without Yuuri being so needlessly stubborn about it. His constantly wandering eye and cheating behaviors were quite troublesome, and he seemed to persist no matter how many times Wolfram tried to lead him in the right direction. It was giving Yuuri quite the reputation, and thus Wolfram found his own name being marred because of his fiancé's ignorance.

But that didn't matter to Wolfram, particularly. His fiancé might be a wimp and a cheater and he might be improperly educated as to custom, but that didn't change the fact that when one of the court members besmirched Yuuri's name, Wolfram would leap to his defense. He had a duty to stand by his fiancé no matter how much of an intolerable child he sometimes was. Besides, Yuuri was the Maou. It was only right that his countrymen should regard him with a proper amount of esteem, and Wolfram would accept nothing less. Not even a month after Wolfram had become engaged, it became common knowledge that any mention of Yuuri's half-breed heritage would earn the provocateur a stern rebuke and, if it was a particularly insulting affront, a taste of Wolfram's fire. It was a matter of honor, and to stand by silently and endure such defamation was in no way tolerable.

It was on an otherwise calm day while he was walking down the corridor with his fiancé when Wolfram overheard one particularly puritanical noble make an offensive remark as he and Yuuri passed them by. Immediately, Wolfram leapt to his fiancé's defense, intent on giving the snobbish man a much-needed lesson on proper decorum.

He was just getting to the part where he described how insulting Yuuri was equally an attack on his own honor when Wolfram felt Yuuri's hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Wolfram," Yuuri said in a calm voice. "It's fine."

At that, the nobleman muttered a half-hearted apology and hurried away, and Wolfram turned to glare at Yuuri incredulously. "'Fine?!'" Wolfram demanded. "That man was undermining my fiancé and mocking his King! He has not only committed blatant heresy, but dishonored me by insulting my betrothed. And you wish for me to simply let it go?"

Yuuri shrugged, his smile never fading. "Well, I'm not used to this sort of thing, but it seems to me that everyone just needs time to adjust. I mean, how can I expect them to trust me when they don't even know me? I have to work hard to earn their trust, but that takes time. So it's only right that they question me, don't you think?"

From that day, when Wolfram defended Yuuri it wasn't because he had slapped Wolfram or because he was the Maou; it was because he was Yuuri.

III. Of Noble Intent

Wolfram had been told time and again that he would have to 'give Yuuri time,' and he was quite sick of hearing it. It wasn't that Wolfram didn't see the value in being patient on occasion, but more often than not it was simply impractical, not to mention frustrating. Waiting around wasn't giving him the results he sought, and anyway he much preferred direct, decisive action. Of course, that didn't seem to yield any encouraging results, either; but at least Wolfram was trying, which was more than he could say for his wimp of a fiancé.

By this point, almost a year into their engagement, Wolfram could definitively say that he had been more than patient with Yuuri. At the first sign that Yuuri might finally be starting to come around, Wolfram was poised and ready to start insisting that he finally be granted what should have been his rights since the day they had met. Some days, the hopeful thought that it would happen soon enough was the only thing that kept Wolfram from forcing Yuuri's hand.

Truly, Yuuri progressed slowly with everything he needed to learn, be it studying or sword skills. And nothing in the wide world could have possibly been as frustrating as instructing Yuuri on how to properly ride a horse. Wolfram had taken on that duty as his own, but there were days when Wolfram sorely regretted that decision, such as when Yuuri would get his foot tangled in the stirrup or nearly fall while mounting. Even the enjoyment of having Yuuri holding him from behind as they rode together to practice balance was inhibited because Yuuri constantly forgot to lean into the turn when they changed direction, and consequently would have toppled off the horse countless times if not for Wolfram's quick hands.

By the time the two of them returned to Covenant Castle from their mutually frustrating ride, Yuuri seemed to have learned his lesson, as he was clinging to Wolfram rather firmly. However, this was also a problem because when Wolfram instructed Yuuri to swing his leg over and dismount, Yuuri didn't move; if anything, he clung to Wolfram just a bit tighter. "Could...we go once more around?" Yuuri asked, a strange tightness in his voice.

Wolfram sighed in irritation. He had many things to do today besides riding around the castle grounds for hours on end. "What are you talking about?" Wolfram asked, shifting his weight as he turned his head to look at Yuuri. "It's been an hour already and you're certainly not going to miraculously become a master rider within the next..." Wolfram paused as he noticed that Yuuri's face was flushed. What could possibly...?

Realization washed over Wolfram as he felt a subtle but noticeable bump at the small of his back. Wolfram's realization turned into delight and more than a little amusement as it became clear that Yuuri had been quite...affected by their closeness. It was rather satisfying to know that after all this time, Wolfram's persistence had paid off and that on some level, Yuuri was attracted to him.

Yuuri ducked his head as much as possible but made no move to dismount, he just continued clinging to Wolfram looking like he might melt from the intensity of his embarrassment. Glancing around, Wolfram could understand why - the courtyard was filled with soldiers and servants, and if Yuuri were to dismount it would make his condition quite obvious to everyone.

Wolfram turned back toward the path in front of him. "Okay, once more around. You could use the practice." He couldn't see it, but Wolfram swore that he felt Yuuri gift him with a small smile.

They began to ride along the well-worn path again, and Wolfram could feel Yuuri's discomfort both in his squirming and in his silence. Yuuri's fidgeting wasn't doing a thing to lessen his arousal, that much was obvious, but he couldn't seem to stop. Wolfram couldn't help the way his mouth upturned slightly on one side as he enjoyed this feeling; the knowledge that at long last, Yuuri wanted him. But at the same time, that heady, pleasant feeling was quickly buried beneath Yuuri's uneasiness.

"So," Wolfram began nonchalantly, "tell me about this silly baseball game you're always going on about."

There was a brief pause as Wolfram's words sunk in. "You want to learn about baseball all of a sudden?" Yuuri asked. "You always said it was a stupid Earth game and a waste of time..."

Wolfram scoffed. "It's my duty as your fiancé to learn about your hobbies, ludicrous though they may admittedly be. Now are you going to tell me or not?"

Wolfram could feel Yuuri relax quite a bit. "Well, there are nine players on each team..."

"Wait," Wolfram interrupted. "If you ever tell anyone that I asked about this, it will take a solid month for your ears to stop ringing. Clear?"

Wolfram felt Yuuri smile again, and also felt Yuuri's sigh of relief against his neck. "Don't worry, it'll be our secret."

Wolfram guided the horse as Yuuri went on about shortstops and pitchers and batting stance, the clopping hooves providing a soothing backdrop for Yuuri's impassioned speech. Wolfram neither hurried nor slowed the mare's pace as they moved through the calm woodland, for he noticed that it was much more sensible to lead gently, loosening his grip on the reigns and letting the rhythm determine the stride. Sometimes, it was better to let things move at their own pace.

IV. Damsel in Distress

As a soldier and a warrior, Wolfram relied on his sword to achieve whatever goals he aspired to. Whatever his aim, however obstinate his enemy, it could be bested with skill and determination - that was the truth he had learned as a child, and it had carried him through many difficult moments during his life. Obstacles were to be analyzed, broken down, and resolved; quick and clean and without complication.

This method, however, was rendered entirely useless as Wolfram watched Yuuri flop onto his chair, his head bowed in a defeated posture. "I can't believe that I missed the birth of my nephew without even knowing it," he said mournfully, his voice filled with guilt. "I barely made it to my own brother's wedding last year, and now his son is born and I wasn't there." Yuuri sighed heavily, hunching over as if in pain. "I promised my family that I'd never leave them," he whispered.

Wolfram stood by, speechless and helpless, as Yuuri covered his face to hide his tears. "I should have been there."

Wolfram laid a hand on Yuuri's shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple; it was not even close to enough, but it was all he could do. Unfortunately, there were some beasts that Wolfram couldn't conquer, no matter how swift and sharp his blade.

V. The Tallest Tower

There were many things that Wolfram had sacrificed in order to be with Yuuri, but the one thing he refused to give up was his pride. He was a soldier, and more than that he was a man. He'd be damned if he was going to emasculate himself for anything or anyone, even his fiancé. Especially his fiancé, because Yuuri should damn well understand him well enough by now to know that without his pride, he was worth less than nothing.

So Wolfram certainly wasn't going to apologize to anyone easily, especially when he was right. Yuuri had been being his foolishly optimistic self, wanting to make a deal with that human trash that called himself a king, when he should have told the demanding bastard where he could shove his holier than thou attitude. Wolfram had only told Yuuri the truth that he was too oblivious to see by himself; if anything, Yuuri should have thanked him rather than looked at him with that hurt pout and those wide, wet eyes, like child who'd broken his favorite toy. It was rather pathetic, really.

What was worse was the way everyone had looked at Wolfram after Yuuri had sulked away, like he had committed some mortal sin by simply stating the facts! The whole thing was such nonsense that Wolfram had left too, much preferring to walk the corridors alone than to be subjected to those accusing stares when he'd done nothing wrong in the first place.

It wasn't that Wolfram was looking for Yuuri, per se, it was more that he happened upon him in the study. Wolfram could hardly help it if the place he sought solitude and the place Yuuri sought comfort were one and the same. Yuuri turned to look at Wolfram over his shoulder, his eyes still wide and his mouth still pursed in a frown, the light of the fireplace making his cheeks look more flushed than they probably were. For a moment, Wolfram could almost understand why that look affected the others so deeply.

The next instant, and Yuuri had risen and launched himself into Wolfram's arms, nearly toppling them over because Wolfram hadn't been expecting it. Yuuri felt warm and heavy in his arms, which for some reason made Wolfram's throat feel thick and his chest tighten just a bit.

"Yuuri," he began, "I --"

Yuuri interrupted him with a soft, whispered 'hush.' His arms tightened around Wolfram's shoulders as he pulled back just a bit, brushing their lips together lightly. "I know."

VI. One True Love

"Daddy, what made you and Yuuri love each other?"

It wasn't until the question was asked of him that Wolfram realized he couldn't articulate the answer. He had just finished reading Greta one of her bedtime stories; a tall tale where the hand of the fair maiden was won by her loyal knight, brave and true, who didn't hesitate to slay the beast in his true love's honor. This, Wolfram knew, was the picture of love that children grew up believing: a pretty myth where love was born from a single glance and a pure kiss could undo a curse and where everything could be neatly summed up in a 'happily ever after.'

Wolfram exchanged an amused look with Yuuri, who was standing in the doorway and waiting for his turn to kiss their daughter goodnight. Knowing that there was no single instance that they could point to as the cause that changed them from friends into lovers was oddly comforting.

There was only one way to answer Greta's question. "You will understand when you're a bit older, Greta," Wolfram said as he affectionately stroked her auburn hair. "When you grow into a beautiful lady and find yourself in love for the first time, you will understand very well."

Wolfram didn't need to look at Yuuri to see the gentle, affectionate smile on his face. What they had would never be fitting for any bedtime story. But even so, Wolfram could never have dreamed to ask for anything more. What he and Yuuri shared was so much better than any storybook romance: it was theirs.

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Thanks to toshimalfoy for her Beta work!

Comments and concrit are welcome and appreciated!