Warnings: Creative use of Mazoku cultures, character history, and such. ^^; Call it an AU if you're not comfortable with where I'm going. ^_^ Horrendous amounts of sap, angst, and more sap.

Some of you may feel that Wolfram is OOC, but I feel that he has grown since the beginning of the anime. He seems more mature… it stands to reason that his character would continue to evolve. He is also a proud boy. I think he did remarkably well - too well - so far in the face of all that rejection from Yuuri… ^_^; Not for long… *whistles innocently*

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money, don't sue.

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Discoveries - 1

"I think I hear him coming... can you hurry it up?"

Conrad laughed softly as he held Yuuri's hand. "These things take time, Your Majesty."

"WHERE IS HE?"

Yuuri winced as Wolfram's voice boomed just outside the bedroom door, and he quickly snatched his hand away from Conrad, who was looking much too amused for his own good.

"Your Majesty, we have to take the splinter out before it can get infected."

"Er..." Yuuri didn't have time to reply when the bedroom door flew opened and his very pissed off fiancé stood panting in the doorway.

"Yuuri, you idiot! When did you get back?" Wolfram shouted as he stepped into the room and slammed the door shut. "Why am I always the last to find out your whereabouts?"

"That's not true!" Yuuri protested, but the blond was not listening, instead he was marching angrily towards them. Then, as if he suddenly realized that he may have interrupted something, Wolfram froze in his tracks, his face darkening, and his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What were you two doing?"

"Nothing!" Yuuri said quickly - too quickly from the look on Wolfram's face. "Really!"

"Then why do you look so guilty?"

"This isn't guilt!" Yuuri pointed to his face. "This is fear. You always get so worked up about NOTHING and then you don't listen and then I get pummeled anyway!" Yuuri threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why do you even bother asking? Why not just hit me and get it over with?"

Wolfram blinked in surprise at his outburst. He looked from his fiancé to his brother - who was still smiling in good humor - then back to Yuuri again. The blond crossed his arms and took a deep breath.

"Fine. I'm listening. What were you doing?"

It was Yuuri's turn to blink; he hadn't expected Wolfram to back down so easily. "Er…" He held up his hand, palm facing Wolfram, so that the blond could see the reddish area where the splinter had imbedded itself in his flesh.

Wolfram moved closer and peered at his hand. "What? That little thing?"

"Hey! It's huge!"

Conrad stepped up and took Yuuri's hand again as Wolfram muttered something about a wimp. "I was helping His Majesty get the splinter out," Conrad told his brother.

"I'll do it!" Wolfram snatched Yuuri's hand back possessively. "Don't think I don't know what's going on," he mumbled as he grabbed the thin needle from Conrad as well. "A likely excuse - a splinter. Hah!"

Yuuri sighed and looked at Conrad helplessly. The older man just smiled and bowed. "Well, it looks like Your Majesty is in good hands. I need to see Gunter about something. I'll see you both later."

"Wait! Don't leave! He's got the nee… OW! Watch where you stick that thing… HEY! That hurts!"

Wolfram looked up from his task, his eyes gleaming triumphantly. "Then shut up, you wimp, and stay still!"

"Don't call me a wimp!"

Yuuri tried to take his hand back, but the threat of the needle loomed eminently over his palm. He swallowed hard and squinted his eyes shut as Wolfram poked at the splinter. Behind him, he heard a soft chuckle from Conrad before the tall knight closed the bedroom door on his way out.

"Wimp."

"Shut up!" Yuuri opened his eyes and this time pulled his hand back angrily. "Give me the needle. I don't need your help!"

Wolfram held up the needle, it had a small black thing stuck to the end. Yuuri leaned in close to take a look. It was the splinter. He looked at his hand and then up at the needle again. He didn't even feel it!

"Er… thanks."

Wolfram shrugged and then put the needle on the table. "So, when did you get back?"

"About an hour ago. This time I ended up in the garden pond."

Wolfram turned and scrutinized his damp hair and Mazoku clothing before nodding. "Mother is looking for you."

"Cheri-sama? Why?" Yuuri suppress the urge to shiver. Wolfram's mother could get so… physical and that usually meant a very uncomfortable situation for Yuuri. Being on the receiving end of Wolfram's jealousy was also something he didn't need.

Wolfram frowned. "You don't remember our discussion before you ran off to 'your world'?"

"First of all, that wasn't a discussion, it was more like Armageddon, and second of all, this is my world, too."

"Your world?" Wolfram snorted. "You seem to have a convenient way of forgetting that."

"I didn't forget anything. I can't help it if I get sucked back and forth randomly! You think it's fun? It's getting to a point where I'm seriously thinking about living in a desert!"

Wolfram studied him for a long moment, as if he wasn't sure he could believe Yuuri. Then he looked away, his gaze fixed on the garden outside their window. When he spoke again, his voice sounded strangely tired. "She wants to… re-discuss the wedding ceremony."

Yuuri backed away and looked instinctively to the door - his exit. "Er… look, do we really have to do that now?"

Wolfram turned to him then, his eyes smoldering. "Do what? The discussion, or the wedding?" His voice was barely controlled, warning Yuuri that he had better tread carefully.

"Well… both, I guess." Yuuri took a discreet step back, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. "I'm only 16… or is it 18?" He thought in confusion as he tried to work out the differences of how time passed between the worlds. "Anyway, I'm too young. I can't be expected to get married yet. Why isn't anybody listening to me?"

"Because you're an idiot!" Wolfram glared at him. "If you didn't want to get married, you shouldn't have proposed!"

"GAAAAAAHHHH!" Yuuri yelled and pulled at his hair. "You're doing this on purpose, I know you are! What is it with you and arguments? I didn't propose! You KNOW that. It was a mistake and you KNOW that, too! How many times do I have to say, 'I DON'T WANT TO MARRY YOU'?!"

Wolfram stared silently at him, his expression unreadable, which was something quite scary seeing that one could usually FEEL what Wolfram was thinking… even in the next castle.

"Too many times, Yuuri," Wolfram finally said, his voice soft and calm, but Yuuri thought he could detect a slight tremor.

Yuuri regretted his outburst instantly. He knew how Wolfram felt about him, of course, the blond was hardly secretive about his love for the Maou. Yuuri just wasn't sure how he felt about Wolfram… or anybody else for that matter. His mind conjured up images of Conrad, warm and welcoming, and he had to shake his head briskly to rid it of the familiar visage. Yuuri turned his attention back to the blond by the window - and found Wolfram staring right back at him. Yuuri wasn't sure what Wolfram saw in his expression, but the blond suddenly looked lost. It wasn't something Yuuri was used to seeing in his feisty fiancé, and it gave him an unfamiliar ache in his chest. Yuuri opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could say anything, Wolfram started walking towards the door.

"Breaking the engagement by either party will not look good for the Maou," Wolfram said tightly as he passed Yuuri. "You might want to think about that before you go public."

Yuuri blinked at his fiancé's back as Wolfram continued towards the door. What the…?

This just couldn't be happening. He'd been ranting for Wolfram to renounce the engagement forever! Why now? Why so calmly and without a fight? Who was this imposter, and where the hell was Wolfram?

"Wait!"

Wolfram stopped at the door, but he didn't turn around. His shoulders were tense and his hands clenched by his sides, the only signs that Wolfram was not a happy camper. Yuuri had to admit that the blond had come a long way… there had been a time when Yuuri didn't want to be anywhere near an unhappy Wolfram; It had proven to be most detrimental to one's health.

"Why?" Yuuri wanted to know. Had the blond found someone else?

Stiff shoulders lifted in a shrug. "What does it matter? You're finally getting what you want." Wolfram opened the door and stepped through. He paused before closing it, turning to give Yuuri an empty look. "Maybe you can go and ask Weller to marry you, now. That's what you really want, isn't it?"

Before Yuuri could respond, Wolfram turned around again and closed the door behind him.

Yuuri stared at the closed door blankly. What the hell had just happened?

"Wolfram!"

Yuuri ran out the bedroom to chase down his fiancé… or should he say ex-fiancé? Gah! What in the world was going on? He had been gone for what, a few days… or had it been weeks here? Gah! For however long, it shouldn't have turned the whole world upside down! He should still be able to count on certain things, like... Wolfram yelling at him and forcing him into marriage!

"Wolfram! Wait!" He could see the blond turning the corner, completely ignoring him. Okay… that was normal enough. Maybe the world would spin on its proper axis again.

He caught up with Wolfram by the portrait of the first Maou… the Wolfram look-a-like. He grabbed the blond by the elbow and pulled him around to face him.

Wolfram looked like he was about to cry.

Oh crap.

"Wolfram," was all that Yuuri could get out. His chest felt strangely tight and his mouth dry.

Wolfram yanked his arm back angrily - a usual defense of the fiery young Mazoku. "Leave me alone, Yuuri. I don't need your pity! I never wanted to marry a wimpy human anyway!"

Normally, 'wimpy human' would have made Yuuri jump headlong into the argument, but this time he held his tongue. He knew why Wolfram was lashing out. He was hurt.

"Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did!" Wolfram pushed him hard on the chest, making Yuuri stumble back against the wall painfully. "You've always meant it. From the beginning you tried to get out of it. I was stupid enough to hope that maybe, just maybe, given enough time, you could…" Wolfram gritted his teeth, refusing to go on. He turned his back on Yuuri, ready to walk away. Yuuri didn't know why, but he knew he couldn't let that happen. He pushed himself off the wall and grabbed onto Wolfram again; this time he was prepared for the blond's resistance.

"Wolfram, please. Don't be angry. It's not you, really. It's me."

Wolfram let out a harsh laugh and continued to tug at his arm. He turned and snarled, "You're right, it IS you. YOU don't want me. So… let me go, you idiot!"

"No! Wait! Not like this! Please." Yuuri pulled harder, trying to keep the angry Mazoku prince from leaving. Even though Yuuri thought that he wanted to be free... he hadn't wanted this. Not if it meant this much pain for Wolfram. Surely they could work something out.

Their mini scuffles turned more violent, and Yuuri found himself rolling on the stone floor with Wolfram. A few screams and startled yelps around them warned him that they were no longer alone. Wolfram didn't seem to care and struggled harder to get away.

Finally, Yuuri managed to roll on top of his fiancé. He straddled the blond, holding his captive's wrists tightly above the struggling blond's head.

"Get off me!" Wolfram growled.

"Not until you listen."

"Why? So you can tell me you don't want to marry me? AGAIN?"

"Of course not! I said I was sorry." It suddenly struck Yuuri that this was the normal course for this particular topic. He said he didn't want to get married, Wolfram got angry, and Yuuri apologized. Case close. Well, more like a recess to be picked up another day. Why was that?

"Why?" Wolfram yelled, echoing Yuuri's last thought. "You've been begging for this since the beginning. You're getting it! Now you can go and do whatever you want. Marry whomever you want! Don't think I don't know what's been going on, Yuuri. I'm not that stupid!"

Yuuri couldn't let him continue; he knew very well where Wolfram was going with the speech. The blond may not have been aware of their surroundings, but Yuuri sure was. He needed to shut Wolfram up fast, but how? His brain must have short-circuited during the scuffle because the next thing Yuuri knew... his lips were pressed firmly to those of his angry fiancé's.

Wolfram's emerald eyes grew wide, his mouth stayed opened in mid-tirade. The blond stopped struggling in his shock, his body suddenly pliant and yielding. Yuuri felt something warm stirring in the pit of his stomach, a calling, an awakening... and a need he had never felt before. It grew and rose slowly to his chest, making him ache in places he shouldn't... not here... not like this... and surely not for this man. Yuuri couldn't even begin to describe what was happening to his body. Answering that need, his tongue ventured between Wolfram's stunned lips, to entwined possessively with the blond's. He felt like he was melting. And from beneath him, he thought he heard Wolfram moan.

Then his body began to burn. It was the familiar feeling he got whenever he turned into the Maou... but not quite. The burning was different... it was filled with a kind of pleasure that he'd never experienced during the transformation before.

Distantly he heard Wolfram cry out, but he couldn't see anything past the blue fire that seemed to have consumed them. Pleasure filled his senses, though he couldn't remember doing anything for it. He clutched Wolfram tighter to him and felt the blond go limp in his arms...

And then everything suddenly turned black, and Yuuri felt nothing at all.

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TBC