Endangered Hearts , by Vanessa S. Quest

"YOU LOUSE!" The sounds of a slamming door and Wolfram's scream echoed throughout Blood Pledge Castle.

Yuri's back shot up straight as his head began to turn left and right in rapid successions as he scanned, searching for the blond in a bit of a panic.

Conrad looked up at Yuri from bed, amused by it, "Yuri?"

Yuri looked back down at Conrad and sighed out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, "Huh? Wha… but…!"

It took him a second to recall, to fully recall, that he and Wolfram had dissolved the engagement, consentually on both parties' behalf no less than six months before.

"We aren't even engaged! Why is he yelling at me now?!" Yuri complained until the door slamming, further from his bedroom than the initial door slamming, informed him he was in fact not the quarry. "Oh… he's talking about Murata. Wait a second! He's talking about Murata!"

Conrad sat up from the bed, aware that their nightly snuggling had just been postponed by his own brotherly concern, after all… Wolfram didn't get away with that sort of affection with the Great Sage, oh his bouts of jealousy yes, but no to the screaming.

"Shall I go check on him?"

Yuri nodded once to Conrad, "I think you should, yeah."

Conrad approached the Great Sage's home away from home away from home… in other words his bedroom neither at the Shrine nor on Earth. Wolfram was shaking his fist in great rage and near a fit of hysteria.

"…I… I'm sick of this! I want an explanation now!" Wolfram said in a great bundle of shaken nerves.

"…Wolfram what is this all about? It's late, see, you even woke up Weller-kyo with your screaming."

"I don't care about that right now! I demand you tell me, tell me right now why you're really with me! It had better not have anything to do with the words 'because of the sex' or 'channeling Shinou' or because I 'look like a younger Shinou' either!"

Ken swallowed hard, fixing his glasses, "You're being unreasonable, darling. It is very late at night, you come here waking me up and then want me to confess some undying love…"

"You shouldn't have a problem with that at any time! I should always be on your mind if you really love me! So why do you really love me, huh?!"

Conrad tried to collect enough tact to be able to back out of the area without setting off alarm-bells, he really didn't mean to interrupt something… like this. He'd be much happier in his nice, warm, shared bed with his lovely Yuri-heika.

"I suppose I always had a thing for difficult people." Ken mentioned taking off his shades, after all that really was an awkward conversation to have in the sake of a fight.

"Don't you try to back-pedal out of this! I don't care why you liked other people… it really just is because of Shinou!"

"…Well, a part of it…" Murata mumbled, after all… even he liked being the uke every now and again, though being semme really was nice. Really nice. "Your looks don't hurt it either."

"…Because I look like him too?!"

"It isn't so easy of a thing to say." Ken admitted.

"You're the Great Sage of Shin Makoku, you could figure it out. You've been with me for six months!" Wolfram's eyes narrowed into a emerald blaze, "That's it isn't it…? If that's all I mean to you… We… we're through!" Wolfram snatched the nearest thing he could to throw it to the floor in his rage, it so happened to be a book Murata had been perusing earlier that day.

"Wait, now Wolfram… be reasonable, we can't talk about this in the morning, when you calm down… without an audience…" Ken mentioned, his hand reaching, but he knew better than to grab. No, grabbing would turn into groping, which in turn would become slamming into the wall, and then well, public decency dictated he stopped those lustful thoughts there.

"You're only with me for sex, that's all the reason you have for me, anyway!" He turned to glare at Conrad, who had only managed to be able to do a quarter turn and block his ear with a hand pretending to be rustling his hair, not seeing a clean exit-point after Wolfram started shouting his break-up lines. "I hate you, you half-breed human!"

So said the pissy Wolfram as he stormed off; Conrad rolled his eyes at the ceiling just thinking of the mess this would be come morning. He looked at Ken as if measuring what polite action he was meant to follow, after all, he's supposed to side with his brother at moments like this regardless of who is right or wrong.

"…It's a hard thing to say, as I'm sure you know."

"You've been with him for 6 months, forgive me but I have to say it is only fair that you confessed your love by now. You've known his feelings since the beginning."

Ken hung his head, "I'm the Great Sage, as he so aptly put. I can't just say it, that isn't good enough. Expectations demand much more of that from me." He let out another breath, a bit disappointed. "Ah, well, he'll probably storm off and come back in a few days."

"Probably." Conrad confirmed, knowing his brother like he did, that really was his modus operandi. "If you'll excuse me," Conrad bowed out.

"Yeah, I should get back to sleep. It's not as if I could say anything to him now that would change things."

"No, not really," Conrad agreed again. He returned to the main wing of the castle, approaching the Maoh's bedroom.

His eyes opened wide when he saw the door open, he rushed toward it unsure of what to expect. He peaked behind the door, if this was one thing, he wasn't meant to interfere, and yet another thing it would be quite different as far as responses went.

He spotted Yuri sitting on the bed, eyes wide open in shock, he put a hand up defensively, "C… Calm down already, tell me what happened. Slower this time."

Conrad took his weight from the door, he would get to go for a little walk, apparently. He might as well counsel with Gwendel, the man had guard duty, he knew he'd still be awake.

--

Yuri listened to Wolfram rant, insulting Murata, Earth, humans, anything living and thought of as cute like kittens…

"Why are you bad-mouthing everyone? Did you two get in a fight?"

"It was much more than a fight! We broke up; he didn't even say anything to stop me."

Yuri's eye widened on his right side, his left narrowing as if in disbelief, "You say 'we' but… did Murata actually say it? Did he actually agree to it?"

"I wasn't going to give him a chance to. It was bad enough hearing what he said." Wolfram's voice was much lower this time, making Yuri pity him even more.

"What's worse is Conrad was there, just listening in like it was his damn business!"

"Aha…ha…ha…" Yuri laughed nervously, "Anou… well, that was more my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sure he didn't mean to interrupt such a private moment. We heard you yelling, he went to make sure you were alright. Aha… ha… ah, I'm sorry." He bowed his head in defeat. "But, I really don't think Murata doesn't love you, no, that's not how you say it… I mean to say Murata really does love you. I'm his best friend so I notice some of those things, I have the liberty of seeing him when he's in front of you and when he's not. There really is a difference… it seems more subtle though, those glasses… I tell you he'd be much more honest if he had to wear contacts…" Yuri muttered, going on about how Murata's eyes hold a particular focus when he's going into strategist mode…

"I don't care. He should be able to be honest with me, instead he keeps playing me. The only reason he feels those ways is because of how I look! Am I condemned to only being with men attracted to me because of my looks?!" He glared at Yuri with detest for a moment.

"Ah! It wasn't like that! It was an accident, an ACCIDENT! I didn't know what slapping someone meant!" Yuri said, all while doing massive hand-waving. "I didn't even think I was gay when that happened! Granted, you are pretty. Not my type though. Not at all." Yuri said, analytically, earning him a pissy stare.

"Not helping."

Yuri laughed, nervously again. "I'm sorry. But, what about Elizabeth? She loved you when you were much younger, it couldn't have been based on looks."

"It was. She thought we looked like a matching set." His eyebrow ticked.

"Ah, well… wow." Yuri scratched his head, out of ideas of ex-lovers of Wolfram for comparison. "Ah! But, I'm not friends with you because of your looks! Conrad doesn't just like you because of looks either. He loves you as his little brother…"

"Don't talk about that half-breed… the jerk didn't even say anything!"

Yuri's voice went low, "Don't talk about my fiancé like that."

"See! No one would defend my honor like that at all."

"I'm not so sure of that, I just don't think Conrad's style is to bring things up to the spot-light. He usually lets you get center-stage, or Gwendel take charge, he's much more mellow than that, and definitely not a glory hog… he's… well I guess you'd call him a wall-flower… and dreamy…" Yuri's eyes saw hearts before stars, which occurred just after a pillow hit him square in the face.

"I don't need to see you act all lovey-dovey! I needed to talk to someone and now you're doing that couple thing on me now!"

"What couple-thing?" Yuri's head tilted to the side in confusion, fluffing the pillow before smelling it. Ah, Conrad's pillow.

"THAT! That's Conrad's pillow, isn't it? And you're smelling it, remembering him romantically, huh?"

"Uh… ha… haha… ah…" Yuri bowed his head, "THAT couple-thing, right. Sorry, it's been a while since I've been single so I didn't really remember that's not normal. Mmm, Conrad pillow."

"GAH!" Wolfram rang his fist in the air. "I need to get out of here and talk to someone more empathetic!"

"…Like who?" Yuri asked.

"Maybe Gwendel…"

"He's with Gunter." Yuri mentioned, suggesting which office to travel in.

Apparently it was more than that, though. Yuri noted, as Wolfram's face grew shaded and angry, "Oh yeah, I forgot, even HE has a steady lover, too. Even he can sustain an emotional relationship and yet I…"

"…What about Dorcas?" Yuri added, trying to quickly… block out those thoughts for one, and for two make up with Wolfram so he had a shot at sleeping within the next three hours.

"I said empathize. He's probably never been with a man in his life. Nor a woman, for that matter."

"That's mean." Yuri chastised. "Gisela?"

"…Do you really think she'd let a man stay with her without being conditioned to jump on her commands?"

"I thought she liked Adalbert, he's not really the type to be 'conditioned' so…"

"…THAT'S IT! Why didn't I think about something so simple as that earlier? Yuri I could kiss you!"

'Really please don't." Yuri mentioned holding a protective hand over his mouth, "Why?"

"Keenan! Keenan would understand me! He'd listen, he'd know what to say…" Wolfram's eyes became alit with stars and Yuri could even see hearts if he squinted.

"…What?" His head drooped, Murata was going to throw him to the dragons for this. "Wolfram, what about someone closer, like… like your mom! Why not your mom? She's had lots of boyfriends before, she surely knows a thing or two about how to get them to profess love… or Anissina… maybe she'll make an invention or… or…"

"…" Wolfram gave Yuri the darkest stare imaginable, making Yuri grimace in defeat. Maybe Pochi would save him from the hungrier dragons? Pochi loved him, so maybe…

--

Gwendel's grimace seemed to etch deeper into his brow than normal, even Anissina picked up on it, and much like Gunter had been one to do, she grabbed his face to pull them close and count. "Oh my, two new ones, I see I've invented Youthful-Skin-Forever-chan in time."

Gunter wailed, "Oh no! He's up to four now!" Gunter threw himself to Gwendel's waist to hug him in greatest upset.

"It's nothing. I don't have time to play today, Anissina." He knew saying something like that was dangerous. Very dangerous in fact, particularly with her blue eyes having a wave of invigoration rush from the bottom pools upward as if the impulse raced to her brain. He couldn't back down now, though.

Conrad stepped in, "I'm afraid his council is of utmost urgency." He bowed apologetically to Anissina, thankful to every dark and holy power at that moment for being born without a drop of maryoki.

"Well… well then if that's really the case, I'll just work on a few new ideas. I'm certain you won't be busy after that council." Her eyes narrowed telling him he'd clear his plans even if he were, for that insult.

Gwendel rubbed his brow, "But of course. Afterwards."

As Anissina exited, Yuri entered the room quite shyly.

"Yuri, if you'd please relay the information about last night's happenings." Conrad coaxed, he knew full well Yuri was unhappy for the turn of events.

"Well, Wolfram mentioned his desire to see… a… Keenan, after our conversation, it seems he wanted a more empathetic audience after he… broke up with Murata." His eyes were shifting around the room. He was just glad to see Murata nowhere to be seen in the area. "Uh, just where is Murata right now?"

With everyone's horrified face at the fact that Wolfram had run off for… Keenan… each for their own reasons, he was sure the actual look of horror was a bit too intense, his shoulders knotted. He really hadn't wanted to say anything! Conrad made him! With those soft, almost pleading brown eyes… Murata was right behind him, he knew it. He had to be, that's exactly what his sort of luck was.

He slowly turned around only to see Murata making a slight fist, glasses gleaming. "Good morning, Shibuya. I see, so that's where he decided to go."

Yuri gulped; his friend was pissed at him, wasn't he?

"Gwendel, would you please contact Yozak and ask him to locate Adalbert?" Ken's voice was much more of a strategist than that of a person about to feed Yuri to the dragons.

"…A… Aren't you mad at me, Murata? For saying something so stupid or…?"

"Of course not. You probably didn't even think to suggest Keenan. I mean, really, who would think of him. That's why he really wanted to go there." He looked down as if disappointed, "It makes the most sense, it is a bit like him to run off, and he's assured shelter there, he'd even do so without drawing attention." Murata elbowed Yuri playfully in the ribs, "Some of us can manage to do that, not make a huge commotion when travelling."

Yuri gulped again, still not sure if he was off Murata's list.

Conrad put a hand on Yuri's shoulder to reassure him, "No one thinks you're to blame for it, Yuri."

"On the contrary, I'm the villain in this, Shibuya." Murata explained, bowing extravagantly. "I'm the wicked, heart-breaking boyfriend of these two's innocent and cute little bratty brother."

Gwendel's eyebrows tapered down toward the bridge of his nose as he made a low comment, "I'm more impressed that it progressed this far, he is bratty, he needs a person with your sort of patience to handle him."

The room had a collective nod supporting the notion, leaving Yuri and Murata to look at each other in the eye, the only two not nodding.

"I'm a bit upset that it has become such an ordeal, you'd think you'd have known better than to keep someone as impatient as him waiting for such a thing." Conrad mentioned, quite aware of the scrutinizing look from Murata, he felt a cold sweat run down his back. He wasn't a coward, he was not going to back down from this point, his baby brother deserved better than that. "You were intimate with him, after all."

Murata let out a sigh, "I'm well aware that the polite moment for it passed by unintentionally; however, that brought the dilemma about. I could hardly just throw it out after that. It needs to be special for him, don't you think? Especially because of how he is; his patience would be bought with some grandiose endeavor, not some slapped on 'I love you' before breakfast. Frankly, if I did something subtle he wouldn't catch it between his own sentences."

The others all nodded, ah, so this was the collective wisdom of the Great Sage! Gunter was fawning a bit.

"Admit it, part of it is your way to tease him, too!" Yuri finally spat out, "You like to make him squirm and for people not to be able to read you. I know you have severe trust issues, but haven't we shown by now that you can trust us here? Haven't I made Shin Makoku a safe enough of a place for you to let your own heart show?"

Murata lowered his head, a bit upset, Shibuya was right about that after all. "It isn't easy to let down shields that are this many millennia old." Sighing he looked back up, "I suppose I'll have to try, ne? Alright, with that decided upon, please inform me when Yozak has located Wolfram, Gwendel."

Gwendel nodded, "Of course."

--

Wolfram noticed as he set up his low-burning fire, that he made from logs from wood known to emit very little smoke, that he had managed to get a good day's worth of travel in between he and Shin Makoku. While he planned to avoid taking a ship like Yuri avoided Gunter during lesson time, he knew eventually he would have to.

The inevitable didn't make it welcome, but he knew that once he took a short boating trip he'd only have to endure four more hard hours of riding to reach Keenan in the outcast village Adelbert ran.

Though he was hardly fond of being around the traitor, he would happily sacrifice that to find his old confidant and friend, Keenan. It was a relationship very few people could understand. It was more than 

friendship, but the sex never made it to the foreground. Neither asked for it to happen, nor badgered one another for it, if anything it would just be a natural happening. The soldier had understood their difference via class, or maybe it was that he loved Wolfram for more than that. Wolfram hung his head, he shouldn't get so ahead of himself to think of words like love. After all, he didn't plan to go there for that purpose, he was traveling there for his confidant and friend, the friend who didn't change that level without some unspoken agreement. An unspoken, mutual agreement, mutual understanding that the two had.

Why couldn't the Great Sage Murata Ken figure out something so simple? Was it really so hard to come to grips with loving him for who he was? Was Wolfram such a terrible person? So impossible to be with or love? What was really wrong with loving with his whole being and wanting to be loved back with at least an iota of the same feelings shown back? Really, there was nothing wrong with a reciprocation of those thoughts and touches, and not just during sex! That was the only time Ken would show him such tender motions and even that wasn't a given. Besides, why did Ken have to go and channel Shinou, anyways?!

Did he really think that just because it was Wolfram's body that it being Shinou's soul was okay to screw? It didn't make it right for Ken at all! He was just using him to pine after his long-dead ex, his long dead ex that he still spoke to regularly saying who knows what, and that busy-body had the habit of interfering with Wolfram's love-life as he saw fit as if he was some prerogative! He had rights, he had feelings, so why was he being treated as if those didn't matter at all?!

There was so much he wanted to go on and on… and on… about, it wasn't something he could talk to just anyone about, either. His one true friend at the castle in which these sort of comments could be shared more loosely weren't even acceptable because of Yuri's position! The Maoh of the kingdom, bound to Shinou's will, well somewhat, who was reliant upon the Great Sage's knowledge, and his best friend on Earth, and to top that off, even if all of that was moot, the kid was such a prude he wouldn't understand his dick from his elbow! Naivety like that should be illegal! How did Conrad deal with it? The celibacy had driven Wolfram mad himself, until he had found out his feelings for Keenan.

He looked up, breaking from his thoughts, happily… well, a mixed form of the word, he spotted the coastal town and boats already lined up waiting to ferry across.

Approaching, he readily paid the fare to the old man with a curly white fro and stunning blue eyes. That old man definitely had tight, elastic skin. He thought to ask how he kept his skin so tight for his mother's sake of beauty-arsenal but thought it might come of as rude so refrained.

Loading his horse onto the ferry, he found a spot near the rail he was fond of; after all he'd be perched over it for the duration of the trip he might as well find a pleasant looking patch.

The old man excused himself once the ferry left port, stealing himself to the cabin and messenger pigeons.

--

"It seems he's taking a ferry." Gwendel mentioned as he read the scroll tethered until just moments ago to a pigeon.

"He willingly took a boat…" Yuri looked at Murata, "Wow, you really must have pissed him off, for him to go that far." Yuri clapped a hand over his own mouth. That really was insensitive to say, "Ah, I mean… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Don't worry about it. We already know where he's going." Yuri could see the trace of sadness in Murata's eyes, though the look was quickly replaced with calculations and strategy-formation. "Gwendel, do you keep Anissina's old inventions somewhere?"

Gwendel twitched at the thought, thinking that 'the trash' would be so much better, and yet he could never bring himself to disposing of the blights to society, namely because if she ever found them there he'd never be found. "Which one do you need?"

"Ah, you categorize them, Gwendel?" Yuri asked in an innocent voice.

Gwendel twitched, "By levels of danger to society, yes."

"Do you memorize their names too?" Ken smirked, though realistically, he shouldn't be teasing Gwendel at the moment.

"Yes. You want Really-really fast-kun 2, don't you?"

Ken nodded, "If at all possible, yes. Ah, I'm sorry, but charged too."

Gwendel's brow twitched as he smoothly stood from his desk and encroached the forbidden area that was more neglected than actually forbade.

--

"Shibuya, are you sure you really want to come?" Ken asked as Yuri mounted behind Ken on the death-trap of an invention.

"Think of me as moral support for both of you." Yuri smiled.

"And you, Weller-kyo?"

"I'm on Wolfram's side this time, so I'll be there to represent the family. That, and my cute fiancé could be put into a dangerous situation if no one is there to guard him." He smiled at Yuri, who seemed to blush at a line that, had it been uttered seven months ago by his previous fiancé would have annoyed him to no end.

"So it will only be the three of us there, and four of us on the way back… all willing." Murata pushed his glasses up.

The familiar sound of a Jack-in-the-Box being cranked echoed as Gwendel hand-cranked the magical device, Yuri's finger waved as he hummed to 'All around the Mulberry Bush' with a soft smile and eyes closed. His eyes popped open upon realizing how juvenile that must have made him look, he blushed and hid his face by slumping.

Conrad merely smiled, hugging his arms around Yuri's waist with an extra squeeze before relaxing to the original tension.

"That should do it." Gwendel heaved in annoyance.

Ken slipped into the front compartment, platinum blond hair replacing his normally ebony hair, blue sunglasses hiding his twin black orbs. Yuri was disguised in his ever-familiar auburn red wig and dragon-scale contacts that Conrad had so lovingly picked out.

"Hold on tightly." Ken pushed the ignition sending the machine zooming.

--

Yuri panted at the side of the dock, Conrad rubbing his back. "Are you alright, Yuri?"

"Ah ha… ha… I just need to catch my breath, that was like a roller coaster… except a lot less safer."

"Roller coaster?"

"So I take it you're a screamer?" Ken winked at his best friend, who seemed to miss the insinuation completely.

"…Who wouldn't scream on a roller coaster?!" Yuri asked in disbelief. Conrad eyed Murata before returning his focus on Yuri. "Besides, I'm fine now." Yuri smiled, giving the victory-V sign.

Conrad did a spot check to assure Yuri's disguise was intact, Murata's glasses and blond hair quite obviously in place.

"Should we go right to the village?" Yuri asked, "We could see if he arrived, and if he hasn't…"

"We can snag him." Ken said with a smile a bit more flirtatious that devious.

Yuri's eyebrows shot into an incredulous look, "…Uh… I was going to say we could talk to him and you could apologize."

Conrad smiled, "We should let them manage those things in their own, personal, way Yuri."

Yuri blushed, "I know we should, but that's what led us to this, so I can't help wanting to meddle to make sure everything works out for the best."

"Shibuya, what do you think is the best?" Murata asked point-blank.

Yuri lowered his head, "I don't know all of what's going on, so I can't say definitively, but I thought the two of you were really happy together. I want the two of you to be happy, obviously."

Murata shrugged, "Good enough for me."

"Their village should take under four hours, shall we go now, or would the two of you prefer to rest?"

"I'd like to proceed now." Murata's voice held even and firm.

"I'm fine with now, are you alright with that Conrad?"

"If that is what you wish." Conrad bowed, "Allow me a few moments to gather some horses."

Yuri nodded, "Ah, sure." He blushed when Conrad kissed his hand before stepping no more than twenty meters to speak with a vendor.

"Murata, what do you really plan on doing? I know you're usually calm, but you're rather impulsive when it comes to him."

"I know, it's such a shame too, normally I can hide it better." Murata smiled playfully, apparently enjoying the hunt. "This is a bit of a flirting game of courtship. Cat and mouse in a way, but the idea that he'd go running to Keenan really irks me. Honestly, I want to make sure that doesn't happen again. You know, like make sure Keenan knows Wolfram's romantic status."

"…For someone proclaimed as single…" Yuri muttered, dirtily.

"Of course I'll make him rescind the statement. I have a plan to sweep him off his feet, but it does require getting there sooner than later. Especially because if Keenan gets a chance to sleep with him I might have to peel Keenan's skin back and boil him semi-alive…"

Yuri's eyes shot wide as Ken's eyes narrowed, talking in a down-right sinister voice, he cut himself off upon seeing Yuri's innocent reaction.

"Kidding, kidding. I'll throw a hissy fit though, and that would be so uncool. I'd hate to come off as a loser in front of the guy I like, you know?"

Yuri nodded obediently, not wanting to know any more.

Conrad approached the pair with two horses, Yuri began to laugh unnerved. "Ha… ha…aha… ha… Conrad! You're back, I'm so glad you're back… so incredibly glad you're back, ha… ha… eh? Why are there only two horses?" Yuri counted.

"Unfortunately, these seem to be the only two fit for travel from his stall. I hope you won't mind sharing one with me, Yuri-heika."

Yuri's eyes narrowed, "…Call me that again and I might just ride there with Murata."

Conrad smiled as he assisted Yuri, helping him onto the tan furred, white haired beast after mounting it himself with a strong tug of the arm. Yuri wrapped an arm around Conrad's waist before looking at Ken who also mounted his horse.

His speckled grey and white horse had similar white hair and dark blue eyes, Yuri noticed.

Ken set the pace with the first 'Ya' to spur on the horses.

After a hard four-hour ride, Conrad assisted the slightly sore for the wear Yuri down from the docile animal. Yuri winced at the feeling in the small of his back and tail-bone after such a long ride on a horse and after really-really-evil… erm fast-kun. Whatever that banana shaped speed-boat was called!

"Are you alright, Yuri?" Conrad whispered into Yuri's ear. The temporary red-head swooned at such sound, able to lose himself on the breath tickling the side of his neck, until he took a step. With that, the spell was broken as was the silence.

"Itai-itai-itai… I'm never going to get used to riding a horse, ever!"

Conrad merely put a sympathetic hand on Yuri's shoulder, smiling softly at the teen.

Murata approached the final gate of entry to the village, just steps before the others before entering.

Adalbert approached, interested to see just why the pip-squeak and entourage had come to his village. "What are you doing here?"

It really didn't sound warm, the 'welcome', at all.

"Ah, you see… we seemed to misplace someone…" Yuri started, scratching the back of his head, "He appeared to be headed this way. By any chance, Keenan wouldn't be here would he? It strangely doesn't involve us, for once. We're here as spectators…" Yuri said, scratching his head and pointing to himself and Conrad.

"Keenan is. Oh, oh I see. So it involves your bratty brother does it? Did he skip out on the engagement? If so I'd happily step in." Adalbert smirked. Conrad notably took a step in front of Yuri making a threatening, unamused face.

"Ah…ha…ha… um… we can talk about that some other time. Conrad, not now, calm down… ha… ha." Yuri pulled Conrad's elbow, Conrad's pose relaxed, though his body position did not change.

Adalbert stepped into the village, the others following at the unspoken invitation, Conrad still now consciously standing before Yuri as a body-shield between he and Adalbert. That man's jokes were really unappreciated.

--

"Keenan, someone's here to see you." Adalbert smirked, "My, you sure are popular these days, a pigeon message and now this."

Keenan rose from his feet quickly clutching the note, silently as he nodded his respects to Adalbert before exiting his private chamber.

Only moments ago, he had received word from Wolfram that he'd be there soon, he hadn't thought he'd have so little time to prepare. He exited the door to see blond hair of an unfamiliar shade. His shoulders slumped at that, though he quickly put on an indifferent front.

Ken approached the longer-faced man, fixing his glasses. "I see, so this is where you're lodged. Why hello, Keenan. Long time no see."

"Ah." He said in an unfelt reflection, he didn't see it as long enough.

He smiled in a pseudo-friendly, strategist ready form. It annoyed Keenan, not as though he'd say such a thing, that the momentary blond thought it could fool him. He understood strategy himself, he had been in the military for decades.

"May I ask when Wolfram is due to arrive?"

"Ah, I couldn't tell you when though." Keenan's indifference masked his internal annoyance as he ran calm fingers through his own hair while his other hand busied itself in his pocket, palming a throwing knife as per habit. He pulled his hand from his pocket, leaving the blade behind.

"Thank goodness, I thought he'd already be here. That means I don't have to make so much of a show about it." Ken smiled back at him, however it didn't appear so friendly.

Keenan shirked his shoulders, "That would be preferred. Drama isn't my thing."

Yuri approached the two, unsure, suddenly, if Murata really was joking about that whole boiling him semi-alive thing…

"I understand he's special to you, he's special to me too. I love him, very much. However, I'm not one for violence, so I'd really prefer not to have a duel. Especially as you obviously have the tactile advantage, so I ask that you step down and allow for him to make the decision."

Keenan cleaned his ear indifferently, pulling it out when he heard the noises emanating from the smaller body stopped. "I always have let him decide. I would hardly call it a favor to you if I continue being myself. Now, if that's all you wanted to speak to me about, please excuse me." He bowed as was befitting a member of society his rank to do for nobility, habits did die hard as it were.

"Of course, excuse us then." Ken bowed back out of politeness conditioned into him as a Japanese honors student. He fixed his glasses as he approached Yuri and Conrad.

"And that's it…?" Yuri asked.

"Pretty much." Ken continued to walk past them. "I said what I came here to say to Keenan. I'll speak with Wolfram when he gets here, 'til then, it's a nice day. Why don't we walk around?"

Conrad gave Murata a knowing look, he planned on waiting for Wolfram at the gate then, hmm? That line was just to make sure Wolfram wasn't in the room as it were.

"Actually, I think we should talk to Adalbert, Conrad and I, I mean. If that's alright with you, Conrad." Conrad smiled at Yuri, warmly. "I think we should tell him together."

Conrad nodded, though he would be happy to tell Adalbert alone, just in case the man threw a temper-tantrum which was a distinctive possibility.

"If that's what you want, sure, but personally I'd just send him an invitation or wait 'til we're ready to leave. But that's just me."

Yuri hung his head, "Survival mechanism?"

"To-ma-to!" Ken smiled, glad Shibuya at least picked up on that much. As it was, he was glad that his friend was going to say so with Conrad around.

"I don't think that's fair to him or his feelings. I'd rather sit down and talk with him so he can get his mind around it." Yuri looked at his feet, like this wasn't awkward enough!

Who really wants to have the 'hi, I'm your dead fiancée's reincarnation but I'm not her, I'm getting married to the guy that was probably who she would have chosen to marry if she could have, though she accepted her engagement with you, but I'm NOT her nor do I have a romantic feeling toward you' speech, really? Who? He'd be willing to out-source.

Raking fingers through his hair he let out a bit of a melancholy sigh, "You know this is going to be a difficult talk."

"I'll be there with you." Conrad put a supportive hand on Yuri's shoulder.

"Well, as fun as that sounds, I'll be walking around the front. Should I get the horses ready?" He raised an eyebrow in a sarcastic gesture that Conrad was half tempted to accept, as far as propositions went.

--

Wolfram approached the entrance to the village. "Keenan…" He took hold of the reigns before entering through the wooden arch.

"Wrong, try again?" Ken smiled as he stepped out from leaning against a post.

"Ken! What are you doing here?" Wolfram's face turned sour even as his heart raced.

"I came to sight-see." He closed his eyes as he leaned on air, hands jutted to either side of his shoulders. He opened an eye to train on Wolfram, "And I just saw the sight I wanted to see." His pose made a more serious angle as he approached Wolfram.

"Really, because I just saw something unpleasant!"

"Well, if that's the case, let me take you away from here." Murata smiled in his teasing, confident way.

Wolfram rolled his eyes and sighed before getting off the horse.

"I had something I wanted to say to you, something I didn't get the chance to say last night."

He glared at Murata before spotting Keenan. He smiled, "Keenan! There you are." He took a step toward the soldier with strangely colored hair.

"Ah, VonBielford-kyo," He bowed deeply before moving his head back up. He blinked a few times at the sight in front of him.

Ken had locked both hands on Wolfram's face and had brought him into a tight lip-lock, Wolfram blushing at the contact, both hands floating at his side stuck between pushing him away and pulling him closer.

Ken pulled back after a moment, "Of course I love you. I love you more than I can express in words." He gave Wolfram a serious look, locking eyes as he explained carefully. "I didn't want it to mean nothing or become some mundane customary greeting to each other." He turned to address Keenan. "Goodbye Keenan."

Wolfram's face became very pink, he lowered his head, "…I… I'm sorry, bye Keenan…"

"…Ah, see you next time." His head turned to the side, a bit confused.

"Your brother brought two horses, so we'll take the other and let yours rest." Murata explained, Wolfram still in shock, nodded in consent. "After all, there are some things you want to say that we couldn't really say in good company, right?"

Wolfram lowered his head, "Is that why you didn't say anything? Because you really didn't want others to hear?"

"Not really, I just didn't want to get overly sentimental in front of outsiders. I don't care if your brothers know or don't know how much I love you so long as you get it. Talking about sex in front of Shibuya would be awkward though, it would be like having your cat watch you have sex. It would just make me feel guilty, you know?"

"…Yeah. Talking about that in full detail in front of my brother would make for an awkward dinner, too, I suppose."

"Agreed. So, no more channeling Shinou. He'll be crushed, but he can whine about it to me later anyways." Murata began.

"…That's a start. I still want to know why you channel him. You never talk about what happens then."

"Frankly, because he's a top and every now and again I enjoy being the uke, but you yourself… you just don't fit the role."

"…I see…" Wolfram contemplated.

"You can't be trained to do it either, it doesn't work. Really. It doesn't." Ken looked at Wolfram, resting his head on Wolfram's shoulder as Wolfram drove the horse onward.

Wolfram turned just slightly to see strangely blond locks.

"Why did you dye your hair such a gaudy color?"

"Well, to get your attention of course. Also, about appearances, of course I think you're cute, but that isn't what makes me love you as much as I do. Not the physical cuteness at least… though I am glad you're hot. I like your personality, you're fun to tease, to be with too. And I can't say I don't like the sex, because I don't think even I could make that bad of a lie sound convincing. You make me a nympho."

Wolfram smiled half-knowing, "Well I can't say the sex is bad either…" His face darkened, "But I had better hear more words of appreciation out of you! You've known for six months, if not longer, my feelings for you and you hadn't told me once!"

"Hey, I did steal you from my best-friend, doesn't that count as its own confession. Do you really think Shinou really cared all that much about you getting married for politics? Nobility does it all the time, granted we had an opening since Yuri loved Conrad so he'd see it as 'justice' but really! It took doing on my behalf. You couldn't imagine half the moping he did. And everyone calls him dignified… ha. He's so whiny. He isn't even half as cute as you are when you whine and mope though. No, make that not even a tenth." Ken amended.

"Really?" Wolfram's ego beamed.

"Really, plus, who could complain to be dating one of the foremost artists of Shin Makoku?"

--

Yuri stood before Adalbert, Conrad immediately to his side. "There isn't an easy way to tell you this, Adalbert. Wolfram and I have broke the engagement, but that was because I was already in love with Conrad by the time he realized we would never work."

"And how could someone as stubborn as that figure it out?" He said, eyebrow furrowed, fist balled. "Even while he was with Keenan he insisted his pride told him he'd marry you."

"…Well, it will only make you mad, but because Shinou said no to the union." Yuri rubbed his face. "It was the only way to get through to him, even I couldn't get through to him when we were engaged that I didn't want to marry him though. Really, Shinou wasn't forcing my hand, I didn't want to the entire time."

"And then, when did you two get engaged? I've heard of no announcement! Even if the blond twerp didn't want to marry you, the engagement went around the kingdom, even outside of it."

"Aha… ha… well, Conrad's much mellower than that." Yuri scratched the back of his head, sweating.

"It was out of respect for Wolfram that I did not send word out until an appropriate amount of time passed, for the sake of his pride. May I assure you, I am very fond and protective of my fiancé, Yuri."

Yuri looked back at Conrad, locking eyes before returning to Adalbert, "We were engaged the same day Shinou called it off. Conrad proposed, I happily accepted. I… I knew we had to tell you in person. I understand that this… is very awkward with the two of you and your history… with…" Yuri's head lowered, he didn't want to say it.

"He isn't Julia. Julia was happy to be engaged to you, she would have loved to have a family with you, but that was not to be. I love Yuri and I will always protect him. My relationship with Julia never encroached upon your feelings, you must know even though I felt love toward her neither of us would have been so insensitive to your bond."

Adalbert banged his hand into the table, "Was her unspoken bond that necklace? Is that what it meant?"

"No." Conrad explained. "That was her wish for the world to be better for both humans, Mazoku and those of us in between. She wanted to give strength to that future knowing she wouldn't see it through her own eyes. She knew it was a protective charm and gave it to me before I rode off into a battle that no one was expected to come back alive from." His voice was cold and strong as he relayed it. "That is the truth behind our bond through this necklace. That is the truth I see through after all these years."

Adalbert hung his head before looking back up at the two. "I hate that I can say you would make him happier than I could." He touched Yuri's shoulder, though Yuri wasn't sure he was comfortable under the hand. "I only wanted her to be happy. I want you to be happy."

"…Adalbert, I want you to find happiness, too." Yuri broke eye-contact after saying that to look at Conrad, "We both do. One day I want you to be able to return to Shin Makoku happily and freely. To know your home is still there for you. Ah, we really should go now." Yuri looked at his feet, not knowing a clean way to break the conversation.

"You should, the earlier part of the paths are a bit treacherous once it gets dark."

Conrad put a protective arm across Yuri's shoulders. "We'll take our leave then. Goodbye, Adalbert."

"Goodbye, Conrad. Yuri."

The two walked from the room in time to see Keenan approach with two glasses and what Conrad recognized as bottles of very hard liquor. "It appears the Great Sage was also successful in his courtship and reconciliation."

"…It looks like it. I feel a bit bad for them both, I really wish they could find their own happiness."

"Yuri, I think they both have as much as they want at the moment."

Yuri nodded to Conrad's words.

"I'll tether Wolfram's horse to ours, unless you wanted to ride on your own, that is." Conrad smirked knowingly.

"Of course I want to riding behind my beloved fiancé. He makes me feel so safe and warm, beating off all foreign attackers and flirts alike." He kissed Conrad's shoulder, "Though I haven't seen any flirts."

"Ah, that's because I make sure to do a very good job at that, indeed. Otherwise I'd risk you finding someone better, and I'd never allow that to happen." Conrad's voice was definitive. "Though it will be even easier once I send out that announcement he mentioned."

"Really? And how do you do that?" Yuri asked innocently.

"It is rather straight-forward. I'll take care of it, you have much more to worry about, like dealing with the piles of paperwork when we return if Anissina's mood was any indicator of Gwendel and Gunter's well-being."

"…Oh wonderful." Yuri hung his head. "Thank you. I love you Conrad."

"I love you too."

The End.

Post Script A/N: You could read this as after Self Restraint (1) , after Necromancer (2) , and before Lured Away from this Life (4) so far in the series. XD I'll hopefully see some REVIEWS people, as that #5 lemonade is being held off until I get me my 10th review! Also, sorry this was so Wolf-centric, but hell… I figured I'd try it at least once. SEE! Wolf-love. . I can do it if I force myself. Xo I don't dislike the after-taste of it too much… but I think that will be about the last time ever. LOL!