Chapter Text
Yuuri turned to look at Murata, filled with dread. "Then what I saw was actually… a dream?" Yuuri asked, hands seizing Murata's lapels. Why had Murata brought him the Demon Mirror if none of it was real!?
"A dream? No, it was not a dream. But it was also not the future," Murata clarified, which wasn't making things clear at all.
"But Wolfram! He said that the Demon Mirror could be used to send a person to the past and to the future! If it wasn't the future that I saw, then what was it!?" Yuuri raged, all traces of the easy going and trusting boy disappearing, leaving only the seriousness of the Maou.
"You saw what Shinou intended for you to see," Murata answered, the wisdom of the Great Sage reflecting in his eyes. Yuuri, however, paid it no heed. He was so enraged he would hardly mind if the Maou came out and punished Shinou, even if it was only wishful thinking.
"So I saw what Shinou had made up himself? Like a play, only I was a character as well?" Yuuri asked incredulously. He could see his hand, the hand that still had Murata's lapel held in a firm grip, surrounded by blue licks of Maryoku.
"No. Even Shinou must obey the laws of Maryoku, and the laws of the space and time. He cannot send you everywhere he want, because even if it is he that's powering the Makyou, they are both bound to the laws and rules according to which Maryoku is working. Like you cannot create water if you don't have two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen," Murata explained, but it served little in calming Yuuri down.
"So what was it that I saw!?" Yuuri was nearly shouting.
"Shibuya, listen to me. The Demon Mirror is a powerful object in itself, but it was not designed to be so in the first place. In the first place, the Demon Mirror is a part of a machine called the Dry Wind. It's a machine that, when holds two people in it, would show them each the future from which they dread the most…" Murata started, but was cut off.
"But I don't dread such a future! Not anymore!" Yuuri exclaimed.
"Shibuya, Listen! When the Demon Mirror is not connected to the Dry Wind it can only take one person through time, and it will show him the future he would crave the most," Murata hastened to explain. Yuuri let go of him, but his anger was not subsided.
"Now you're not making any sense! You said that Shinou is bound by the laws of Maryoku and cannot create whatever he wishes! But you also said that what I saw was what I crave the most and if that's so then what I saw was my own creation! If Shinou can't create a future for me to see then how can I do it?" Yuuri was pacing up and down the hallway now, agitated.
"Because it's a future that could come to pass, if you work your hardest for it. You see, our life is made of endless fork roads, and our future is decided according to the choices we make," Murata answered, calmer and more collected when he noticed that Yuuri was himself again, eyes and pupils round and big and no blue Maryoku anywhere.
Yuuri came to a stop in front of Conrad's door. "Then you're saying that if a tell Conrad I love him we'll end up just like we did in the future I saw through the Demon Mirror?" Yuuri asked, quietly.
Murata's glasses definitely glinted with an evil light now. "Well, there's no guarantee for that. The future has yet to unfold before us."
"WHAT!?" Yuuri turned to look at Murata, horrified. "Then how am I supposed to know what to do!?" he demanded. Murata simply smirked.
"Why, Shibuya. Just follow your heart!" The familiar Murata Ken, in all his cheerfulness, exclaimed at him. Yuuri's face fell and he cast Murata an annoyed glare.
"You know, that's low even for you, Murata. Where did you take it from, a Hirumero or som…" But then Yuuri felt something he was all too familiar with, a familiar hand that was pushing him against the now slightly ajar door, like it had done many times in the past, and Yuuri was forced to take a step forward and into the room to keep from falling.
Conrad's room was crowded with people. Anissina and Gisela were there, standing side by side and beaming towards the bed. Gwendal was standing, his expression softer than Yuuri had ever seen it, to the left and supporting a tearful Günter. Wolfram was standing beside a very happy Yozak, his nose in the air even though his eyes were glued to the bed.
And on the bed, with Cheri-sama stroking his hair, was Conrad. He looked pale and sickly, but he was smiling and his eyes were their usual beautiful brown once more, and his hand was holding that of his mother's.
At the sound of Yuuri's stumbling into the room everyone turned to look, and Conrad's eyes were suddenly filled with warmth. Yuuri had no idea what he was supposed to do. He knew what he wanted to do, throw himself into Conrad's arms and kiss him senseless like he'd done with the future Conrad, but he couldn't really do it. So what did he do now? How was he supposed to follow his heart? Murata never explained that part…
And then he remembered future Conrad's parting words: You still have to ask for my hand in marriage in a most outrageous fashion.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for dragging you out of bed in the middle of the night," Conrad, the present Conrad said, his words gentle and teasing. But Yuuri was not going to tell him that it wasn't like he could sleep with Conrad dying, or chide him about not calling him by his given name. He would soon give Conrad a reason to call him by his given name always, and one it would be hard to argue against.
Yuuri summoned his courage, every bit of it that he could find in himself. His vision began to blur with the Maryoku coursing in his blood once more, and when he looked down he saw that he was engulfed in blue light. Well, if that was what it took he had no complaints. He only hoped his hastily put together plan would work instead of scaring Conrad away.
"Sir Conrad Weller, a long time ago you have made me a promise," Yuuri spoke, and it was as if the Maou was speaking with him, his words echoing Yuuri's. He was once more in mid transformation, but it was Yuuri that controlled the situation. Around him, in the room, there were shuffling of feet and weary glances cast his way, but Yuuri didn't see anyone other than Conrad on the bed.
"You have promised me that you would give your arm, your body and your life for me," Yuuri could hear everyone in the room draw a sharp breath. "I now call you to fulfill your promise."
Someone tried to move and stopped, or was stopped, but it mattered little. No one tried to utter a word. Conrad's face was completely white and his eyes were big and shining unnaturally bright with sickness.
"Sir Conrad Weller, you have already given me your arm and your body, both in protecting me from Big Shimaron's evil plans. Now I call for you to give me your life," Yuuri said, voice strong and deep, more the Maou's voice then his.
The reaction to this was immediate. Gwendal tried to lunge for Yuuri, a wordless cry strangled in his throat, but was stopped by Günter from reaching his sword, even though Günter's eyes were wide with betrayal. Both Anissina and Gisela looked stricken, holding onto each other and covering their mouths with their hands. Yozak's look of honest astonishment was mirrored in Wolfram, and Cheri-sama's cheeks were suddenly wet with tears and she was biting her lips to keep from making a sound.
But all Yuuri saw was Conrad. Conrad, who looked surprised and hurt and betrayed, whose forehead creased with pain and disappointment, whose misunderstanding was clear as the sun. After a second Conrad mastered his emotions, making his eyes looked like close shutters, opaque and unhappy. Yuuri had seen that look on Conrad's face, the look of utter desperation, when he was in the past and saw Conrad in the yard before the battle of Rütenberg, leaving for what was thought of as certain death.
Desperation.
"Which is the way I should give you my life that would please you the most, my liege?" Conrad asked, his voice curt and emotionless but Yuuri's heart still threatened to break. Conrad was loyal and courteous to his very end, asking how he would sacrifice his life to please his king most, and for a moment Yuuri's throat closed in tears. He cursed himself ten times a fool for doing what he was doing now because all he wanted to do was make that expression on Conrad's face disappear, but the deed was done and could not be undone. The words could not be unsaid.
Yuuri moved forward, stepping to stand next to Conrad on the right. The room was completely still, even Gwendal stopped struggling. "You will die, Sir Conrad Weller, as an old and wrinkled man, beside me as my partner and lover, after years spent together in Shin Makoku. This is my command to you," and with that, Yuuri raised his hand and slapped Conrad across his left cheek, hard.
Conrad's head turned left from the strength of Yuuri's blow, and stayed there. When he finally turned his head back to look at Yuuri his eyes were wide and unguarded, hope and disbelief shining in their brown depths. His face was completely white.
"Y-Yuuri… But… Wolfram…" Conrad stammered at him, looking at his younger brother and Yuuri alternately. Yuuri smiled, feeling more like himself again. He'd done it. He'd told Conrad that he loved him and asked for his hand, and he did in a most outrageous fashion as well.
"We broke our engagement while you were sick," he announced to Conrad, and took a tentative step back. "So, what do you say? Will you give me your life?" Yuuri asked, eager and shy and anxious all at once.
Conrad looked at Yuuri, still with disbelief in his eyes. His hand rose to caress Yuuri's cheek, fingers moving over the jaw line and back up again. Yuuri nuzzled into that warm hand, smiling shyly at Conrad while his face turned progressively redder.
What was taking him so long? Would he accept the proposal? Why doesn't he say anything? Please say yes, please!
"Of course I will, Yuuri," Conrad whispered, smiling tentatively back at Yuuri and startling Yuuri away from the creeping insecurities. Yuuri felt his entire world light up at this answer. He found himself babbling uncontrollably in his happiness.
"I'm so glad! I was afraid you'd faint or that I'd offend you, but thank god… we'll have to tell Greta about the change when we pick her up and we'll inform the council of nobles…" Yuuri's babble came to a stop when he remembered something. "This proposal does count, right? Because I know you've said that you're not of noble blood but they do call you 'Sir Weller' and I really don't know how else I'm supposed to propose in this world other then slapping you on your cheek, sorry if I hurt you by the way but… well, does it?" Yuuri drew a deep breath and looked back to Günter, his eyes hopeful.
Günter and Gwendal posed an odd sight. It looked like they were entwined in each other, Gwendal with his hand on his sword hilt and Günter with his hand around Gwendal's waist and Gwendal's other hand on Günter's shoulder so that it was completely unclear who was supporting whom, but it was clear that they were both completely astonished.
"Ah… It's true that Conrad is not a noble, his father was a human with no rank…" Günter started dazedly.
"That may be so, but his mother was the Maou, so I'd say that the proposal definitely counts," Cheri-sama intervened, smiling brilliantly at Conrad while stroking his hair. Yuuri was matching her smile, reaching out his hand for Conrad to take, their fingers intertwining together.
"I'm happy. Like this, I know that I can have you with me. I know that life is full of uncertainties, of dangers and of things we have no control over. That's why I want you by my side always, Conrad, where I can see and feel you and smile at you. Only then I could know for sure that you're truly with me," Yuuri told Conrad in such honesty he imagined it burning his chest. But he needed to say it because coming down to it, only in face of losing Conrad did he realized just how much the other man was important to him. How much he loved him.
Conrad's forehead creased, however, at hearing Yuuri's words. "Yuuri, I will always be by your side," he chided softly, troubled eyes looking for Yuuri's.
"How can you promise me that when…" Yuuri's hand parted from one of Conrad's to wave at Conrad's state, the sick bed and his paleness, but Conrad reached out and caught it once more in his own.
"I can," he told Yuuri seriously, looking into his eyes. "Because no matter where I am, I will always be by your side and you will always be in my mind. In this life and the next," Conrad vowed solemnly, and Yuuri felt his eyes filling with tears. He smiled a watery smile at Conrad, so happy he felt like his emotions were overflowing. Because Conrad was making a promise to him right there and then. And Conrad was smiling back.
Yuuri had no idea how long they stood like that, hand in hand and looking at each other, but apparently Wolfram did. "You wimp! Do you need a written invitation? Kiss him already!" and a bold hand gave Yuuri a not-so-gentle a push and he stumbled forward, right into Conrad's arms.
The sudden heat and the contact of Conrad's shirtless chest against his palms sent Yuuri to a different world. Suddenly there was nothing more important then looking into Conrad's eyes so he raised his eyes from Conrad's neck to meet surprised and happy brown eyes. And once he did that there was nothing as important as pressing his lips to Conrad's and so he pushed himself up and closed the distance between their mouths, giving Conrad a little peck on the lips.
By the time Yuuri's priorities had been decided, Murata managed to usher everyone else out of the room and Conrad managed to get the amused light back in his eyes, causing Yuuri to ponder once again how he loved this mirthful Conrad.
"Now that we're alone, allow me to kiss my fiancé properly," Conrad said in a low voice that sent shivers down Yuuri's back. He watched as Conrad's strong arms, strong even when sick, shifted and settled around Yuuri's hips, and suddenly Conrad pulled him forward and he landed with his arms on either side of Conrad's head. He found that, as he looked down at Conrad, he rather liked that position.
Conrad's right hand rose to tangle in Yuuri's hair and coax Yuuri down, as if Yuuri thought to turn anywhere else. Conrad other hand came up as well, leaving Yuuri either to lean on his forearms or to lie flushed against Conrad. With a devilish smile Yuuri raised his hands, allowing his weight to settle on Conrad and burying his hands in Conrad's damp hair.
And then, finally, Conrad kissed him. It started as a soft caress of lips against lips until Conrad's tongue joined to caress Yuuri's lips and Yuuri opened his mouth to allow him in. Moaning deep in his throat, Yuuri felt Conrad's tongue thrusting inside, mapping his mouth with eagerness he matched. Yuuri's tongue dwelled, inexperienced, against Conrad's and his hands messed Conrad's hair and caressed his face even when they both rose for air.
Yuuri was dizzy, a pleasant sensation starting to spread in his entire body, weakening him against Conrad and causing him to melt into the other's embrace. Conrad merely chuckled, kissing the crown of Yuuri's head and raising disbelieving eyes at him.
"I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed with a small smile, "that it seems like a dream to be able to do it now," and he kissed Yuuri's nose lightly, causing Yuuri to broaden his smile.
Before Yuuri could confess about his burning need to finally kiss Conrad Gisela bustled in and shooed Yuuri out of the room to examine Conrad and allow him to rest, and wasn't satisfied until their eye contact was interrupted by the door.
Yuuri smiled to himself, a content feeling he had not felt in weeks spreading through him. Conrad was well, he was going to be healthy and he loved Yuuri back, for who Yuuri was. Yuuri figured that Conrad deserved some rest after all that, especially because Yuuri was determined to work with Conrad and make the future Shinou showed him a reality. He had so much to tell Conrad about his trip to the future… Oh, and he mustn't forget to move Morgif to his office to keep him company in the mean time!