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Love Language #1: Gift Giving
Yuuri once told him, 'when it comes to the things I can give you, I would give you anything, Wolf.'
Admittedly, his fiance's words caught him by surprise when he uttered them. The wimp, after all, isn't big on direct confessions. He can count the number of times Yuuri has been direct with his feelings using his hands and he wouldn't be able to use all ten of his fingers.
So it wasn't anything out of the ordinary when months passed by and he hadn't heard a single word of acknowledgment from Yuuri that the conversation ever happened. Perhaps his wimp of a fiance had simply forgotten about it, Wolfram concluded.
Wrong.
Exactly a week later, the wimp entered his studio holding a matching pair of bracelets. Granted that it wasn't anything extravagant, the armbands still stood out for the solitary sunflower charm at the centerpiece, secured by a black woven thread that goes around the wrist. It was nice that his fiance got one for himself so they could match. Wolfram could also vividly recall the exact shade of red the wimp's face turned into as he admitted to buying the bracelets because they reminded him of his honey blond hair.
Really cheesy .
But the third son's dilemma didn't stop there.
Ever since the incident with the bracelets, Yuuri steadily started following through with his words religiously. Now every time he was away, may it be on Earth or a nearby town, the double-black always made it a point to buy him something.
It could be anything lavish like that beautiful brush set he got from Earth last fall, or something as simple as the strawberry keychain he bought at a festival. Wolfram's favorites have got to be the snacks, though. It's usually a mix of animal-shaped cookies, weirdly molded candies, and foreign chocolate flavors. Yuuri has probably already visited every snack store in his hometown to get his hands on a variety of them.
Lately, he has been hooked with the stuff the wimp calls 'sour candies.'
Admittedly, the name itself made him skeptical when he first heard it, even more so when he was told that the sugar-coated treats taste sour when eaten. The first few bites weirded him out, but the more he ate them, the more he couldn't get enough of them. They come in various flavors too! Each color represents a certain fruit. His personal favorite has got to be the strawberry-flavored ones, with grapes coming in at close second.
Don't get him started with the drinks. Strawberry milk, yogurt drinks, and not to mention iced coffees! How convenient it is that on Earth, cold beverages can be served in carton boxes and small cans.
But enough about the snacks.
Barely a week has passed since Yuuri last bought him something, and yet again, Wolfram finds himself holding a new package in his hands. The new item looks like it belongs to the 'lavish' category as well. It's a black square box with silver linings on its edges. A big eye sits in the middle, and there's a see-through glass in the upper right corner of it.
Yuuri's laugh bounces in the library as soon as he starts inspecting the foreign item with a frown. "It's called a camera, Wolf. You use it to take pictures."
" Pik-tue-rs ?" An image of Yuuri's mother showing him little still images of his fiance and calling them 'pictures' flashed through his mind. "Oh! Like the portraits of you when you were little that mama kept in her book?"
"...Uhhm, yeah." His fiance's face reddens quickly, but he surprisingly didn't stutter. Wolfram almost wants to question his lack of reaction to him calling Miko, mama . "Pictures are basically a painting, but one you can produce by just pressing this button right here." Yuuri taps the round button at the top of the box for emphasis.
Wolfram can't help but frown. "Not with maryoku? Like the psychic photographs that Shin Nichi uses?"
"Nope!" Yuuri said excitedly, popping the last syllable of the word. "You just need a battery."
What even is a battery? The Mazoku prince sighs.
Yuuri then took the kamera from his hands while sporting a gentle smile on his face saying, "You know what? I think I should show you how it works." The double-black presses one of the buttons at the top and the device starts running. "You turn it on using that button first. Then, this big eye-looking thing right here is called the lens. You point this towards something or someone. Peek through this square glass, and adjust the lens focus accordingly by twisting this."
Wolfram would admit to himself that the technical words his fiance was throwing at him started going over his head as soon as he said the word 'lens.' But the wimp looks so cute demonstrating his instructions that he didn't have the heart to tell him to slow down.
"...When you're all set, you click the shutter button in front, and…" Yuuri pauses, adjusting his hold on the device further, looking at him, then back at the square glass. "Wolf, say, 'Yuuriiii!'"
Wolfram purses his lips at the weird instruction. All the while, the double black clicks the shutter before he could protest. A flash of light immediately busts from the box, rendering the Mazoku prince blind for a few seconds.
"Crap! Sorry! I forgot to warn you about the flash!" He could hear Yuuri moving frantically beside him, yet his vision remained blocked by the afterimage of the light. He then felt a pair of hands cup his face right after the sensation of someone moving closer to him became apparent. When his eyes regained focus, his fiance is now at his face, looking at him worriedly. "Are you okay, Wolf?"
Wolfram was too stunned to speak. The wimp is too close! "Y-yeah. I just need a minute…" Whether it is a minute for his vision to adjust or for his heart to calm down, he won't tell. But his eyes are teary, and Yuuri was quick to wipe his cheeks with a handkerchief. "I'm so sorry."
Perhaps he will need another minute.
Luckily, the device started humming right at the second, distracting the two of them. Yuuri took the piece of paper that came out of the camera and happily lifted it towards him.
"Huh. There's nothing in it." Wolfram blinked his eyes several times just to confirm.
The Maoh only smiled bigger. "Yet. Wait for it, it's magic!"
"I thought you said it isn't Ma-powered?" They sat close looking at the paper for a few more seconds until colors started showing. "Wait! I see something!"
"Right? And it will get clearer by the minute." Yuuri is now grinning from ear to ear. "You'll see!"
To say that Wolfram was astonished would be an understatement. True to his fiance's words, the image became clearer after a couple more seconds of exposure. His face, captured in a confused pout, looked so realistic it looked like he was looking into a mirror. Even the shelves behind him looked real despite being out of focus.
When Yuuri didn't say anything, the Mazoku prince got worried that there was something wrong with the picture. "What's wrong, Yuuri?"
"Oh, It's just-" The Maoh stutters, blushing the same shade of red as that time with the sunflower bracelets. "I k-kind of w-want to keep this picture."
That picture? Looking at it now, the photograph captured him with an odd expression, yet the wimp wants to keep it?
"Can I keep it, Wolf?" Yuuri said with a little voice, interrupting his train of thought entirely.
Wolfram shrugs. "Suit yourself. You bought the ka-me-rah ."
The Maoh only smiled timidly after that and put the picture into his breast pocket without saying anything more. Upon closer look, the twinkle in his black eyes gave away his obvious glee.
"Anyways, yeah!" Now Yuuri is back into his chipper self. "That's how it works! You point, and shoot! Then, it will copy the image in front of you. This kind of camera comes with a feature that prints the photographs immediately after you take them. There are still a lot of things this model can do, but it's all written in the manual, and it's in Japanese. So, we'll probably have to go over them some other time. For now, let's switch it to auto . Oh! I'll remove the flash too, so you won't startle anyone when you practice."
Yuuri is talking gibberish again. But, no matter. He looked like he enjoyed talking to him about 'this model's other features' anyways. Besides, he's also excited to try the device himself.
"I don't want to stop painting, though," Wolfram mumbled sadly. "While it looks more convenient, I don't want to forget capturing images through oil and canvas."
"You don't have to! It's only for sceneries that you can't immediately paint," his fiance reassures him. "You can even use the photographs you took as reference for when you decide you want to transfer them on a canvas!"
Wait a damn minute. The Mazoku prince stills, the gears in his head turning at his sudden realization.
Since when did the wimp start being interested in the things he likes? In art, for that matter. He can barely understand why paint brushes come in various shapes and sizes when he asked him about them almost a year ago. Then again, he did gift him a gorgeous brush set this year as well, so he probably did his research around the same time.
But Yuuri is a muscle brain, and there's not a single thing in this world that he puts 95% of his brain power into aside from anything that has to do with baseball. The remaining 5% is reserved for the things he needed to survive as a living entity in a functioning society. Wolfram couldn't fathom where this 'art knowledge' fits.
The blond furrows his brows. "You mean, I can take a pik-tue-r of you in a pose I like, and use that as a reference so you don't have to stay posing for hours?"
"That's an innovative way to use it," Yuuri laughs. "But you can also just enjoy taking pictures with it, and see which one you like to paint." The prospect of being able to capture dynamic subjects into still images excites the blond Mazoku tremendously. He could just envision capturing the setting sun at different time intervals, and he's sure he's going to get an entirely new image on each shot. "Also, I bought you a lot of films, so you can go crazy with them!"
"Films?" Wolfram echoes absently. Yuuri is saying foreign words again.
"It's the paper that comes out of it. Don't worry, if this one runs out, I'll replace them for you. With each film, you only get 10 shots. After that, you have to replace them or the pictures won't print."
Oh, Yuuri. You're hurting my brain.
During the next few days, Wolfram spent most of his free time testing his new camera, and almost every night, Yuuri helped him go through the instructions manual as he promised.
His first few films weren't exactly masterpieces. There's that blurred photo of Gunter being chased by Anissina on one sheet, and a distorted image of Dorcas tripping on the castle stairs on another. When he tried pointing the camera to Conrart, his brother immediately raised two fingers to form what he recognized as the Earthen 'peace sign' that the Great Sage introduced to them. Yuuri laughed his head off when he saw the photograph of his Godfather with a stoic expression while making the sign. Wolfram concedes that Conrart's joke did land perfectly that one time. Plus, the third son really can't be mad at his older brother after he stayed still long enough for him to get a decent shot.
It was on the fourth day that Yuuri switched the camera's settings to manual. His fiance told him he can get most of the device's capabilities under that modality. Wolfram was ecstatic to discover how much he can manipulate the resulting photo to his liking with just a tweaking of a button. It really is like painting, only that instead of using brushes, he's pressing buttons.
Then exactly a week later after he was allowed manual reign of the device, the blond Mazoku set out to the castle gardens to hopefully photograph a butterfly in its natural habitat. His search eventually brought him to the botanical garden, wherein upon further walking, he ended up in the section where his mother kept her favorite cultivations. There's a huge running fountain in the middle, surrounded by greenery and various flower beds. Looking at it now, the familiar scenery that served as his favorite hiding spot from childhood looked like a good subject for a landscape photo, when regarded from an artistic point of view.
If only he could confine the marble fountain and the colorful flowers in one frame, the resulting photo would surely look promising. Hmmm. The flower beds are way too low to fit the frame on landscape, but then the sides of the fountain would be cut-off if he decides to take the shot on portrait. Perhaps a bit lower. Wolfram tried crouching, kneeling, and sitting. Better composition, but the angle is still off. He needs to go even lower.
Wolfram knew what he needed to do to get his perfect shot. Yet he couldn't help but question if doing that while wearing a white shirt would be worth it. He argued that he could always go back and just take the photo another time. But…there's no guarantee that the lighting or the weather would be the same if he leaves now.
"Just this once," the blond reasons to himself, throwing caution to the wind by laying down on his stomach against the soil. Wolfram tried to ignore his guilt for intentionally ruining his perfectly white shirt, and focused his attention back on the viewfinder. He points the camera upwards towards the fountain, adjusting the focus until the image sharpens. The low-angle highlighted the intensity of his main subject, while the flowers beneath and the glass ceiling above created the sense of depth that he envisioned. He did some last-minute adjustments to the tilt and angle of his camera before the click of the shutter could be heard filling the air. Those few seconds that he spent waiting for the image to show on the film were agonizing, but when it finally did, it was as if all his numerous failed attempts seem so far away now. For the first time since he got the gift from Yuuri, Wolfram was filled with utmost pride for all his hard work. Finally! He was able to produce a photograph that resembles a three-dimensional landscape painting!
The former prince sprinted back towards the castle at record speed, barely remembering climbing up the second floor and towards the King's study. Gunter's lecturing barely registered in his mind when he crowded his fiance at his desk to show him the photo. He didn't even know why he felt the need to do this, but the proud expression that the Maoh gave him after seeing his latest masterpiece was all the answer he needed. Yuuri's bright smile immediately washed away all weariness in his body. He even forgot about his dirty clothes altogether. Then, the wimp hugged him so tight he wanted to burst into joy.
That was one of the best days ever.
Present day…
"Wow! You really went all out on these!" Yuuri said, looking through all the photos he had taken in the last month.
After all the high of Wolfram's new hobby mellowed down, the royal couple now often spend their spare time borrowing the kitchen to bake. Their current obsession is to make the fluffiest souffle pancakes in Shin Makoku history. That, and teach Wolf how to make his favorite iced coffee.
Right now, the fairer one of the two boys is standing near the kitchen counter mixing eggs, flour, and milk into a bowl. He had a ruffled black apron and a bandana of similar color on his head.
"This perfectly timed image of the bad omen bird looking straight to the camera is eerie," Yuuri said from across the room. He was wearing a matching apron, but one without the frills on it. "Wait, how did you even reach this?"
Wolfram stopped whisking the batter to respond. "Oh! I climbed one of the spirals."
The Maoh's head snapped towards his direction faster than the blond could resume his work. "Wolf! I'm all for supporting your passion for photography, but please don't do something dangerous just to get a good shot!"
Oh well, the batter can wait.
"Don't worry, Yuuri. I stayed inside the tower and took that photo from the window."
"That doesn't make me feel any better! Those arch windows don't have covers in them! You could've fallen."
Wolfram sighs.The wimp may have a point. "Okay. I won't climb there again, I'm sorry."
"Sit here with me?" Yuuri offered from his position at the table near the window. The wimp was supposed to be watching the coffee grounds filter, but he got distracted by the photos the blond took recently.
In the end, Wolf couldn't deny him anything. The blond absently slipped off his bandana as he approached. He didn't know why his fiance stopped looking at the photos and is now staring at something atop his head. "What is it?"
Yuuri smiles, reaching for his head and gently brushing his golden hair fondly "I think the bandana messed up your curls quite a bit. Still looks cute, though."
"If you like it, take a photo of it," Wolfram teases, nudging his fiance by the shoulder. When his eyes looked down the table, the Mazoku prince saw the picture he took of his fiance dozing off in the castle library. The photos shows his cheek sticking into the surface of the table and his black hair all over the pages of the book he was supposed to be reading. He giggled as Yuuri lifted the photo towards himself in curiosity.
“That was when I came into the library yesterday to pick you up for afternoon tea,” Wolfram said proudly. “You were so deep into your slumber, I just didn’t have the heart to wake you."
"But you took a photo," Yuuri rolls his eyes.
"Sorry, I didn't ask for permission. You look so cute, I know I just have to take a picture."
His fiance pouts but immediately concedes. "Well, I suppose if you find me that cute, I shouldn't complain."
Another bout of giggles hit Wolfram after that. Pouting Yuuri looks cute too. "I just feel sad that I burned through most of my films by now. I have to make the rest count."
"I can always just buy you more, Wolf. Don't worry about it," the double-black said, taking his hand.
"No! Don't buy more than what is necessary. You were taking jobs on Earth to fund your gifts, right?"
"Wait, how did you-?"
" Mama accidentally mentioned it. Please don't be mad at her."
Silence filled the kitchen for a couple of minutes. When Yuuri broke it, he had a blush on his face and was now awkwardly scratching the side of his cheek.
"W-well, for this camera… I got prize money from the committee for finishing 2nd at the Inter-High Kendo Championship."
Inter- what?
"... So, I only needed a couple of hundred yen from my part-time job salary to buy it."
Wolfram really didn't get much of what the wimp said. But what he can gather is that, Yuuri won something, then brought him something, instead of using the prize money for himself. "You need to stop that, Yuuri. You could've bought yourself something you wanted."
"But I bought something I wanted," the Maoh protested confusedly.
Wolfram sighs. "For yourself, wimp."
"Ah, don't worry." Finally, realization shows on Yuuri's face. "Seeing you happy is good enough for me."
W-what is the wimp saying? The bishounen prince could feel his face heating up. "W-well… it wouldn't hurt to include yourself in it. W-we could've eaten or gone somewhere we will both enjoy, you know."
"Are you asking me out on a date?" the Maoh said grinning from ear to ear.
"Maybe?" was Wolfram's quick reply.
"Hmmm… Still, I can't promise I can stop myself from buying stuff for you, though. I enjoy watching your expression whenever you open your gifts." Yuuri's body language reverted to being shy, yet his words say otherwise. "Call it my new addiction."
"There's nothing you want? At all?"
"Yup! I just want to see you happy. That's makes me happy too."
Wolfram pouts. That is so unfair!
"You can make me the best souffle pancake right now, though. That would make me really happy!" Yuuri added, nudging him playfully.
That's the thing. The wimp shouldn't have put him on a scale like that. Competition is what keeps his blood pumping in his veins.
"Yuuri, I hope you do your best on making your iced coffee, 'cause I sure as hell accept your challenge."
FIN