Breaking Point

~*~Jealousy is that pain which a man feels from the apprehension that he is not equally beloved by the person whom he entirely loves~*~

~*~Joseph Addison~*~

The music was soft, a melody that he had not heard before but for some reason found familiar as he listened. He recognised it as a song meant for lovers, his heart clenched slightly when he realised that he would not be able to appreciate such a song with the one he loved…they did not share that type of intimacy.

A high pitched giggle sounded out to his right, but he did not need to look to know that some fawning woman would be held securely within the arms of his fiancé as they danced gracefully across the marble floor. His fingers tightened on the stem of the wineglass he held and he forced his grip to relax before he broke the fragile glass.

Wolfram von Bielefeld had been engaged to Yuuri Shibuya the 27th Maoh of the Mazoku for over five years now, yet it seemed he was no closer to capturing his Kings heart than he had been in the beginning. Yuuri was too set in the prejudiced ways of the earth that was his native home…no matter how much he had become one with the separate entity that had once been a hidden force within him, his human insecurities remained.

But he hoped, oh how he hoped that Yuuri would one day prove his doubts foolish.

Glancing straight ahead he caught sight of one of his elder brothers, Conrart Weller offering a gentle kiss to the corner of a smiling Yozak Gurrier's mouth. The pair looked over to the left and Wolfram knew they were watching Günter von Christ blushing as he pulled Wolfram and Conrart's eldest brother Gwendal von Voltaire towards the dancing couples.

A small smile graced Wolfram's lips, he was happy that his elder brothers had each found a partner they could settle down with…someone who would care for their happiness and treasure their hearts. He grimaced as Yuuri danced into view, his tall figure a handsome sight to behold in the military style uniform he wore.

At nearly twenty-one years in human time, Yuuri looked every inch the Maoh he had been chosen to be. His black hair had lengthened, brushing his high collar every time he moved his head. His black eyes fully retained the cat like appearance that had in the past only been fleeting. Yuuri and the Maoh within him had become one and the resulting finish of that merger played havoc with Wolfram's heart.

"Wolfram" he was jolted from his inner musings when his name was whispered against his ear. Turning he encountered the solemn face of Yuuri's elder brother Shori Shibuya and felt a smile settle on his lips. He enjoyed the company of the quiet earth Maoh, he appreciated Shori's need to be a protector of his brother but his acceptance that he was not needed to fulfill that role…he saw remnants of himself in the other mans logic.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people Shori, especially a fire elemental who is currently on edge as it is" Wolfram scolded. There was no real bite to his voice and Shori chuckled as he held out his hand to him, gesturing with his head to the flurry of dancing people when Wolfram looked questioningly at him.

"Don't tell me that a noble ex Prince such as you is unable to dance" Shori teased and Wolfram huffed in response before grasping the taller man's hand. He ignored the low chuckle his action caused in response and allowed himself to be guided out onto the floor, a strong arm settled at his waist and long fingers clasped his own…then he was moving gracefully to the music.

Shori did not seem to have the reservations that Yuuri held; he smiled openly and looked entirely comfortable to be dancing with a man. He twirled Wolfram expertly and seemed highly amused by the cooing noises the maids made as they whirled past them.

"You should not let Yuuri's actions be the cause of such sadness Wolfram, my brother may not openly show it but I can tell that he cares deeply for you" Shori leaned down to whisper to him. Wolfram tried to find a trace of mocking in the words but they were too honestly spoken. He shook his head, but did not know if it was a denial of what Shori had said or the denial of the small hope that flared within him at thought of Yuuri loving him.

"Yuuri will never concede to our union, in the end he will take a woman as his mate…someone who will be for him what I can't" Wolfram replied softly, his eyes moving to where Yuuri was expertly dipping the noblewoman he was dancing with before pulling her close to his body again. It made Wolfram ache in a way that was too familiar to him these days.

Wolfram knew he was beautiful, his thick blond hair, his slender muscled body and his emerald green eyes had been the envy of many a woman in the kingdom for a number of years. But his pretty-boy looks had brought him nothing but heartache, heartache and bitter loneliness.

"Then perhaps that makes him the wimp you have always claimed him to be" Shori mused and the blond couldn't help but laugh in response, the sweet sound carrying loudly over the music…unknowingly causing the kings eyes to swing towards their direction. The dark eyes suddenly became hooded and a frown settled over his face…giving him an air of menace that had his companion shrinking back from him in silent confusion.

Wolfram continued to smile softly at Shori, unaware of the sudden tension that had settled over the room…emanating from his suddenly still fiancé.

Yuuri Shibuya may have been the 27th Maoh of the Mazoku, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the social events they seemed to throw on a whim in his honor. In fact he hated the fact that he had to play nice with the nobility and dance with whatever woman threw herself in his arms.

Lady Kita Hiebern was one such woman, a buxom brunette who had a grip tight enough to match Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg…and that was a feat in itself alone. But gone were the days where Yuuri would stammer and find himself embarrassed under such scrutiny from a woman. He was a King and he had taken to his role better than he had truly thought himself capable of.

He'd learned politics, history and how to act in a way befitting his title from his many lessons with Günter. He had spent many nights with Gwendal going over policies, diplomacy, military strategy, and how best to run his country in the best interests of his people. Finally he had gained the ability to be able to defend himself in battle from training with Conrart in the ways of the sword and how to channel his powers with help from Murata.

Finally he had gone to Ulrike and under her constant scrutiny he had finally accepted the alternate presence within his body, meditating serenely until at last he and Maoh were one and the same. He'd returned to Blood Pledge Castle and finally accepted that he was ready to be a ruler his people could be proud of.

The one thing he had not been able to do was dissolve his accidental engagement to Wolfram von Bielefeld.

He had been content to have the blonde at his side, happy in the knowledge that he would always be there…denying that he felt an ugly emotion form in his chest at the thought of the other man with someone who was not him. On some level he knew that his need to keep Wolfram with him was selfish, but he had done nothing to change their circumstance.

He had been pulling Lady Kita back within the circle of his arms after he'd dipped her body when a laugh had broken him from his musings of his development from klutz to King. He'd looked up at the sound, only to come to a sudden halt when he noticed Wolfram within the arms of his older brother.

The blond was smiling up at the taller man, his eyes lit with his amusement and his cheeks stained with a slight blush. Yuuri watched with morbid fascination as Shori bent down to whisper something directly into Wolfram's ear and his eyes narrowed more, something dark and gurgling seemed to bloom from deep within his chest and a low growl forced its way out of his throat.

Wolfram loved him…he knew that he did…so why did the sight of him dancing with Shori send a spark of anger and another heated emotion he could not name flowing through his body. Why did he suddenly want to hurt his brother in ways he'd never contemplated before?

He was jealous.

Before he could even stop to rationalize anything with himself he was striding across the space that separated him from the dancing duo, his aura dark and foreboding enough to have people scurrying from his path. His hand shot out as soon as he was within reach of the two capturing the blond's slender wrist in a vice like grip and almost ripping him from his brother's hold.

"I do not recall you asking to dance so intimately with my fiancé my brother" Yuuri growled, the word brother almost spat from his lips. Black eyes gazed back at him, a spark of amusement twinkling in their depth from behind the glasses Shori wore. Yuuri was pleased that his brother no longer towered over him so much; he did not have to lift his gaze so high to meet the others stare.

"Yuuri" Wolframs voice brought him out of his thoughts and he turned his piercing glare onto the man he still held securely at his side.

"You and I will be retiring for the moment Wolfram so that we may talk, perhaps your constant insistence that I am a cheater was a little off the mark I think." Wolfram's eyes widened in response to the words the meaning behind them instantly becoming clear; his face was suddenly flushing in indignation.

"How dare…" Wolframs words were cut off as he was suddenly jerked from the room, his main concentration now on keeping his balance as Yuuri dragged him from the ballroom. Yuuri for his part was doing his utmost best to keep a tight rein on the raging beast that had suddenly taken up residence in his chest.

He couldn't fathom the idea that the pretty blond man wanted anyone but him, the idea of him being with Shori caused Yuuri an almost uncontrollable rage…almost made him want to kill his brother. The feeling scared him but it also allowed him to finally admit what he had been denying to himself for as long as he could remember.

He had fallen in love with Wolfram.

It didn't matter that they were both men, it didn't matter that the idea of being with another man in a relationship much less engaged to be married to one was considered taboo where he was from. The last five years of tutelage had taught him that things were not like that here; that people believed that love was love no matter which gender it was with…he had just been too foolish to see it.

But he should have cottoned on to what his heart had wanted to tell him all along. Should have known by the way he pulled the blonde to him when he was half asleep, the way he would feel his gaze drawn to the pale skin Wolfram displayed when he undressed or how he often caught himself looking at his fiancé's soft pink lips that there was more to his feelings.

He would not allow his own hindsight to be the reason that Wolfram left him.

Setting his shoulders resolutely he picked up his pace, he reached the royal bed chambers in less than a few minutes and pushed his companion in first. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and followed him.

Mentally he prepared for the moment when Wolfram would explode.

Wolfram fought to keep his temper in check, he really did. But the complete embarrassment which he had just endured, not to mention the accusation that Yuuri had thrown at him…well he thought he had done well to keep it at bay until the double black got the door closed.

Then he let rip with a fireball straight at the insufferable wimps head.

Yuuri had obviously been expecting this, for a faint blue light enveloped his body, dissipating the fireball before it could impact. The action caused Wolfram to growl low in his throat and bit back the urge to scream…he was not a shrew no matter how much people said he was.

"How dare you drag me from that room in such an undignified manner, how dare you disrespect both me and your brother in such a fashion in front of all the noblemen and women…" Wolfram was panting the words thus was the height of his anger. Never before had he felt so much like a child being scolded in all his years…even Conrart and Gwendal…even his mother, had not caused the mortification his King had forced upon him tonight.

Grinding his teeth he hurled another fireball, his hands clenching into fists when Yuuri dissolved this one to nothing as well. With an angry bellow he launched himself at his fiancé, uncaring that he was acting like a commoner seeking retribution. His anger was too great.

"ENOUGH."

Wolfram's hands stopped an inch away from Yuuri's body, his eyes widening at the harsh bellow that had sprung forth from the double black's mouth. Yuuri reached out both of his hands and captured Wolfram's still outstretched ones, tugging him forward so that he had no choice but to tumble into the taller man's body.

The scent of Yuuri instantly surrounded him, he smelled of earth and morning rain…like the morning breeze that fluttered after a night on constant storms. His vision blurred and he was horrified when a tear leaked from the corner of his right eye, then his left eye and then there was more and more to follow.

"Please let me go" he whispered at last, he didn't know if he was asking for Yuuri to release him now or to break this engagement they were in. No matter how much Wolfram knew it to be the right thing to do, his heart would not allow him to tell his fiancé that it was over…he loved him too much to give him up no matter how selfish that made him.

"I can't" the response was so soft that Wolfram wondered if he had imagined the words.

Slowly he pulled himself away from Yuuri's body; he lifted his head up and was rewarded with the image of a handsome smiling face. There was something glittering within the black eyes that stared back at him that Wolfram dared not name, he feared that even thinking he saw what he it looked like he was seeing would only lead to more pain.

For Yuuri was looking at him so tenderly that it almost looked like he loved him in more than a friendly way.

"I didn't mean to cause you embarrassment, but when I saw Shori holding you in his arms, dancing with you in a comfortable way and making you laugh and blush, I lost my ability to be rational." Yuri released one of Wolfram's hands so he could run his own through his hair, a frustrated sigh spilling from his lips.

"I never thought that I would lose your love Wolfram…yes I have known for some time that you love me…but seeing you with someone else made me realize something that I should have admitted to myself long ago. Perhaps I would have done if I hadn't been blinded by my own apprehensions and insecurities or been so much of a coward."

Wolfram held his breath, he hardly dared to move or breathe in case he spoiled this moment…surely Yuuri wasn't going to say what he thought he was.

"Jealousy is that pain which a man feels from the apprehension that he is not equally beloved by the person whom he entirely loves" Yuri finally said after a pause. Wolfram frowned at the words; they sounded unusually poetic from his usually clueless fiancé. He raised a questioning brow at the taller man and received a sheepish look in return.

"I was jealous" the King finally admitted softly.

A small smile broke out across Wolfram's lips, understanding now what Yuuri meant by the words he had just uttered. He reached up and clasped his hands around Yuuri's neck and pulled him down, sighing in contentment when soft lips moved with no resistance against his own in a kiss that suddenly deepened from tender to passionate as strong arms pulled him in close.

"I love you Wolf" the words were whispered against his lips, fingertips reaching up to cup his face as gentle thumbs wiped at the last remnants of his tears. Happiness flared in his chest and he broke the kiss, staring up into black eyes that stared back with no fear hidden within their depths.

Everyone had told him that Yuuri would come to him with such words in time, but the blond hadn't wanted to believe them. He recalled a conversation between himself, Conrart and Gwendal, a conversation in which his brothers had told him that the words would come as soon as Yuuri reached his breaking point, as soon as the beliefs he had had installed since birth were shattered.

He hadn't thought Yuuri capable of having a breaking point, but now, now as his lips were captured again in another searing kiss he was glad that he himself had proved to be Yuuri's undoing in causing him to overcome whatever doubts had plagued his mind…even if it was only the first shaky step.

The rest would follow in time.

AN: I love KKM, I love the Yuuri/Wolfram pairing. I have only watched the first season but I am sure that the ones that followed show how a deep bond between my favourite blonde and double black. If it doesn't though I don't want to know, a girl can dream :-D