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Sneaking past the guards was an easy task. Finding clothes that don’t look like they come out from the medieval age television show was easy too, since I have a lots of them (and they’re not black either). Hiding the color of my hair and eyes were easier since I have a pair of sunglasses and a hooded cloak.
The hardest part was to find a certain pretty boy that looks like an angel but is actually a demon.
The James Bond theme-song played in my mind as I plastered myself to the wall and poked my head around the corner. Two guards were walking towards me. I kept quiet and waited until they passed the hallway. The coast was clear. If only I have a high branded black suit instead of brown and blue commoner’s clothes that I was currently wearing (… okay, fine. I do have a high quality black suit ever since I became the King of the Mazoku) and a sports car instead of a horse.
I’ve been looking for him everywhere. After I changed in the bedroom, I went down to the kitchen and was greeted by Josak and Murata eating cookies with tea and I promptly joined them for an impromptu tea party before asking about Wolf’s whereabouts.
Josak and Murata looked at each other.
“I haven’t seen him since breakfast,” Murata shrugged, leaning on the palm of his hand, eyes with similar colour to mine securitizing me from head to toe. “Didn’t you left with him?”
I did. We went straight to the office after breakfast, but he left about mid-morning. He has been quiet since he woke up, and I noticed him nodding off into his book and thought that he only went out to get some fresh air. He didn’t come back for lunch though.
His eyes that were like the bottom of the lake were darker too. Is he mad at me?
“I don’t think Young Master has to worry much, Lord von Bielefeld has been keeping himself busy nowadays.”
Murata grinned. “He didn’t want to make himself worried sick when you were gone, huh?”
Wolf and I had been separated for quite some time when I was at Darco*; a lot longer than the time I was trapped under the tomb.
“Maybe Young Master should ask Conrart,” Josak titled his head, munching on a cookie.
After finishing my tea, I made my way towards the castle lawn, half-expecting Wolf to be there. I met Conrad instead. Good timing, Lord Weller.
He brought me to see Ao at the stables, and I happily greeted my horse and fed him a green-colored carrot.
“Are you searching for Wolf?” Conrad asked me before I could open my mouth. As expected of my nazukeoya. But seeing as Wolf and I are what he called a mischievous, conspiring pair, it might make him wonder why Wolf was not with me. He smiled at me as I gave him a sheepish look.
“I saw him walking to your bedroom, but that was two hours ago.”
Two hours was a long time, and Wolf might have gone somewhere else. But there’s no harm in trying. I found myself in the anteroom that led to the bedroom, staring at the fireplace that almost burn out. It was a bit cold in the room, but the coals were still red. I tiptoed towards the couch facing the fireplace and saw an angelic-looking boy sleeping with his head titled at the cushion. I suddenly became alert.
He didn’t snore.
Is it normal for a fire-wielding mazoku to be this cold? I was only touching his shoulder through the layer of his clothes and he was almost icy.
“Yuuri?”
The sleep-dazed pretty boy blinked his eyes open. The eyes with the colour of the bottom of a lake fixed on me and I thought I almost drown in them. “Sorry, did I wake you?”
“No, it’s fine. Guess I fell asleep,” he groggily sat up, looking all over the room. “What time is it?”
From my trusted G-Shock, it’s almost half an hour to four in the evening. “It’s just past tea time,” I sat next to him on the couch; I really should call someone to light the fire in the room. “Did you not get enough sleep last night? But you’re snoring ‘gugupi, gugupi’ at my side the entire night.”
Wolf’s eyebrows frowned, as if not hearing what I said. “Why are you wearing that?”
“Oh,” I looked down at my clothes and swiftly threw my hood behind my shoulders. “I was thinking about going to the lake that you mentioned yesterday. That’s why I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Oh, you want to go try the ice shattering?”
“It’s ice-skating, Wolf.”
He nodded. “Okay, let me wash my face and change first.”
Lord von Bielefeld tried to stand and wobbled on his feet. I quickly caught his arm. His pale skin that never got tan was flushed red.
I put my hand on his forehead. Then his neck. He was burning hot, but the rest of his body was cold. “Wolf, I think you have a fever.”
“The room is hot.”
“The fire has gone out; it’s cold as ice in this room,”
The pretty boy frowned. But I know even with his stubbornness, when someone as pretty as him stand around, everyone around him would light up. “I’m not sick.”
“You have a fever. Come on, you need to rest.”
“I’m not—“ The stubborn pretty boy tried to resist, but then his head must be spinning because suddenly he was swaying on his steady feet. I held him closer and carefully brought him to bedroom, seating him on the four-poster bed. I took off the sunglasses and placed it on the bedside table.
“Just stay here,”
He must be really sick since he didn’t seem like he had any strength left to protest. I was about to take off his shoes when there was a knock on the door and Conrad walked in, carrying a tray of food.
“Conrad!”
Wolf looked up, and then sighed heavily. Conrad smiled in amusement.
“He’s sick, isn’t he?” Conrad put down the tray on the bed. “I heard from the maids that you missed lunch.”
“I’m not a child,” Wolf’s features turned down, biting the lower of his beautiful lips.
“No, of course you’re not.” Conrad put the glass into his little brother’s hand. “And no, you can’t have wine.” I smiled at their interaction as I continued to take off Wolf’s shoes and socks. Wolf’s indulgence in wine made me worried sometimes but Conrad said it’s normal for a full-blooded mazoku. Lord von Bielefeld pouted as he dutifully sipped on the juice.
I looked at the tray. There was a bowl of soup that Wolfram always preferred, a plate of green apple slices and a glass of juice. “Apples?” It might just be my hazy memory, but I remembered someone giving me apples when I was sick after coming back from Seisakoku*. Or was it a dream?
“It’s good for digestion, especially when you’re sick.”
Conrad turned to me and his grey eyes softened. He smiled at me.
Was it a dream?
Wolf calmly finished the juice and put it back on the tray, pushing the tray away to the side of the bed. He didn't even touch the food.
But that's a given. His upset stomach probably wouldn't be able to accept the food anyway. At least he drank the juice. I'll try to make him eat something light later.
Wolf looked drowsy, but he looked far better compared to me when I was sick.
“I’m going to sleep early. Conrad, take Yuuri with you on your way out.”
I was caught off guard when Wolf started speaking.
Conrad turned back to his brother and nodded. “Understood,”
What? What?
Wolf threw away the jacket he was wearing to the carpet on the floor, turning his back to me.
That was cold, Wolf!
“Let’s go, Yuuri.” Conrad took the tray and placed it on the bedside table before nudging me on the shoulder.
“Why??”
Conrad smiled in amusement. He made sure Wolf was out of ear-shot before whispering to my ear. “Wolf doesn’t want you to get sick too. Don't worry, we can call on Giesela to check on him.”
Oh.
OH.
I turned back to the bed, where the stubborn, yet caring former prince already put his head on the pillow, ready to sleep.
I leaned closer to Conrad. “You can go, I’ll take care of him.”
Conrad didn't seem surprise, but there's a hint of concern on his face. “But, Yuuri…”
“It’s fine. I have been with him for the entire week. If I don’t catch it from him earlier, I won’t catch it from him now.”
It sounded wiser in my head.
But Conrad seemed to understood, and he nodded. “Make sure he gets some rest. I’ll come back with Giesela later.” He patted my shoulder and went out, the door behind him closed with a soft click.
Don't worry, nazukeoya. I'll take care of your little brother.
I sneaked to the side of the bed, armed with a heavy blanket that I got from the closet. I already took off the cloak and boot that I was wearing earlier. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders like a cape, I slipped behind Wolf and wrapped it around him, my arms circled around his torso. My knees knocked behind his thighs and I slipped my feet between his.
I felt his body stiffened for a moment, before relaxing again.
“I know you’re not asleep.”
“You’ll be sick,” he muttered. His honey blond hair splayed over the white pillow like a sun peeking from over the white, endless clouds.
“No, I won’t.” I said. His neck felt hot when I touched it with my nose. His familiar scent was overwhelming but comforting. “Go to sleep, okay?”
It was a few minutes later when I heard his snores and I sighed in relief. The room felt cold, but my heart as well as my body was warmed by our closeness. I smiled into his neck, my lips curved over his heated skin. Well, looks like I have to postpone my plan.
The snow started to fall outside the castle as I too started to doze off.
“Merry Christmas, Wolf. Feel better soon,”
*
Josak and Murata entered the royal bedroom and walked quietly to the bed to not bother the sleeping former prince. They were not surprise when they found Yuuri sleeping too, arms wrapped protectively around his partner.
The fireplace made a cracking sound. It was comfortably warm in the room after the maids restarted the fire and cleared off their clothes.
Murata gently held the back of his hand over Wolfram's forehead to feel his temperature; his eyes caught the tray of food left on the bedside table. “Looks like the jaringo-puu’s* fever is going down,”
Josak grinned, putting a finger over his lips. They ran into Conrart earlier when the said man couldn't find the healer and who told them about his brother's condition. “We can tell the Captain about the good news. Probably he's just exhausted and needs a good rest." Josak stared at the snow behind the windows.
Murata adjusted the blanket over the couple. "This weather really doesn't agree with a fire-wielder mazoku, huh?"
Josak nodded in agreement. "We should leave them, Your Eminence.”
Murata nodded and tiptoed over to Josak, as they both smiled at the king and former prince cuddling together under the blanket and walked out of the room.
“And to think that the Young Master went through all those troubles to surprise the third son…”
“It’s fine, we still have tomorrow. I’m sure the snowman won’t melt yet.”
It was a snowman with an ash-blue scarf and a small red heart on the chest.
-end-