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“Can you just leave me alone for like, FIVE MINUTES? You’re being annoying!” Yuuri snapped at Wolfram.
It had been a particularly long day of council meetings and signing papers, and Yuuri was also planning to return to Earth for a few days to catch up on his studies and see the family. Yuuri had just got out of a long paper-signing session with Gwendal and Gunter, and Yuuri had happened to smile and wave to one of the maids on his way out.
“YOU CHEATING WIMP, I saw you flirt with that maid!” Wolfram accused his fiancé as he approached from down the hall. This remark was what caused Yuuri to snap. He was tired of the long days demanded of the Maou. He hadn’t seen his fiancé all day, but he wasn’t in the mood to entertain Wolfram’s insecurities and outbursts.
For what seemed like a minute there was silence, until Wolfram asked, “Yuuri, what’s wrong with you? I haven’t even seen you today and this is how you greet your loving fiancé!” He seemed upset from being yelled at by Yuuri but knew that yelling back wasn’t a good call right now.
“It’s just one thing after another today, I’m not in the mood for your jealousy. Sorry for yelling at you, I shouldn’t have done that.” Yuuri apologized. “I’m just worn out from a long day and ready to return home for a few days to unwind. And it’s just annoying having you accuse me of cheating when we aren’t even a real couple!”
Pain welled up and started to overcome Wolfram. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn’t. Not in front of Yuuri. “I understand, Your Majesty, I’ll take my leave for tonight.” He departed for his personal quarters.
“Hey wait, Wolf, don’t call me that! Where are you going?” he asked, but Wolfram had turned down the hallway out of sight and Yuuri did not follow.
The next day was quiet. Wolfram had not joined Yuuri in bed the night before. “Figures, I guess he’s mad at me,” Yuuri thought to himself. “I’m sure that everything will go back to normal later,” he assumed.
The day went like any other one, more paperwork and council meetings. By lunchtime he had grown bored out of his skull and snuck out to play catch with Conrad. “Today’s been quiet, have you seen Wolf?” Yuuri asked his bodyguard.
“I haven’t seen him today, Your Majesty. Did something happen?” Conrad asked.
“Don’t call me that Conrad, you’re my godfather! Wolf actually called me ‘Your Majesty’ yesterday too, it was weird.” the Maou explained.
“What prompted that? That’s unlike him, he’s your fiancé, he’s very close and informal with you.” Conrad said.
“Well you see, I kinda snapped at him yesterday, I was tired and just being himself and I didn’t want to deal with that at the moment. I told him to leave me alone and I may have said we aren’t really fiancés. He looked kind of upset and walked away.”
“Ouch, that’s low, Yuuri.” Conrad started, now concerned about his younger half-brother. “If you are unpleased with the engagement, you should just call it off.”
“Yeah, yeah, but I don’t understand why he was so upset. I know he has his pride as a Mazoku but we’re still best friends, right? I’m sure he’ll come say bye later today when I head to Earth,” Yuuri surmised.
Conrad just nodded in response. It was clear that Yuuri was unaware just how Wolfram actually felt about him.
He did not show. Yuuri had opened a portal to Earth and was about to step through after saying goodbye to Conrad, Gunter, and Greta. He looked around one last time for Wolfram.
“Ok I guess I’m going now, when you guys see Wolf tell him I said I’ll see him later,” the Maou said before jumping through the water portal.
Yuuri spent the next few days on Earth catching up on school, eating his mom’s cooking, and trying to relax. He played baseball, helped around the house, and slept in his tiny old bed without anyone
complaining about his Earth habits. It was nice. Quiet. But something kept nagging at the back of his mind the whole time, like he’d left something important unfinished back in Shin Makoku.
When he stepped through the portal again, water splashing around his feet, no one was waiting by the fountain. Conrad was there, of course, smiling calmly like always, and Greta ran up to hug him. Gunter started crying about how the castle had been too quiet without its king. But no Wolfram. Not even a sarcastic “welcome back, wimp.”
Yuuri tried not to let it bother him.
At first, the distance felt kind of good.
Wolfram didn’t sit next to him at meals anymore. He took a seat farther down the table with the other soldiers and only spoke when someone asked him a direct question. No more “wimp.” No more “my fiancé.” Just polite, icy “Your Majesty” every single time. He stopped coming to Yuuri’s room at night completely. The big bed stayed cold on the right side. When Yuuri accidentally smiled at one of the kitchen maids while getting a snack, Wolfram didn’t explode or accuse him of cheating. He just looked away and kept walking.
This is what I wanted, right? Yuuri thought after the first week. No more jealousy, no more drama. I can finally breathe.
But it didn’t feel right. The relief started fading fast, replaced by this weird hollow feeling in his chest. Council meetings dragged on forever without Wolfram bursting in to defend him. Training sessions felt boring. Even playing catch with Conrad wasn’t as fun. Everything was too quiet, too polite, too empty.
After almost three weeks of it, Yuuri couldn’t stand it anymore.
He found Wolfram in the rose garden one evening, sharpening his sword on a bench. The sunset made his blond hair look almost golden, but his face was blank in a way that made Yuuri’s stomach twist.
“Wolf,” Yuuri said, walking up. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird ever since I got back.”
Wolfram didn’t even look up. “Nothing is wrong, Your Majesty.”
Yuuri winced at the title. “Don’t call me that. Come on, talk to me. Can things just go back to normal already?”
Wolfram finally lifted his eyes. They were calm, but cold. “No. This is how things are supposed to be. I’ve stopped forcing my presence on you. You made it very clear you don’t want me as a fiancé.”
Yuuri opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Wolfram stood up, sheathed his sword, and walked away without another word.
From then on, it got worse. Yuuri kept messing up during meetings because he was distracted, staring at the empty seat where Wolfram used to sit. He couldn’t focus on paperwork. Even little things like signing documents felt heavy. Greta asked him why Papa Wolf was so sad all the time, and Yuuri didn’t know what to say.
Finally, he couldn’t take it. He went to the Shinou Temple, where Murata was hanging out like usual, flipping through some old books.
“Shibuya,” Murata said with that knowing smile. “You look terrible. What’s going on with you and Lord von Bielefeld?”
Yuuri sat down hard on the stone steps. “He’s pulling away. Like, completely. And I thought I wanted that, but now everything feels wrong. I keep thinking about him all the time. Why does it bother me so much? We’re both guys. It’s not like… I mean, I’m not…” He trailed off, face burning.
Murata pushed up his glasses. “How do you truly feel about him, Yuuri? Not what you think you should feel. What does your heart say?”
The question hit Yuuri like a slap. He spent the rest of the day and half the night walking around the castle grounds, thinking. All those times Wolfram protected him. All the nights he’d fallen asleep next to that warm, grumpy presence. The way his chest ached now that it was gone. Yeah, they were both guys. And yeah, that scared him a little. He’d spent so long telling himself it was just an accidental engagement, just friendship, just something else. But the truth was scarier.
He liked Wolfram. More than a friend. A lot more.
The next morning Yuuri waited until after breakfast, then cornered Wolfram in one of the quieter hallways before he could disappear for training.
“Wolf, wait. Please.”
Wolfram stopped but didn’t turn around right away. “Your Majesty?”
“Stop that!” Yuuri stepped closer, heart pounding. “I miss you. Okay? I miss you calling me wimp and hogging the bed and getting jealous over stupid stuff. I thought I wanted space but I was wrong. I like you, Wolf. More than a friend should. I… I think I might even love you, or at least I want to figure it out. So can you please come back? Be my boyfriend and my fiancé for real this time. Not just because of some stupid slap or Mazoku tradition. Because I want you here.”
Wolfram finally turned around. His green eyes were wide, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You… you want me to be your boyfriend? After everything I said and after I gave you the space you asked for?”
“Yeah,” Yuuri said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was an idiot. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss you until you were gone. The castle feels wrong without you yelling at me or sleeping in my bed. I don’t want polite ‘Your Majesty’ anymore. I want you.”
Wolfram stared at him for a long moment, then let out a shaky breath. “I thought… I thought you would never see me that way. That I was just a burden you were stuck with because of Mazoku custom. It hurt, Yuuri. Hearing you say we aren’t a real couple. I decided I wouldn’t force myself on you anymore.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Yuuri said softly. “I didn’t mean it. I was just tired and took it out on you. But I do want this. For real.”
A small, hesitant smile finally broke across Wolfram’s face. “Then… I’ll come back. But only if you’re sure. I won’t be just your shadow or your convenient fiancé. I want to be yours, Yuuri.”
“I’m sure,” Yuuri answered, reaching out to grab Wolfram’s hand. Their fingers laced together, and it felt right. “Come back to our room tonight. And stop with the ‘Your Majesty’ stuff. Call me wimp again or whatever. Just… be here with me.”
Wolfram squeezed his hand, the familiar fire coming back into his eyes. “Fine, wimp. But if you flirt with any more maids, I’m not holding back.”
Yuuri laughed, relief flooding through him. “Deal.”
Later that afternoon, Yuuri gathered Conrad, Gwendal, Gunter, and Greta in one of the smaller meeting rooms. Wolfram stood beside him, close enough that their shoulders brushed.
“So… I wanted you guys to know,” Yuuri started, cheeks a little pink but voice steady. “Wolf and I are taking our relationship seriously now. Not just the engagement thing. We’re actually together. Boyfriends. For real this time.”
Conrad smiled warmly. “I’m happy for you both, Yuuri. It’s about time.”
Gunter immediately started crying dramatic tears of joy. “Oh, Your Majesty! Such a beautiful union between our great king and the noble Lord von Bielefeld! I shall compose a poem immediately!”
Gwendal just grunted, but the tiniest smile tugged at his lips. “Good. Maybe now you’ll both focus better on your duties instead of this back and forth.”
Greta clapped her hands excitedly. “Does this mean Papa Wolf is moving back into Papa Yuuri’s room? Can we have a family dinner tonight?”
Wolfram crossed his arms, but he was grinning. “Of course we’re moving back. And yes to dinner, Greta. Someone has to make sure this wimp eats properly.”
Yuuri felt his face heat up, but he was smiling too. For the first time in weeks, everything felt right again.