Cravings to Ravings
Part 1: WTF?
by Vanessa S. Quest

Sobbing, Yuri looked at Conrad from his seated position on the floor. Conrad's worried face amplified as Yuri's tears spilt out.

"Yuri! Yuri are you alright? What happened?" Conrad's hand locked around Yuri's forearm, leaning down.

"…I fell when I tried to not bend over to pick up my journal off that table!" Yuri pointed to the slightly lower end table still supporting the black and brown leather pregnancy log book. "It made my sides hurt and then my knees buckled." He sniffled, rubbing his back with his right hand and his left eye with his left hand.

Conrad gave him a sympathetic look, smiling meekly at the double-black. "Well, what did you want to write down?" He grabbed the journal, taking up the pen.

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say to the three-week pregnant Yuri as the teen started to bawl, loudly.

"Yuri!" He looked up and down the hall, almost embarrassed that he made Yuri cry, he kept telling himself it was the combination of fatigue and his changing body doing it to him.

"I… I want to eat pizza… but I- I don't even know what it tastes like but I want it so bad! Uwah!" Yuri tilted his head back to give his tears a new pathway.

"…Pizza?" Conrad stopped to think to himself, he vaguely remembered pizza from Boston, "Right, pizza. Come on, let's get you back to your feet."

Stubbornly, Yuri shook his head, "I don't want to!" He produced soft hic sounds as he attempted to reel in his sobs yet again, "I'm such a mess, and I've been like this all day. Why do you put up with me? Oh no! You're going to leave me aren't you?"

Conrad kneeled beside Yuri, pulling him into a kiss before he could start the crying session again, not when he had managed to calm himself as much as he had…! "Yuri, that's simply not right. I love you, I love you very much and I would never think to do such a thing. Remember, I finally tricked you into marrying me, I'm not about to let you escape me now." He smiled romantically.

Yuri looked at Conrad, blinking several times before he let the thought sink in, "Really? You really love me, even when I'm like this?"

"I really love you, you're beautiful, you're caring, you're loving, and genuine, I couldn't describe a more amazing person than you."

"Now I know you're lying!" Yuri pushed Conrad back, absolutely devastated. "This morning I had a horrible dream… I dreamt of what our kids would look like, it was horrible though! They… they didn't look like us at all… they… they…" He sniffled, it hurt to admit such a thing, "They looked like HER. You wouldn't dislike that at all if they looked like Julia instead of me… Julia was amazing and me, I'm a freak! Look at me, I'm a mess…"

Conrad gaped, "Yuri…" It was hard to come up with a smooth thing to say to cheer his husband up, "Yuri, I love you. You believe me, don't you? Do you really think I'd lie about such a thing?"

Sniffling, Yuri threw himself into Conrad's arms to sob some more, his arms laced behind Conrad's neck. "What have you done to me? My back's sore, my hips are heavy, I'm crying all the time, I hate what I'm acting like…! How can you stand to be around me when I'm like this… I don't get it at all."

"Come on, let's get off the floor before you make your legs sore. Do you want to go to the garden? The courtyard?"

Yuri shook his head, "I want to sulk. I don't want to be cheered up." He decided, his voice miserable. Conrad smiled, doing his damndest to stifle his amused chuckle knowing how counterproductive that would be.

"Alright, then I know the place for that too. Come on." He slowly rose, careful to keep both his own balance and Yuri's as he hoisted Yuri back to his feet from within the grasp.

Yuri nodded before breaking the hug to hold Conrad's hand.

Conrad took Yuri through a convoluted set of twists and turns planning on bringing Yuri to the perfect spot, and leave the teen with no idea as to where he was being led until they got there.

After Yuri seemed completely frazzled and unsure of just where Conrad would lead him to be miserable, Conrad pulled him out onto the balcony facing north, the view fantastic. Approaching the banister, Yuri leaned onto it, completely spent. Conrad stepped behind him, keeping his arms distributed around Yuri's waist in case the other slipped.

"It's so beautiful." Yuri let out a sigh, his tears now lingering paths of saline, slumping back into Conrad he continued to watch.

Leaning toward Yuri's ear, Conrad whispered softly, "Are you feeling better now?"

Yuri nodded, "I am… but I'm getting hungry now."

"Alright, let's go to the kitchen then."

Yuri shook his head, "It's no good!"

"Hmm?" Conrad paused to look at Yuri, unsure of why it would be ineffectual.

"It has to be pizza! But I can't even describe it to Effie, or any of the maids, I don't even know what it tastes like, if this is like curry that looks like curry but doesn't taste like it, and I don't even remember what pizza tastes like or what's really in it… how can I even try to describe it?"

Before Yuri could become despondent, Conrad squeezed his arms around Yuri's waist. "I remember it. From my time in Boston, you probably don't remember but you lived in America when you were very young."

Yuri nodded, "I know that… wait, what? You really remember pizza?!"

"Yes."

"Oh thank goodness!" Yuri smiled before looking back at Conrad. He clutched his stomach and winced, "Ow… ow! Itai!"

"Yuri?!"

Conrad watched helplessly as Yuri turned clammy and pale, falling into Conrad's chest while clawing into his stomach chanting in pain. Yuri's eyes rolled under on him just as he lost track of his own voice.

-.-.-

Gisela stood over him, her own maryoku pouring into him over his own stomach. He could see Conrad and vaguely knew the two were talking, though he couldn't tell what they were saying as he came around.

"He didn't sleep well last night. I really shouldn't have pushed him to walk so much, but he was crying… I had to do something to calm him down." Conrad justified, wanting someone to just agree with him that he did the only plausible thing.

"It's alright, he's fine. It's the twins, they have very strong maryoku between the two of them. It has me nervous," Gisela turned to face Conrad, "if this persists they will drain him, has he been taking his vitamins?"

"Of course he has been."

"…Then you just have to make him rest more."

"Hn?" Yuri blinked, "Conrad… Gisela…? I'm in my room?"

Gisela turned back to look at Yuri with a sharp twist of her neck, her voice light and cheerful as she spoke, "Heika! How are you feeling? Is your stomach still hurting you?"

Lethargically, Yuri began to raise his shirt to see his own stomach, focusing and un-focusing as he stared at his abs. "…Wha… huh?"

Gisela turned her head to the side, "Heika? Is something the matter?"

"What the… you see them don't you?"

"…See what, heika? Your twins…? I can't, really, I can feel their signature but…"

"No, not them! Those marks!" Yuri pointed to two spots on his body, they looked like raised scars of a split yin-yang only both were flesh colored, one looking like charred brown flesh, the other a dark tan, he could see them glowing, one held a garnet tone, the other cast an amber shade. "You see them can't you? Why are they glowing?! If the twins are in a pocket, why is there something on my body?!"

"Yuri-heika, please calm down." She kept her voice hushed, reaching for a bottle from her bag she turned to look at Conrad a bit unnerved. "Please take this."

Yuri slapped it out of her hand, "I don't want you to drug me I want you to answer me!"

Gisela looked at Conrad then back to Yuri.

"Yuri, she isn't trying to drug you. You need to calm down, you're becoming frazzled, it's no good for you."

Yuri's eyes glazed as tears formed at their edges, putting a hand over his face, his other hand still traced up and down his stomach feeling the two notches, "But it feels wrong… something's wrong… Oh gods, something's wrong with them, isn't there?"

"No, there isn't. You're making yourself dizzy with anxiety," Conrad picked up the vile of pills Gisela had dropped when Yuri smacked down her hand. "We only want to help you, please take this."

"What is it?" Yuri turned his head to the side, he looked at it then his stomach in horror.

"They are vitamins." Gisela mentioned, "Special vitamins to bolster your own maryoku shields. Normally they aren't needed, but in multiple births with magic-users it is necessary to help protect your own shielding. Right now, you're having side effects of maryoku poisoning. Their powers are altering your body's natural flow of energy." She looked at him gently.

"What? Poisoning?" His eyes were set in, he looked ready to collapse again.

"Maryoku poisoning, it happens if your maryoku is over-flooded with less compatible types. It can happen when your maryoku is restored too much too quickly, or in your case being overpowered by twin maryoku users." She looked at Conrad once before returning her view back to Yuri, smiling gently, "Don't worry though, these won't hurt you or the babies. It will only help to bolster your own maryoku to shield you from the toxic effects."

Yuri shook his head, his stomach cramping again. "Then why are these marks on me!"

Conrad looked at Yuri's stomach, running his fingers down it gently, "Yuri, where? I don't see them."

Looking up sharply, Yuri locked eyes with Conrad's brown ones. "…How… how can you not SEE them!? They're right there!" His voice shrilled before he panted in a breath. "Just get out! Both of you get out!" Yuri grabbed his head.

"…" Conrad turned to face Gisela, who looked at him in equal concern, "Alright. We'll be outside." Conrad mentioned before escorting Gisela from the royal suite.

After the door clicked closed, Conrad gave Gisela an intense stare.

"If you can't convince him to take these or slip them to him, he'll go insane. Their maryoku has lingering feelings and their own imprints, if it overpowers his for too long he'll lose his sense of self. This is very discouraging."

Conrad's eyes widened. "What do those marks he's seeing mean?"

"They may be the tethers of his maryoku pocket, if he's sensitive to it that means he's seeing the manifestation of that maryoku, it's a sign of the poisoning." She leaned against the door. "This must be a result of him using his own maoh power so early on, it took that much energy from the shielding. Have you found the second assassin yet?"

Conrad's hands stiffened, "No, we believe whoever fired the arrows fled. Does this mean the pocket won't hold? Will he be alright? If he goes insane is it a reversible instance?"

Gisela turned to face him, her face grim, "The pocket might collapse, he must get his rest, he must take those pills, and he must stop taxing himself, he's stretching himself too thin, Conrad! As far as insanity goes, well, it is temporary. He would be forced to see images that tie into three types of maryoku, and he might even be able to see the maoh's embodiment, I can't imagine that being good for his own psyche, also… there's a chance he could consciously see Julia, how much do you suppose that would upset him?"

"…Very much." Conrad said, head hanging.

"I need to make up a new batch of oroca extract. I'm going to lace it. If he begins to get more agitated, try to calm him down." Gisela slid off from the wall. "Are you going back in?"

"First I want to speak with the maids. Please go back in to sit with him, I'm sure he's calmed down some."

Gisela nodded, "Alright. But please do hurry, I want to really get to work on that."

"I know." Conrad made a fast pace to meet up with the maids.

As Gisela re-entered the room, she heard the soft sounds of Yuri whimpering in pain, "Heika…?"

"Mama… Mama why aren't you here?" Yuri squeezed his pillow, burying his face into it, his arms wrapping around the pillow at the level of his waist, as he pulled the pillow closer he guarded his own stomach, "Itai… itai, it hurts…"

"…Heika?" She approached the bed in time to see Yuri's face contort.

"Get away!" Yuri threw a pillow at the source of the intrusion, "Ow! Ow…" he curled into himself tighter, "You two, behave for papa, this isn't a very becoming way to act…"

Gisela dodged the pillow skillfully, turning her shoulder as if deflecting the blow of a sword, still approaching the bed. "Heika, if you're in pain, please allow me to help you."

Through his wince, Yuri cast his eyes upward to spot Gisela. "I just want to be alone right now…" he paused, "No, that's not right… I want Conrad right now. Please go away…"

Gisela smiled sympathetically at Yuri, "Conrad asked for me to keep you company until he returns."

"Did he really?" Yuri raised his neck to look up at Gisela, he curled back onto his side, "Where did he go?"

"I don't know I'm sure he'll be back soon though." Gisela handed Yuri some water before returning her hand to Yuri's chest, fusing her maryoku with his own to reinforce his own barrier.

Yuri looked down at his stomach, "Those marks are disappearing." Yuri said in astonishment.

"That's good. Please rest up more, heika."

"…Gisela, what are they? You know, don't you?" Yuri's black eyes locked onto her with that sort of needy look that would have shattered Gwendel and led him to knit, as it were, Gisela put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's a sign that you really need to rest and are to under no circumstances strain yourself or use maryoku." She looked at him for a few moments thinking back to his earlier comments on his psychic experiences. "Have you been having any odd experiences lately?"

"…I had a dream this morning."

"…A dream?" She prodded.

"Yeah, my kids looked like Julia in it." He sighed looking down, it didn't take a Great Sage to realize Yuri wasn't thrilled by the dream.

Gisela smiled, "I don't think they will look like her. After all, neither of their parents resemble her physically."

Yuri let out a sigh, "I know, right? But I thought I got over this… I'm making Conrad suffer dealing with me as much as he has to. I don't want him to hate me… but I can't get myself to calm down."

"I don't think he hates you at all. It's a husband's prerogative to pamper their lover when they're pregnant. A happy pregnant spouse is a happy parent and two happy babies."

"Then does that mean my kids are miserable?" Yuri's eyes watered.

Gisela felt sweat bead, she knew Conrad was dancing around mine-fields, but really now! "Of course not, they know just how wonderful their two fathers are, I bet they're only acting up because they can't wait to play with you both."

Yuri's hands ran up and down his stomach, feeling the two signatures, "You two should be more patient, I'm having a hard time keeping up with both of you." He closed his eyes, more than half asleep.

Gisela pulled a blanket over Yuri before walking to the window to look out it, thinking to herself as she did.

-.-.-

Yozak stared at Conrad from within the kitchen, after having gotten back just then. "Oi, captain, where's the boyo?"

"He's in his room resting." Conrad let out a sigh as he continued to help roll the dough out.

"You aren't seriously still mad at me, are you?"

"I wasn't mad in the first place, Yozak. I'm very grateful at the chance of being a father, you know that. It's just that this is very hard on him, very hard on him. He might not be able to carry through the entire term, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how devastated he would be if that were to happen."

Yozak sat back on the window sill, "I don't think you're giving him enough credit."

"I am giving him credit, he is handling this remarkably well, he's carrying twin magic-users, at the age he is, and he's already had to use maryoku reserves. You're up to being their god-father I presume." Conrad smiled as he added some sauce to the dough before letting out a concerned breath, "I want you to find out whoever it was who shot those arrows and I don't want to know what becomes of them. It gives me the ability to deny it if he asks."

Yozak smirked darkly before saluting, "Well then, I'll be off captain. But should I ask if this has something to do with Maryoku poisoning?"

Conrad's hands stopped moving for a moment before resuming their task, "Yes. He was showing some signs for it."

"I see, then you should grind those up finer, he won't be able to taste it after you bake it into that sauce." Yozak winked before snapping his fingers over his shoulder as he left. "Later, captain."

Conrad nodded absently before slipping squid and sliced salmon onto the top of mushrooms and assorted cheeses before sliding the pizza into the stone stove.

"Doria, in another ten minutes pull it out and bring it up to the suite. You cut it like this…" Conrad demonstrated in the air of a cross and an x through one central point. "Be careful to make sure it doesn't burn." His serious face made her nod, swooning with a nervous excitement before she went to set the timer.

Walking back to the room, Conrad knocked on the door which signaled Gisela to bow out.

As the green-haired woman left, Conrad entered. "Yuri, are you up still?"

Yuri's groggy eyes met with Conrad's, he smiled though Conrad couldn't help but think it was forced just slightly. "Lay down with me?"

Conrad approached the bed, "Alright, Yuri, how is your stomach feeling?"

Yuri shook his head, "Horrible, I don't want our kids to act so selfish… not even giving me a minute's rest." He pouted, giving his stomach a stern look, "And I'm so tired it isn't fair. I can't even think of playing baseball and you said I'd have until the second trimester if not later before I'd have to give it up!" Yuri flopped his head onto Conrad's lap before closing his eyes.

Smiling fondly, Conrad ran his fingers through Yuri's hair. Yuri turned his face upward to look at him, eyes half-lidded.

"Are you hungry still, Yuri?"

Yuri nodded, "Don't remind me, I'm going to starve to death with how this is… if I even try to eat stuff I'm not hungry for, it's like they're kicking me in the stomach just so there isn't room to fit it in."

"Well, then we'll just have to make sure to get you what you're in the mood for. Are you thirsty?"

Yuri shook his head, "No, I just really want pizza. Pizza-I-can't-remember-what-it-tastes-like-flavor."

Conrad's hand drew down to Yuri's shoulder, "Do you know what I think our kids will look like?"

Yuri shook his head, "What?"

"I think one will have brown hair and black eyes, the other will have black hair and brown eyes, and they'll look like us both."

Smile beaming, Yuri slowly sat up, "Really? You really, really think that? You aren't just saying it to be nice?"

"Well, a little bit to be nice, but I do think that's what they'll look like." Conrad pulled Yuri to his chest, smelling Yuri's hair.

Yuri felt his energy returning in that simple gesture, he put his hand on Conrad's thigh, "Ne, do you think we can still go to one of the villages then, to go on a date or something, saying that I've been banned from my office by Gwendel and Gunter respectively…"

Conrad looked up to think, "I'm not sure if today is the day to do that, but the next day you feel energetic should be alright."

Nodding his approval, they were interrupted by a timid knock.

"Come in, Doria." Conrad mentioned, still looking down at Yuri as he wrapped his arms around him.

Yuri froze as he began to sniff the air, "…Don't tell me you did it again…" Yuri's smile yet again could have lit the room with the sheer luminescence of it. "I love you Conrad, I love you so much, how can you do that though?"

"Well, I have to provide for my family, don't I?" He smiled before kissing Yuri's extended, shocked lower lip. Yuri tossed himself into Conrad, not regretting it even as his stomach kicked him once for the jerky motion.

Doria sat the pizza down along with two plates and glasses of sparkling water, exiting to leave the royal couple, she suddenly had the need to help Sangria with anything the red-head could think of using her services for, oh, say like fueling the gossip-circle about the happy couple.

Conrad pulled a slice to the plate before handing it to Yuri. The teenager took a bite and after sucking in air to do a post-bite cooling, he continued to munch on the slice until it was devoured.

"This is even better than what I wanted, I was so hungry… this really fit the bill." Yuri took another slice of pizza, "I feel better just eating it and I'm still hungry…"

"Well then you should just eat until you're full." Conrad smiled, the pills he put in there would be able to help Yuri rest and recover his strength, which the teen needed to do so desperately.

Yuri leaned over to Conrad before closing his eyes, "You don't think we could… you know, do you?"

Conrad swallowed back a lump that developed in his throat, the sumptuous way Yuri's voice resonated in his ears made him blush, his heart sped up, it was strange to think of himself as feeling giddy and yet, well, if anyone could do that to him it would be Yuri.

"I can think of a few things we could do, yes, but I don't want to strain you, so we can't do too much."

Yuri turned to look at Conrad, "Alright." He let out a lengthy yawn before resting his head back on Conrad's shoulder. Conrad hesitated at the sight of that.

That was the sight of a Yuri about to be in deep sleep in 5… 4… 3… 2… "Goodnight, Yuri."

"Mhn, Conrad…" And with that, he was out cold.

Conrad straightened up the room, putting the food on a tray before pulling the blankets and pillows up around Yuri protectively.

To Be Continued.