HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou.
Pairing: Shori/Wolfram,
Warning: unrequited Yuuri/Wolfram
Notes: I know this is a highly unusual pairing that's not all that popular among the fans of Kyou Kara Maou but the plot bunny haunted me in my sleep at night so I had to give in and write this fic. Never mind that I am swamped like crazy with work and never mind that In His Shoes needs to be checked, corrected and changed accordingly. I just hope you – however little the number of Shori/Wolfram fans in fandom is – enjoy it.
He should have known it would come to this. He had had his time and chance with him and now both the time and the chance were up. He had to let go.
He knew from the beginning that he never intended to keep him forever. He was only in it for the sake of keeping everyone – the people he cared for – happy, if only for the time being. He knew that he was going to let him go one day and he was fully prepared for it.
He spent a lot of time and effort to prepare him for it, too, for the last thing he wanted was to have his best friend, his almost-but-not-quite lover feeling jealous, abandoned and desperate. He made sure that, when the time came for his dear friend to be let go, he had someone by his side to comfort him and make him happy.
He had chosen his substitute. Someone they could both trust not to hurt him. He knew that Gisela would make him happy. He knew that he and Gisela already cared for each other, as they were childhood friends. He would probably never smile as brightly to Gisela or hold her hand as tightly as he did when he was with him, but he knew that they would not mind each other's company. And perhaps one day, after they had both forgiven him for doing this to them and understood that there was nothing else that he wanted more in this world than to marry and raise a family with another woman, they could learn to care, if not love, for each other deeply. So yes, Yuuri knew he had chosen the perfect substitute to replace himself in Wolfram's life.
Having thus convinced himself of his decision, Yuuri braced himself as he faced his loyal subjects and his beautiful golden-haired and emerald-eyed fiancé in the grand ballroom of the castle, where official functions such as the king's birthday and all other important anniversaries took place. Yuuri's time was up and this had to be done. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes momentarily and spoke up.
"I, Yuuri Shibuya, the 27th king of Shin Makoku, hereby dissolve my 6-year engagement with my fiancé, Lord Wolfram Von Bielefeld. He is hereby liberated from any duty, obligation and responsibilities that are attached to his previous status as my would-be consort and he is free to follow whatever romantic pursuits that he wishes."
Yuuri tensely turned to the mediator, Gunter, the steadfast guardian of royal customs and tradition in his court, as soon as those words left his mouth and waited for him to proceed. He felt his breath got caught in his throat on its way out when he saw Gunter turn to the person who had been his fiancé in the past six years and ask the question, "Do you accept?"
He did not know what to expect, frankly speaking, at this point. He waited for the blow, the explosion, the outburst of anger, tears or whatever. He waited and waited for what seemed to be an eternity before he finally heard a response. He breathed a silent thanks when he found no trace of tears, no trace of venom and no trace of hate in his friend and fiancé's voice when he said the words,
"I accept."
He, however, was unprepared for what came next: a smile. He felt surprised because it was it was the same fully bright smile he had been given in the mornings they had woken up together in the past several years. He was given a smile for a break-up. He realized then, things were not going to be as simple as they appeared. He should have known better.
"Are you free?" the tall, broad-shouldered and dark-haired man asked Wolfram as he was stroking and cooing to his steed.
Wolfram turned around and saw Shori Shibuya standing at the entrance of the stables. Shori's expression was rigid and his bespectacled dark eyes which showed depth and wisdom beyond his years staring hard at Wolfram. Wolfram shivered from the stare. Shori's eyes had that effect on him.
"Are you free?" the older Shibuya brother repeated his question when Wolfram did not see it fit to grace him with an answer immediately.
Wolfram almost smiled. For all his sharpness and intelligence, Shori was an impatient one. Then again, this was why Wolfram liked him so much. An impatient Shori was a beautiful Shori and of course Wolfram liked beautiful things.
"I'm free to talk right now," he finally answered, deciding to toy with the taller man's temper for a bit more. He felt a bit daring – and perhaps reckless – to do so but he could not help it. Teasing Shori was his favorite pastime these days.
Shori's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. His lips formed a thin line of distaste. He was starting to look dangerous now and… very, very desirable. Indeed, his Maryoku had begun to seep uncontrollably out of him, threatening to overcome his better senses and possess him maliciously, like it did when he was severely angry or acutely impatient. Still such a novice at controlling his powers, Wolfram thought, but this made Shori even more desirable so he was not going to complain much. After all, what was sexier than seeing that simmering blue light out surrounding his lover's body? As far as Wolfram concerned, nothing was sexier than that.
"That's not what I meant and you know it," he said chillingly.
At that tone of voice, Wolfram knew instantly that he had pushed the wrong button then. Deep down, he knew how serious the question was and how grave the consequences were, had he given him the wrong answer. It was a mistake to tease him for that question. Now Shori was angry. Eyes wide with guilt and worry, Wolfram took a step towards Shori to calm his temper down.
Before he reached him, however, Wolfram locked eyes with Shori and what he saw there stole his breath away. Shori's eyes shone with anticipation, hurt, hope, desperation, fear and… love. There was love there.
… in abundance. Abundant love in his shining eyes. Just for him. Wolfram felt giddy with anticipation. He could get drunk on that look on Shori's eyes alone.
Wolfram stopped in his tracks, suddenly dizzy as the realization of what was about to happen hit him a hundred times over. He was about to be claimed by the older Shibuya brother. Once he closed the distance between them, life as he knew it would be over for Wolfram. He was going to be Shori's for life. And just as quickly as it had hit him, the dizzy spell left Wolfram and he smiled in relief.
Impatient, Shori met him halfway and stopped right in front of the blonde man. He raised his hand and used the back of it to caress Wolfram's cheek. Wolfram bit his lower lip to keep from whimpering at the gentle touch that sparked unexpected jolts of desire all over his body. As Shori's gaze softened on him, the older Shibuya brother closed the distance between them so that now they were only inches apart from each other.
Wolfram was ready to melt when Shori pleaded softly but seriously, "Please don't make a joke out of this, Lord Von Bielefeld. Tell me, are you free?"
At that Wolfram forcibly pushed away the mysterious lump that had promptly congested his throat and robbed him of his ability for proper speech, saying in the barest whisper to Shori's anxious face, "Yes, I'm free."
The hurt, the desperation and the fear left Shori instantaneously. Breaking into a relieved smile, Shori wasted no time at all in responding – physically – to Wolfram's answer. He pulled the smaller man into his arms and kissed him. He kissed him senseless and to hell with everything else.
It was not a gentle kiss, not like the ones they usually share in their quiet, stolen moments together in the past few months, spent in each other's company in secret, nurturing what had then felt like a forbidden love between the king's brother and the king's consort.
This kiss was searing hot and screamed of love, lust and passion. It was a kiss in which Shori consumed Wolfram with his mouth until he no longer remembered how to stand properly or speak or think or feel anything else but passion. It was a kiss that made Wolfram's toes curl inside his boots and deprived his mind of his sense and sensibilities. It was a kiss that awakened something in the pits of his stomach and created a storm within and sent shivers down his most private organs that threatened to burst any minute now if Shori didn't stop. It was a kiss that with every lick of Shori's tongue, every bite of his teeth and every suction of his lips branded Wolfram as Shori's. It was the kiss that possessed his soul. It was a lover's kiss.
His lover's kiss.
Moments later, as Shori pulled away for a gasp of air, he breathlessly said, "Come with me."
"Where?" Wolfram asked, although he really did not care where they were going as long as they were going together.
"Anywhere. Just come with me."
"All right."
His easy concession to Shori's request made the taller man smile. Wolfram smiled back. Oh, how beautiful his smile is, each of them thought privately. Entwining their fingers together, the two of them kissed each other again before they walked away from Wolfram's horse, from the stables, from the grounds, from the castle and from this kingdom entirely.
Yuuri could not help but stare, shell-shocked, from his secluded spot behind a particularly enormous pillar, at the before him. There they were – his brother and his former fiancé were walking together, hand-in-hand, gazing at each other with eyes full of love (and even lust), towards the fountain in the Great One's temple. The young king witnessed as his brother stepped into the fountain and offered his hand to the blond knight.
"Ready?" Yuuri heard Shori ask Wolfram.
Wolfram eyed the fountain warily. "Do we have to travel from here? It's wet."
Shori's laughter filled the air. "Yes, well, we have to. Don't worry, Wolf, you look ravishing when wet."
Wolfram blushed prettily but still managed a deathly glare. "I prefer traveling dry, thank you very much."
Shori rolled his eyes. "Well, unlike my brother, whose power is so big he can transport himself to the other world just by dipping his index finger in a cup of tea, my power has limits. I can only transport both of us to the other side through this Portal fountain that has the added advantage of projecting Ulrike's Maryoku for safe passage. But who cares? As long as we're going, it doesn't matter how we travel. Now, come on, Wolf. You're wasting my time and her Maryoku!"
Wolfram usually felt compelled to argue when Shori underestimated his powers like that but this time he didn't even have a chance to do anything but gasp as Shori yanked him by the arm towards him.
Wolfram soon found himself knee-deep in the water and wrapped in Shori's strong, protective arms. Shori chuckled when Wolfram Wolfram scowled at this rather brusque treatment that his regal person was subjected to. That scowl seconds later erased by Shori lightly pressing his lips Wolfram's for another kiss. Shori then leaned down to whisper something to Wolfram, which made the blond acquire a reluctant smile. And then…
… then they were gone.
Even in his shocked state, the meaning of their direction could not have been clearer to Yuuri; they were going to Earth. Just them. The two of them.
The two of them?
It was at that moment that the Mazoku that Yuuri had previously chosen to be his substitute in Wolfram's life chose to appear beside him. Gisela, her eyes kind and amused at the same time, offered a wry smile to the baffled king.
"You didn't know, Your Majesty?" Gisela asked.
Yuuri swallowed a lump on his throat and forced himself to respond. He shook his head but only very slightly. Gisela got the message nonetheless.
After some time, Yuuri dared himself to ask, "How long?"
Gisela tilted her head to the side and stared pensively at the empty space where Wolfram and Shori had just been standing moments ago. Then she said, "A very long time."
Yuuri knew that there was more to that statement than Gisela was saying and he wasn't sure whether he should laugh in relief because Wolfram had gotten over him so quickly or cry because, in the end, he did not betray Wolfram and instead it was Wolfram who was betraying him while he worried, fretted and beat himself over and over again for what he had done to Wolfram. Then again, he should have known. He should have known since the beginning, from the moment he had told himself that it was never going to last and decided that it was not Wolfram whom he wanted to be at his side. He should have known that Wolfram was never going to wait for him forever and let him walk all over his feelings, trample his heart and hurt his pride.
Really, he should have known better.
He really wished he had.
FIN