The Dragon's Triangle

Author's Notes: Thanks so much for the support! I'm so sorry for how late this is but I hope some of you are still reading this!

Sorry as always for any errors. I try!

Warnings:

Soft core sexual situations

More sap than usual

-x-X-x-…Kiss…-x-X-x-

Shori had proved to be a pretty good hero from what little Wolfram could remember. After the curse on his skin had flared up, most of the night flickered to and fro through his head as a whirlwind of distress and muffled shouts. The warmth of a large bed under his tired body and the comfort of Yuri's company helped to blur what flimsy details Wolfram could make out too.

"You're looking better," Yuri said. He sat upright in the bed they shared and fluffed the pillows behind him. Color was back in the King's face. Both he and Shori had used their powers to give them all the opportunity to flee, though it had taken a physical toll on both their bodies. Wolfram didn't have to rely on his memory to see that; Yuri still looked not up to par.

But it was something Wolfram remembered, how gray Yuri's face had fallen. It was a vivid image in his head, committed to the forefront of his memory—the last visual before Wolfram's mind shut down.

"Of course I'm better. I'm a soldier. I'm use to that kind of thing." Wolfram didn't sit up, his head far too comfortable in a pillow. He tried to ignore the feeling of Conrad's smile on them from the other side of the room. Butterflies tickled his stomach at the thought of how many times he had woken up with the brunette close by, ready to lend a hand. When Wolfram had awoken, the man had already been there and Yuri was awake. It partly inconvenienced Wolfram to have Conrad around all the time, leaving little room for him and Yuri to speak.

Wolfram didn't think he'd get alone time with Yuri for a while now. He groaned internally, even more so when he saw Conrad rearranging food on a tray for them.

Wolfram didn't require such babying. He was a soldier, he repeated to himself, frowning slightly.

Yuri chuckled at him and accepted the tray of food from his godfather. "You know, even soldiers need some TLC now and again, right Conrad?"

"That's right." Conrad went around and straddled the blonde's thighs with a separate tray.

"TLC?" Wolfram propped himself up carefully, relieved when his side didn't protest. His limbs felt a couple pounds heavier than usual and he had a funny itch in the back of his head that wouldn't ebb, but the fresh smell of food put his stomach in charge of what to do. It wasn't much of an appetite either, considering their target had been so close and yet they still failed.

"Tender, loving, care," Conrad explained with a larger smile, "I'm sure this meal will help."

Snorting at the acronym, Wolfram used his utensils to start cutting a piece of the toast—it seemed the kindest thing for his stomach right now. Though his prognosis was good, Wolfram didn't want to tempt it otherwise. "Nonsense," he said before chewing the first piece and swallowing. He couldn't help but wonder what the others were up to.

"How's Shori doing?" Yuri asked, his tone softening.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be up anytime now. He wasn't able to move much but he wouldn't stop asking about his little brother." Conrad laughed at the memory.

Never with an empty quiver of pleasantry, Wolfram thought. He could see the faint strain under Conrad's eyes though. A serious conversation was drawing near.

Yuri seemed oblivious to his godfather's countenance, his attention on his meal and stealing looks at Wolfram. Grateful as he was, he still thought they had come too close to a less than pleasant ending to their mission. Shori and Wolfram had been the worst of the group, but Yuri had lost consciousness too not long after escaping from the building. By the time he awoke, Conrad was already assuring him that everyone was back at the suites, all limbs accounted for. Yuri poked at his meal at the thought of Shori's determination, how much it resembled Wolfram's. Both had pushed their psyche to the limit.

Not to mention that Wolfram was not out of danger. Yuri couldn't fathom the mechanics of Wolfram's mind over what had happened—the blonde surely put up a tougher front.

"Yeah," Yuri finally said, "I'm just glad everyone's okay."

Conrad met his godson's eyes and then looked at Wolfram.

"I'm fine, Conrart," Wolfram said, almost through a huff, when the look was directed at him. "You should be more concerned with other things."

A knock. "Like our mysterious friend, perhaps?" The Great Sage turned up his smile a couple extra notches as if it would spare him Wolfram's crinkling nose.

Wolfram crinkled it anyway at how the boy hadn't waited to be let in. Everyone filtered into the room in a line regardless. Murata lead the pack, followed in by a shuffling Tatsu, Shori, and finally Gwendel trailing the end. He left the door to the large room open.

Yet again Wolfram felt heavy eyes on him though Yuri helped carry the burden this time.

"Shori, y-gah! Shori!" Yuri wiggled in the fierce grip of his brother. "You should be resting!"

"Are you alright? Did you get a fever?"

"He's fine!" Wolfram huffed.

Shori's eyes looked tired but his behavior said more about his overall wellbeing. The young man hadn't even changed out of the pajamas he must have been put in when they got back. Gwendel looked as Gwendel always did, with his jaw tighter and his body closer to Tatsu than usual. Wolfram could only guess the punk was hounded by Gwendel's hard stare since their returned. Other than the slump of Tatsu's shoulders though, the boy looked fine.

Not boy. Dragon. Wolfram stared at Tatsu, unable to break away easily. Emerald eyes hunted for the colors that had streaked Tatsu's face but any remnants were back under his skin or…wherever they normally went when they weren't exposed.

"Hey," Tatsu said, his smile weak and nervous, "I'm…Look, I'm really sorry-"

"Shut up." Wolfram was surprised he had found his voice to be as sharp as he had hoped it to be. The others must have shared a similar feeling because he noticed a few odd looks in his direction. "He needs to talk. Now. A dragon?"

Tatsu looked anywhere but at Wolfram. "I-"

Fired burned beneath Wolfram's eyes and he made sure Tatsu could see it. "Don't even try to lie."

"Wolf," Yuri started in that voice that made Wolfram want to kick everyone out so he could dissect his and Yuri's relationship more. It was a voice that would stop him from striking any killing blow and have him quake at the knees. But Yuri's safety was at stake here.

"Yuri," Wolfram didn't cast him as much of a hard look as he could, "I'm not trusting him no matter how much the Demon King of this world trusts him until he starts talking. We're putting your life in his hands and I don't want that unless he tells us what that was all about!"

"I agree." Gwendel grunted and bore his harshest look down on the dragon, making Tatsu that much smaller.

"Ah, I don't think I can persuade Lord von Bielefeld to think differently." Murata scratched his nose with a sigh and looked at Tatsu. "Tatsu, why don't you go ahead then?"

With little room for reluctance, Tatsu cleared his throat and took a few steps closer to the bed, mindful not to get any closer for fear of what some of them may do to him. "It's true that…I'm not human."

"Dragon," Yuri breathed. "You're really…? I mean, you're really a dragon?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wolfram pressed his lips tightly together but Yuri was quick to ruin the thick atmosphere with his next move.

"No way!" the double black laughed, eyes widening, "Seriously? Dragons? From here? Or are you from the Demon World?"

"Yuri! Don't encourage him!" Shori narrowed his eyes at Yuri's behavior.

Tatsu blinked and stepped back. "A-Ah, I'm from this world actually, Your Highness."

"What? Really? I didn't know dragons existed here! Who would have thought! Did you know Murata?"

"Mm, yes," The Great Sage nodded, "But I admit I've never met one before. Even when they made appearances in this world, it was a long, long time ago, when the world was new."

Tatsu flushed slightly at the look the glasses-wearing boy gave him. "Well, I've never been in a human body before all this either. Bob was gracious enough to help me with that."

If possible, Yuri's childish grin widened. "Wow, you have a real dragon form?"

"Yuri!" Shori pushed Yuri when the boy tried to get up.

"Y-Yes, Your Highness," Tatsu tensed, watching Yuri win over Shori. The boy trotted over and started looking for signs of deformities. "There's nothing there at the moment, Your Highness. But as you saw, I don't usually take this form. I did because I was desperate."

"What happened?" Conrad urged, having moved to keep himself between Wolfram and Tatsu.

The blonde glared at Conrad's back but didn't debate the gesture. He got up anyway, mentally screamed at his limbs to obey as he stomped over and yanked Yuri away from the dragon.

Tatsu fidgeted with his fingers as he waited for the couple to settle down. He glanced at Murata, swallowed, and continued. "Dragons have long since lived here, but we reside in the deep sea. Our world starts here and ends somewhere halfway between this world and the Demon World. It's hard to explain," he mumbled and then cleared his throat again, "I came because my kind and yours are in danger, Your Highness."

Yuri stopped wriggling out of Wolfram's grip at the words, his and Wolfram's stomach growing empty. Both were glad they hadn't finished their meal.

"You mean…the Dragon's Triangle?" Conrad asked.

A long breath left Tatsu and the dragon settled down into a seat beside the wide dresser. "I wasn't alive when this happened but my Lord tells us a long time ago, he and another dragon named Xiuhcoatl battled over dominion of this world. My Lord won, sealing Xiuhcoatl in the depths of the deep sea. We believe some of our own brothers have gone astray, trying to revive that ancient dragon. As powerful as my Lord is, it would cause a lot of damage to both worlds if Xiuhcoatl returned."

"The Dragon's Triangle, from what I understand, is right where this ancient dragon might actually be sealed up. Deep down, of course, hm?" Murata dropped smile as he watched Tatsu nod.

"Those people vanishing then," Wolfram whispered. Was it possible? "Is that-" Wolfram struggled with the name-"Xi-uh-coatl dragon responsible?"

"I don't have solid proof but," Tatsu dropped his head against his palms, "I'm sure someone has put a crack on the seal and it has been feeding on your people. Life force is a powerful supplement to a dragon."

Wolfram paled, suddenly pulling Yuri a couple steps back. The vision of Tatsu chewing on their bodies flashed into mind. The strange feeling in his mind started to inflate; Wolfram rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

"But," Tatsu continued, "We can't get close to the seal, deep in the water. Pair that with what happened last night and I'm sure of it."

Gwendel grunted. "Mr. Amori is a dragon then too, as well as the man that was with him. Perhaps they are part of your rebellious group."

Tatsu ran his fingers through his hair, groaning. "That thin man is dragon. I can tell. Mr. Amori, however, is a human. I believe what happened to Wolfram on the ship is what that poor man is going through."

A hiss left Yuri. "You mean, a dragon is possessing Mr. Amori? He has nothing to do with it?"

"Mr. Amori is clean himself. I know he's human, "Tatsu met the hurt look of the King, "And it's not just any dragon possessing him."

"Xiuhcoatl. What a problem," Murata exhaled, testing the name again in his mind, "Well, I suppose that explains why our Lord von Bielefeld is the target."

Even Tatsu cocked his head at the boy. "You know, Your Eminence?"

Murata hummed and crossed his arms, tapping a finger on his elbow. "I can't say for sure but it's most likely because of his powers. Tatsu, Xiuhcoatl, if I remember, isn't a dragon like the rest of you, right?"

"How do you figure?" Tatsu wrinkled his brows in thought.

"I'm surprised you don't know your own legends well enough," Murata smiled sympathetically, "Tatsu and the others, as we have seen, are dragons of water. They live in the seas, their world is water and for a reason probably attributed to the kindness of Tatsu's ruler, they leave the humans alone."

The Great Sage paused and Tatsu confirmed with a hesitant start. "Ah, well…yes. That's a long story in itself though."

"Not relevant, but what is relevant is that Xiuhcoatl is not like you. As in, water isn't his specialty," Murata said, knowing he was right but watching Tatsu nonetheless.

The boy sprung up to his feet and clenched his fists. "Ah! Yes, that's correct. They battled to determine how the world would run, as one of water or not."

Wolfram, whose face had scrunched up at some point at the roundabout, finally shook his head. "Enough! What do you mean how the world would be run?" he pressed. He blinked and scratched the back of his head again; it felt like he had a leak in there.

…ine…

"My Lord won, which meant the world would be one of water instead of," Tatsu blinked, his mind wandering, and he blushed hard. "I forget."

Gwendel repressed rolling his eyes.

Shori's eye twitched.

Conrad flicked his eyes to Murata. "Your Eminence?"

"Fire, of course," Murata finished, gesturing at Wolfram with his head.

The room fell still, looks right on Wolfram. The blonde frowned, feeling some of their eyes trail to his side, which thankfully hid under his pajama shirt. He resisted the urge to flush in annoyance or swallow his anxiety. Instead, he tilted his chin up more. "What of it?" he said to the Sage, meeting his eyes.

Conrad spoke, perhaps to ease the tension accumulating again in the room like a bad virus that couldn't stay away. "If this ancient dragon is powered by fire rather than water and, assuming he knows about Wolfram, it's highly possible that Wolfram's powers are what he wants."

"W-What? But then—" Yuri bit his lip and thought hard. "Tatsu, you said that you weren't responsible for that curse." Yuri clenched his fists at the thought of continuing with his train of thought.

"Yes, Your Highness," Tatsu offered a sad look, "I suspected Xiuhcoatl may have gotten to Wolfram through your world first."

Wolfram reached and touched his side, his fingertips trembling at what coiled beneath his shirt. Those eyes, that voice that had coaxed him…could it have been that ancient dragon calling to him?

Power…

Wolfram blinked and shook his head.

"The only time we accessed your world was when you were brought here. That was a close one too, considering it was Xiuhcoatl who was beckoning you before we intervened. I took a lot out of my Lord to do it. Since then, I've been doing what I could," Tatsu said, his voice low and his eyes on Wolfram. "You know, to help."

"How can this fire dragon be possessing Mr. Amori and yet still wield water. We all saw him. He attacked with water, not fire," Gwendel reminded.

Tatsu shook his head. "I don't think he really did. I think what he did was thanks to that man, the subordinate who uses water like me. I'm sure Xiuhcoatl's powers are too repressed right now."

"Can this Lord of yours remove the mark?" Shori asked quickly. "Can we meet him? Maybe he can help."

"I'm afraid that's difficult," Tatsu said, "The place he rests is too deep for you to reach and we couldn't risk bringing him to the surface. For one, he was spent from bringing you here and his powers are too great to keep in a human form. At best, I've been asking for Bob to bring more dragons to the surface as humans to prepare for the worst."

Gwendel shut his eyes but his fingers clenched into his clothing. "If things progress like this, we may meet him after all when he comes to duel Xiuhcoatl once more. However…"

"That would cause a lot of problems for this world," Conrad finished.

"How come?" Wolfram looked between the two.

Murata chuckled at him. "Remember, dragons are something you're use to. The people of this world aren't though. You can imagine the difficulties that would come out of that."

"Oh. Mm." Wolfram nodded slowly, getting the worst images of dragons gorging down the humans who weren't too busy causing a panic in the cities. Definitely a problem. And somehow he tied into all this madness?

Yes…

Wolfram straightened and glanced behind him, hoping it didn't look too obvious. He knew he had heard something trickling through his mind again. Stubbornly, he scratched the back of his head again.

"So now what?" Shori broke in, voice hard with his mixed emotions. He pointed at Wolfram. "If he's the target, we can't have him around Yuri so casually. If we remove that curse, would that even be enough?"

Tatsu glared at the way the finger jabbed in Wolfram's direction. "I don't know, really. Right now, my powers can minimize the pain but I can't remove it yet. Xiuhcoatl is a powerful dragon."

Stepping forward despite protests from Wolfram, Yuri faced Tatsu and met him with a determined gaze. "Tell me what to do." When Tatsu only stared back, Yuri said, voice even more firm, "To take that off Wolfram."

"Your Highness," Tatsu started.

Yuri shook his head. "My powers aren't as great here. I feel a little weaker but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. If this fire dragon put a curse on Wolfram, wouldn't more help from the water, um, clan help? Maybe enough water magic could cancel out the curse?" Yuri hoped it didn't sound as silly as it did to his ears.

From his spot, Wolfram ogled Yuri's dark hair, though somehow he could imagine his fiancé's face. The cold eeriness that had been in his stomach lifted a little and his shoulders didn't feel so heavy at Yuri's words.

His beloved…Nonsen…

Wolfram scratched again, harder this time, unaware of the couple of looks he was getting.

You ca…hear me…

Wolfram glanced back when Shori moved, the young man's close presence snapping Wolfram to attention. Astonishment pulled Wolfram's eyes wide open when Shori went up to Tatsu and said with little hesitation, "Me as well. My powers can help. I have better control over it now."

Wolfram watched them all share an expression, nothing short of determination laced with something tender, something Wolfram wasn't sure he wanted to understand. His stomach felt too light now, his heartbeat pattering against his chest and Wolfram didn't notice he was stepping back, away from the scene.

Weak…elp them…

Touched is what he should have felt. No, he did feel it, Wolfram realized, but the helplessness of his own actions pulled out memories of his younger days when he was constantly trailed after by a guard or two. It was worse this time. He had responsibilities now, priorities that demanded he get his act together.

Seen as wea…

Even now he knew Gunter found him too passionate, rash enough to prove dangerous if left alone with Yuri too long in a foreign land. It infuriated Wolfram, the feeling of being coddled again, his inability to somehow prove he was alright on his own.

Always…youngest…require powe…

But he wasn't alright. Wolfram understood he was moving when he heard his name called. By then, it was too late. He had rushed into the nearest bathroom and locked the door behind him. His breath hitched while the voice swam through his head again, exploiting his mind like a playground.

Everything as..should be…worlds should…barren…punish those…

The door banged behind him and Wolfram stepped away, wincing, but from the ache in his head or the burn flashing up side he couldn't pinpoint. "Shut up!" he spat in the mirror. Neither the voice or the banging stopped.

Look…me…

Wolfram raised his head gradually. It felt incredibly heavy now but he managed to meet his own eyes. They shifted, growing angry and then split into long slits wedged between pools of gold. Clammy hands clenched the sink's mouth, elbows trembling. Wolfram gripped harder to prevent himself from screaming at what he saw.

Look at…you'll become…

Panic took over. Wolfram yanked up his shirt, unable to repress the sound that tore from his throat. The mark coiled and stretched, like a beast yawning from a nap. It took over his entire side, crept down his thigh and reached to his shoulder, wrapping around his arm. Wolfram clenched his hand, hoping he could will it to stop stretching.

"H-How…"

So close…share mind…soon…body…

As if to prove a point, the cursed shoulder lifted in a small shrug without Wolfram's approval. Wolfram stared dumbstruck and then gathered up his most vicious look as he resisted it. All the gritting and mental screaming couldn't help him; the shoulder rose again.

Wolfram yelled, a violent and defiant sound that ripped through his voice. Flames seeped out of his skin and danced up his arms. Rage fueled them and they licked at him to rinse the filth of the creature toying with him. He didn't hear the door crack open and barely registered those shouting his name.

With a final cry, the flames were extinguished, leaving Wolfram spent by the uproar. He collapsed onto his knees, still clinging to sink. Hands were on him in an instant, but whose they belonged to, he couldn't say.

"Wolfram! Wolfram!"

"Shut up. I hear you," Wolfram rasped, opening an eye to stare at Yuri. He had tried to prepare his look and make it look tough but by Yuri's reaction, the blonde knew it had failed.

"What the heck was that about?" Yuri urged, eyes narrowing. "What happened? Wolfram! You were on fire!"

Wolfram regretted his anger. Normally, he would stick up his nose and put on a show. His energy drained again momentarily, Wolfram could only exhale and drop his head down with a groan. Warmth radiated off his tingling skin, probably from the flames. "I…"

"Wolfram." Conrad's voice troubled Wolfram. A calloused hand trailed over his shoulder, ghostly almost, and Wolfram's eyes opened again. He knew his brother saw it; he could feel the sleeve of his shirt pooled at his neck, exposing his arms and the curse that had staked territory on his shoulder.

Another sound assured Wolfram that Yuri saw it too. There was a commotion, not much Wolfram could piece together at the time. Head spinning, Wolfram could only let his hands be pried from the sink and his body hoisted up.

Tatsu's voice was the first to break through his ebbing dizziness. "It's getting worse."

Wolfram felt something soft under him and a strong body keeping him upright. By the smell and width of the chest, it was most likely Conrad's.

"What's happening, Tatsu?" Yuri didn't take his eyes off Wolfram. He cupped the blonde's hand as Conrad helped them settle down.

"The possession is getting worse," Tatsu said breathlessly, "He's moving much faster than I had thought. He's really going to take over."

Murata nodded, standing closer to Wolfram. He tried to analyze the blonde's shoulder but got a flapping of angry hands from the ex-Prince. "Yes, I think I understand. He may intend to use Wolfram as a key to break him free."

Yuri swallowed. "What does that…mean?"

"I don't know, Shibuya. It makes sense though. After you, Shibuya, Lord von Bielefeld is probably the next candidate for having the most powerful magic," Murata hummed, "Granted, it's flawed. He can't control it effectively for a longer period of time like you can in your Demon King form."

Wolfram didn't mind spending some energy to growl and shoot the boy a look.

"But," Murata chuckled, "We've seen how powerful his magic is. You saw what just happened in there. It has the potential to get even greater, even in human land it sees. If Xiuhcoatl had access to that untapped fire magic, it could do a lot in his favor."

Gwendel made a harsh sound. "Then our efforts last night were reckless."

"The closer Wolfram is to him, the stronger the reaction," Conrad finished his brother's thought, eyes downcast on the blonde.

"You mean, we made it worse by going in there?" Yuri didn't think he could feel any sicker today. "Is that true, Tatsu?"

Tasu shut his eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I know I've made a mess of things by not telling you an-" He stopped when a kind hand touched his arm after a moment of his voice trailing off.

Yuri was smiling at him, inches from him. "There's no use regretting, Tatsu. What's happened has happened. It's not going to get us closer to figuring out what to do. I…don't blame you. You aren't the one who put that thing on Wolfram."

Touched, and with a shot of new confidence, Tatsu met the King's eyes. Nodding, Tatsu offered a half smile and contemplated. "If perhaps I had something we could enchant. It would only buy us time, not help to remove the curse."

"A charm?" Yuri asked.

"I think he means something we can put on Lord von Bielefeld to ward off some of the magic," Murata clarified, glancing around the room, "Does it take a while for you to do the enchantment?"

Tatsu bit his lip. "No but…"

Yuri frowned and lowered his arm. "But?"

"It's a little risky. What the item ends up doing is creating a path for my power to stream through and keep the curse at bay for a while," Tatsu said.

"Ah. Your own energy will gradually decrease as a result," Gwendel said, still not moving from his spot, though he kept taking short, concerned glasses at his youngest brother. "We may not be able to rely on your dragon powers the longer Wolfram has that on."

Tatsu nodded silently.

Wolfram at last brought his head up now that it didn't weigh thrice its size. Conrad felt the shift and pressed one hand to Wolfram's back.

"Wolfram, how are you feeling?" he asked, daring to reach with his one free hand and nudge Wolfram's chin so he could meet his brother's eyes. Conrad searched them for any lies.

Blushing hotly at the contact, Wolfram grumbled. "I don't hear the voice anymore. I'm alright."

Looking over his shoulder, Yuri took in Wolfram's state. The blonde sat on the edge of the bed, bending forward slightly and to the side—Conrad kept him partly upright. The King turned away and fished into the collar of his pajamas, tugging out the necklace with the warm blue pendant.

"Use this," Yuri pulled it off, carefully, and pressed it into Tatsu's palm. He didn't know what magical qualities, if any, the pendant had. It may have been a silly thought that had Yuri believing it might offer Wolfram an extra layer of protection. And they could use all the lucky charms in the world right about now.

Tatsu turned the pendant over in his hand, feeling the weight of its preciousness.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

-x-X-x-

A mere glance at the pendant resting against his chest gave Wolfram an excuse to blush. He studied his reflection further, letting a couple of fingers drag along the smooth surface and up the necklace strap. Though he couldn't illustrate his feelings in dull detail, he could say with certainty that the magic pulsing off it was Tatsu's. "It it really okay you let him use this?" he mumbled.

In the reflection, he saw Yuri rummaging through a bag, dressed in sweats and a shirt that read Red Sox. "Of course it is. Will you stop asking that?" he laughed.

Normally, Wolfram had the right mind to snap back but hearing Yuri's genuine laugh put him in too good a mood to bother. Their King seemed the picture of perfect health again, as well did Shori. Wolfram wasn't too bad himself. The pendant did its magic, however reluctant Wolfram was to accept it from Tatsu when the dragon had finished with his hocus pocus.

Smiling faintly at the necklace again, Wolfram finished buttoning up his shirt and smoothed down the collar. "Tatsu is taking a while," he all but growled when he saw the hint of the curse beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. The dragon had left with Murata, Shori, and Gwendel to speak to Bob and, hopefully, Tatsu's ruler. Shori had been readily available to offer any of his assistance. Wolfram hoped the man wouldn't act foolishly in the name of his little brother.

That left him, Yuri, and Conrad alone in the suite.

"I'm sure there's a lot to talk about. I hope Tatsu gets some more information from his Lord or finds out something useful," Yuri said, tugging out a few DVDs. He himself was grateful for the peace and quiet. As much as a part of him wanted to investigate, he felt the priority was to see how well Wolfram responded to the pendant's magic. If the boy burst into flames, it would be good if he and Conrad were close by to dump water on him or something. Yuri chuckled.

There was also that primal urge simmering inside of him somewhere. Yuri repressed it for now and waved the cases when the blonde turned around. "Movie?"

Wolfram tilted his head and analyzed the cute grin. He glanced outside the window briefly, noting the orange and purples streaks in the sky, signaling the evening's approach. Part of him craved to go out, to be anywhere but cooped up and under scrutiny.

But quiet time with Yuri was just too coaxing. Wolfram smirked at him. "Ah. Those are the things we can watch on that, right?" He pointed to the open cupboard that housed a large television.

Yuri laid out the cases. "Yep. I knew my mother would end up putting some in here for me. We have a few to pick from I think."

"You pick. Should I bring something to eat and drink?" Wolfram hesitated to look foolish; he thought he remembered Yuri describing what entailed movie watching once a while back.

"Sure thing." Yuri's grin made Wolfram's heart flip and dance.

Wolfram smacked off any love-sick look that might creep into his face and cleared his throat. "Of course. I'll get a few things then," he said and slipped out.

The suite was gorgeous. As accustomed to castle-living as Wolfram was, he had seen how confined most homes were here. This suite was nothing like that and though Wolfram found Yuri's home loveable, it was exciting to experience a different sort of luxury.

When he stepped out, he saw Conrad in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up. It wasn't as large as Yuri's kitchen but still had all the equipment that one would have.

Brewing and sizzling met Wolfram's ears before the warm scent of cooking tickled his nose. "You're cooking, Conrart?"

Conrad lifted his head and welcomed him closer. "You're looking well. I learned a few things while I was here," he said, washing a cooking board. Beside the sink was a big pot sprinkled with various vegetables Wolfram couldn't name.

Wolfram blinked at the hard work. "Yuri and I are going to watch something on the screen," he wrinkled his brow in thought, "the T.V., and I should bring food."

Repressing a chuckle at how adorable that was, Conrad towel dried his hands. "A movie, I see. We don't have too many things, just what we accumulated," he opened the cabinet, "How about some popcorn?"

"Pop…corn?" Wolfram accepted the flat object. It felt heavier than it looked so he took it out of the sheer wrap and tried to open the red and yellow bag.

Conrad snatched it out of his hands before he could though. "Conrart!"

The man shook his head. "You have to put it in here first. Look." He guided Wolfram by the arm to a contraption hooked up beside the fridge. "You open it like this," he pushed the biggest button and the box's door swung open, revealing a glass circle at its center, "Now put the bag upright in the middle."

Wolfram curiously studied the bag and did as he was told. He watched Conrad close it and take his wrist. Before he could protest, Conrad had his fingers pushing on a few numbers, then a green button that had the inside of the box light up.

"There, see? It's going to expand and pop the corn bits inside to make popcorn." Conrad stooped to be at Wolfram's eye level and observed the bag balloon to a larger size.

Wolfram exclaimed in awe and jerked back when the popping started. "It pops!"

Conrad laughed this time. "Yes, it's pretty fascinating, don't you think?"

"Mm. There's a lot I need to learn." Wolfram frowned a bit.

"Wolfram?"

Wolfram nodded, more to himself though than anything else. "If I'm going to be Yuri's husband, I should know more about how things work here. He doesn't have servants here so I should be able to use these gadgets to make him good meals when we're visiting our honorable mother and father," Wolfram sulked and added as an afterthought, "And Shori."

"Yes," Conrad said as he turned back to the cabinet, "Yuri is use to his mother making meals."

"I shall ask her how to make her special curry. Yuri would like that," Wolfram said with an unwavering cross of his arms. He only stepped away when he heard Conrad shuffling through the cabinet.

"I think so too," Conrad said, holding a bag of chips and a box of sticks dipped in strawberries—from what Wolfram made out of the cover anyway. "Wolfram…"

"Hm?" The blonde plucked the items out of his brother's arms and studied them. He reacted too slowly, seeing Conrad' casting a shadow over him, and the pressure of strong arms around him in an instant. "C-Con…"

"Wolfram." Conrad didn't break the embrace, especially when he felt Wolfram's taut muscle slacken in his hold. He felt Wolfram's embarrassment but it didn't deter him from saying, "You've grown into a strong warrior."

Wolfram didn't hear the snacks fall from his grasp but felt open air around his hands while Conrad spoke. "C-Conrart, what are you saying?" He growled. Something in the brunette's voice made his hand hesitate to shove him away.

Conrad did the work before he could; he pulled back, eyes searching Wolfram's and both his hands on each shoulder. His thumb brushed over the shoulder that hid the mark and, for a moment, Wolfram's expression reminded him of his little brother's days as a child. Conrad wondered if Wolfram's memory of their youth sprung up to mind.

It did. Wolfram dropped his eyes to Conrad's chest, remembering suddenly how the pendant once hung over it. "It's Yuri's job to be a wimp, not yours," Wolfram whispered.

"I'm sorry." Conrad smiled with his eyes and made to drop his arms. His own eyes went wide when he felt one of Wolfram's hands rest over his arm, keeping it up, then squeezing it.

"Sap." Wolfram bumped the hand off his shoulder after that, but the way he mumbled and looked away to hide his blush made Conrad take no offense to the gesture.

The microwave beeped.

Wolfram jumped and huffed at it and then at Conrad. He opened the microwave, secretly proud that he knew how now, and reached for the bag.

Again, Conrad intervened. The brunette gently moved his hand away. "It's still hot," Conrad said and showed Wolfram how to properly remove the bag, open it, and dump it into a big container.

"I knew that." Wolfram piled up the other snacks into a separate, smaller container, and grabbed them both. "You should get back to cooking, I suppose."

Conrad watched Wolfram snort and begin to haughtily remove himself from the kitchen. The brunette smiled widely and reached out, clasping Wolfram around the shoulder and, for mere seconds, nuzzled the blonde hair he so fondly adored when Wolfram was too young to probably remember.

Wolfram cried out at the gesture and wiggled away, snapping back at a laughing Conrad. "Clearly being here so long has made you delusional, Lord Weller!"

"I apologize. I'll get my delusion under control," Conrad said after him.

Wolfram shot him a look. "You better," he said and it trailed off into another mumble. He hugged the containers closer to him, only letting realization sink in for too fast an instant. A tiny part of him tingled.

Ridiculous, he thought, as if he really cared. Maybe a small part did. He didn't have an excuse to hate Conrad anymore, right? Wolfram snorted and straightened his posture. He blamed it all on nostalgia, pushed it aside, and strode back into the room.

"What was that about?" Yuri looked amused. He sat on the bed with a control in his hand. The television was on and stuck on a main menu.

"Conrart's cooking." Wolfram left it at that and used his heel to shut the door behind him.

"Oh, yum! Guess we shouldn't eat too much then, huh?" Yuri shimmied aside and set both containers on the bed.

Wolfram crawled into the large bed, feeling relieved suddenly. He was really going to spend a peaceful moment with Yuri, alone. Butterflies ran over his arms and nestled into his stomach. "What are we watching?"

"Er, well, there wasn't much of a selection when I looked through," Yuri scratched his nose, "She put a lot of princess movies." Because his mother had covered all corners of quality time with her son-who-she-still-wished-was-a-little-girl, Yuri added mentally with a sigh.

Curious, Wolfram studied the screen. "Princess?"

"Yeah. They're classics, I guess, so they're not bad." Yuri crossed his legs and pressed play, trying to shake off the funky feeling he was still getting in his gut.

"What's it about?" Wolfram blindly reached out for a handful of popcorn.

"About a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human."

Wolfram munched, eyes glued to the movie. "Oh, this is different from the news."

Yuri smirked at him. "Yeah, it's a cartoon movie. Hand drawn too."

"Incredible. People drew all this?" Wolfram settled back into the propped pillows, already hooked into the movie.

With a confirmed sound, Yuri did the same, picking up the box of Pocky. As he wrapped his lips around one, a crude image of Wolfram sucking on one flashed in his mind.

Yuri stopped sucking. Where did that come from?

-x-

Wolfram wasn't sure when it had started, but he definitely felt it around the part the love-stricken mermaid wandered into the eerie territory of the sea witch. At some point, he and Yuri's body had settled closer for comfort, knees and shoulder occasionally brushing. Wolfram felt silly for not having noticed anything beyond that, having been too eager to see how the mermaid's quest for love would unfold.

So around the time the engorged sea-witch filled the screen, Wolfram bumped his hand into Yuri's on accident. Wolfram' hadn't even realized it was Yuri's hand until the digits coiled around his own and stopped him from getting more popcorn.

Yuri's hand was warm and the grip was demanding. It made Wolfram forget to breathe and when he looked at Wolfram, the double black was blushing, eyes down, but hand not letting go.

"Yuri?" Wolfram leaned closer, trying to scrutinize what was in Yuri's expression. To his surprise, Yuri met his eyes and held them there for a while.

Wolfram flicked his eyes down, flustered, and ready to insult him for giving stupid looks. Then, Yuri moved closer and Wolfram didn't remember meeting him halfway for a kiss.

It was fresh, still new to both of them despite it not being their first kiss. Wolfram sighed and shakily brought up one hand to rest on Yuri's cheek. That seemed to encourage whatever bold bone Yuri had grown in the last minutes.

"Y-Yu…!" Wolfram breathed in sharply when Yuri began nipping at his lips, giving his fiancé the excuse to dip his tongue out. When it pressed against his lower lip, Wolfram squeezed his eyes tightly and pushed him back. "H-Hey! Yuri w-" Wolfram's words ran for the hills at what he saw.

The Demon King smirked at him. When Wolfram's hand recoiled from his face, The Demon King seized it fast and pressed a kiss to the wrist.

"Yu…ri." Wolfram didn't think his face could grow any hotter but was sure it did nonetheless. Memories flooded his mind, those brief instances when he was sure he had seen Yuri's eyes become that of The Demon King. It wasn't just a fluke in his mind.

"Beloved," was all The Demon King said, fingertips dancing up Wolfram's arm, rubbing the cursed shoulder, and trailing down his side.

Wolfram couldn't completely quell the yelp when those fingers crept under his shirt and drew patterns along the mark on his skin. The Demon King caught half of the yelp in his mouth again, his lips spreading over Wolfram's.

Panic, uncertainty, and utter disbelief swelled Wolfram's chest and he found it difficult to breathe right. The Demon King nibbled at his lips and Wolfram inched his face away, only to have it gently aligned again for The King's lips.

"Open for me."

Wolfram whimpered at the severity underlining The Demon's King's voice. As much as it struck fear in their opponents, it made Wolfram's legs feel like entirely like liquid.

As questions started swarming his mind, Wolfram hesitantly nudged the lips back, not opening his mouth but not clamping down when he felt that tongue pry in. One tongue met a bashful one as The Demon King's hands rolled Wolfram fully onto his back.

Wolfram grunted and clenched his hands when he felt his legs nudged open aside by an impatient knee. The Demon King let out the first moan—a delicious and intoxicating sound—as his hips bumped against Wolfram's. He went to use his tongue to coax out a sweet sound from the blonde beneath him.

What should he do? Wolfram knew his body jolted at the contact, his thighs quivering when The Demon King slowly rolled their groins together. Should he push The King away?

Wolfram struggled with his hands, unsure what they should be doing. It was Yuri above him and yet it wasn't the Yuri he had expected to be kissing. Never had Wolfram fathomed The Demon King form to manifest in this kind of situation.

Frustration pricked Wolfram's eyes. He made another sound into The Demon King's mouth and his eyes had to open when he felt the body above his shift. Reluctant, Wolfram met the slit pupils and he tensed when The King's hands came to rest on either side of his face.

"Wolfram." The Demon King shifted again and threaded one hand through Wolfram's hair, bringing his head closer. "I'll always be here."

The touch was as sweet as the words, the fingers massaging, and Wolfram leaned back into it gradually. His hands had fallen to the bed and with great effort, he raised one hand to play with The Demon King's longer tresses. He chuckled through his nose, smiling a bit, at the way the power radiated off his hair.

And then, The Demon King's eyes rolled back into his head and his body collapsed onto Wolfram.

"Oof!" Wolfram grimaced and the world came back to him. He could hear the movie in the background and smell Conrad's cooking exuding from the closed door.

He stared at the ceiling, eye twitching. "Yuri," he growled, nudging the stirring body crushing him.

Yuri shook his head, pushing onto his hands. He blinked wearily at Wolfram and then flushed madly, sobered up, and completely aware of what had just transpired. "Wolfram! I…uh…I…."

"You wimp!" Wolfram pushed onto his elbows. "Are you trying to scare your fiancé half to death!"

"I didn't know it was going to happen! I'm sorry!" Yuri leaned back and waved both hands in defense. "I-I mean…I was feeling a little funny, like that power was going to come out bu-ow!"

Wolfram smacked him with the pillow again. "What do you mean by that!"

Yuri deflected the next blow and yanked away the pillow. "I said I was sorry, Wolfram!"

Wolfram stopped, only because he saw how much Yuri's chest heaved. "Idiot," Wolfram reached out and touched his face, "Are you okay?"

Shutting his eyes, Yuri began to nod. "Just…a little tired."

"You went into that form in the human world, of course you're tired!" Wolfram didn't want to add that he went into that form during a very, very inappropriate time. In his fit, he tugged hard on Yuri's arm, causing them both to crash back down due to Yuri's bodyweight.

"Ow," Yuri moaned against Wolfram's neck. He huffed and pushed up onto his elbows. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Wolfram fixed the necklace so it wouldn't choke him. He sighed deeply, looking into Yuri's eyes again.

"What?"

"…Wimp."

Yuri scowled. "Don't call m-Oh."

The smirk crept up Wolfram's face. His little wiggle had awoken Yuri to their position. The double black looked ready to scramble off—already in ramble mode—but Wolfram pulled none-too-gently on his hair to get his attention again. "Yuri, stop talking."

Yuri did, biting his lower lip. When he first met Wolfram, he never imagined being on top of him like this, settled between his open legs and flushed face. Whatever culture he was use to on Earth, Yuri groaned at how little his loins and overall hormones cared little for it.

"Come here," Wolfram said, rolling his eyes at the conflicted expression. He easily had Yuri pulled closer until their lips met again.

This time, the shy Yuri he knew so well was in complete control. Their kiss was inexperienced, though an improvement in technique from last time. Their heads moved more this time, tilting and angling for a better position. Between the soft smacks of each kiss, Yuri could hear Wolfram's breath hitch and feel his blood temperature wise. He was sure Wolfram could say the same for him.

Wolfram's arms knew what to do this time as well. He ran his fingers up and down Yuri's back, silently assuring Yuri that he didn't mind most of his bodyweight on him. He enjoyed the funny feeling of their chests bumping when they breathed, but not as much as he started to enjoy the escalating kiss.

Lips parted, Wolfram took the lead and encouraged Yuri to do what his other form did. When Yuri finally did comply, Wolfram felt goose bumps as their tongues bumped into each other. And whether on purpose or not, Yuri let out a soft sound and pressed closer.

The friction against their crotches startled them both and they broke to meet each other's eyes. Wolfram was about to cover up his flustered feelings by snapping at how comfortable Yuri suddenly seemed, but Yuri pushed back down and engaged the kiss again.

"Wolfram," Yuri half whined, half grunted, his naivety telling him he must have looked so ridiculous.

Wolfram tilted his head back, hissing when Yuri's mouth dropped to his neck and stuck there. "O-Ow…!"

"Sorry," Yuri rasped, dragging his tongue across the spot he had sucked too hard on.

Only more flustered, Wolfram shut his eyes tightly and squeezed Yuri closer. His hips shifted and Yuri didn't protest. Instead, the double black rubbed back against him until they had established a somewhat sloppy rhythm.

"Yuri," Wolfram breathed, overtaken by the physical experience. He unconsciously spread his legs a little wider and ran one arm up so his fingers could tangle in Yuri's thick hair.

Yuri kept one hand for balance and the other trembled as it timidly outlined Wolfram's silhouette, down his side before it grew too bashful and stopped at his hip. The way their groins rocked against each other though made his hand bold. He experimented by touching Wolfram's toned rear end.

With a moan from Wolfram's lips, the flustered part of his mind jumped off a cliff, leaving him to focus on how sensational it felt to have Yuri's mouth on his collarbone, his hand on his body, and hard length pushing against his own.

"W-Wolf," Yuri's voice came strained, his mouth searching for Wolfram's again.

Wolfram somehow understood, accepting the rough kiss as his own body rocked against Yuri's faster. He dropped one hand to Yuri's hip and gripped hard. "Yuri…!"

Air couldn't come fill their lungs fast enough. Wolfram arched against Yuri, burying his face into his fiance's shoulder while Yuri did the same into his neck. Their bodies convulsed, Yuri's first before Wolfram's, and they spent themselves into their clothing.

When Yuri collapsed yet again on his body, fully drained, Wolfram could only moan. His hands, as much as they felt like puddy, didn't let go of Yuri's back. He stared at the blurred ceiling, wincing when Yuri's hips lazily rolled against his.

"Ugh." Yuri finally rolled off, chest heaving even more so now. He draped an arm over his face and then lowered it. He couldn't come to grips with what he had just done. First, he needed to breathe, needed to not feel like he ran a marathon. It was embarrassing how one bodily function could relieve so much stress.

Wolfram forced himself to sit up a bit and he half-acknowledged the stain in his cotton pants. Hormones, thou art heartless, Wolfram thought before he struggled to face Yuri.

The boy was flushed red and only mustered up a nervous smile for him.

Wolfram smiled back though and then rolled his eyes. "Look what you did to me."

"Wh…What I did!"

Yuri ranted but Wolfram didn't listen. He yawned, feeling exhilarated as he was tired, and plopped back down to snuggle up to Yuri. "Yuri, you're ruining the movie," he said, burying his face against Yuri's arm. Part of it was to conceal his own red face, a face he rarely let show his real emotions—let alone when it was crossed with raw, hormonal longing.

The ranting stopped, Yuri's nerves on edge when Wolfram cuddled up, which was impractical considering what they had just done. What they had just done, Yuri repeated in his head, and he rubbed his face with one hand, hard. Yuri internally groaned, draped an arm over his eyes again, and found his other hand squeezing one of Wolfram's. The blonde grasped his back and Yuri felt Wolfram's lips smiling against the skin of his arm.

And, with that image in his mind, Yuri couldn't help but notice how content his own sigh was.

On the other side of the door, Conrad looked back at the food he had placed on the tray. He made sure he had shut the door to the couple's room and brushed off his sleeves as if that would wipe off the blush on his face. To think that his initial concern to the sounds he had heard would be met in the middle of a romping—one that involved his little brother and godson. Conrad looked harder at the trays of dinner, embarrassed.

He guessed he could bring them dinner later.

-x-X-x-...TBC...-x-X-x-

Gotta love young boys' hormones. Hope you found them to be as IC as I tried to make them!

Conrad was probably my favorite part though. I like to think he could start getting away with being more brotherly :)

Thank you for reading!