A Marriage of State
part twenty-fiveWork was dull. Outside the occasional report of bandit attacks, Shin Makoku was experiencing a restful time of tranquility punctuated by fairs and fetes. Yuuri had listened to Gunter recite the requests for his appearances at these events--Karbelnikoff, Rochefort, and unsurprisingly Spitzweg--but sent them all his apologies. Nothing was going to take him away from the capital so long as Wolfram was there and the final ruling on Greta's future remained undecided.
The only bit of news to pique his interest was the word from Big Cimarron, sent weeks ago by their time but still new and unheard by him. The general had gone maverick, they took no responsibility and wished Trebic all the best. Yuuri hated their cowardice as much as he was relieved that the conflict would not grow. A maverick general did not sail in and overthrow an entire country with arms and ships supplied only by the conviction of his men. Gunter agreed but there was nothing more to say on the matter. As far as the world was concerned, Big Cimarron had done nothing wrong and Trebic's calamity was simply a misfortune of prejudice. By the size of the stack of letters inquiring in regards to a military alliance with Shin Makoku, it was obvious at least some kind of message was made very clear: no one messed with Yuuri's friends.
With the worst of his piles combed through, there was at last nothing left to keep Yuuri from his most pressing of assignments: how to get Wolfram alone. It was impossible to date surrounded by the prince consort's brothers and retainers who would scrutinize, judge and likely even object to the attention and affection Yuuri fully intended to display. He had to prove to Wolfram he was serious. In some ways, he needed to prove it to himself as well. It was a big decision, not one to be made lightly, and as much as his heart felt sure his mind still kept its doubts.
He walked down the corridors, hands clasped behind his back in his thinking posture as he paced through the gardens and the surrounding areas. It would be much, much easier on earth to date someone. He wasn't even sure he knew how people dated in these times. They didn't have movies but surely they still had plays. He smirked at his cleverness. He'd get them tickets to a show, sit among strangers in a darkened theater, enjoy the performance and talk about it after on a long walk back to the castle. Classic date night scenario, tested and found flawless for many, many years. But outside the castle walls, Wolfram and even himself required the company of their retainers. Even adopting a disguise, it was hard to get around his capital city without being constantly reminded of who he was and what that meant to everyone else.
So, no. No theater. They had just as much a chance to be alone there as they did sitting in a drawing room near the conference areas and dining hall. Going out to eat had much the same issues, and their meals were already taken together among the others who sat at his great table. They could sit and talk alone as they had before, guarded and hardly trusted, and as far as Yuuri could see, that was all there was for them. He wracked his brain for more ideas, frustrated with his lack of constructive thoughts as he ran over how the two of them had managed before. Before Wolfram had been his retainer as well, his very presence necessitating no others for most of their play. Before they shared a room and could bicker until dawn. The time before had been full of missed opportunities. Yuuri was sure somewhere there was still the chance to see each other again if he could just think harder, remember more fully, and pace just a little longer down the echoes of his memories.
"Yoohoo~ Your Majesty Yuu~ri!"
Hearing his name in that unmistakable tenor made Yuuri jump, expecting the largest pair of breasts he'd ever had the misfortune of suffocating in to swing around and attack him as before. He looked around, smiling with a nervous wave as Celi stalked towards him, her curves swaying with each step as the seductress ex-queen prowled her way to her prey. She was woman and boy did she ever roar. Yuuri shirked slightly at the lecherous way she smiled at him, her voice high and cute but her smile devilish and hungry.
"I heard you were back. I simply had to come and give you my deepest thanks for helping my dear Wolfram." Cecilie ran her fingers over his collar, nails painted pink to match her slinky gown.
Yuuri smiled, doing his best to ignore her advances. "It was nothing. Just something I had to do."
"If there's anything I can do to repay you-"
"Nope, nothing!" He side stepped her, bowing from the waist as he stepped backwards. "Really, I'm just glad Wolfram is here and doing well."
"So am I." In that moment she dropped the sultry looks and hard come-ons. She was the mother who had lost her youngest son to politics and wars, a sentimental woman who wanted the best for her children like all good mothers do. It lasted only that moment but the jesting of her advances grew, the playfulness pushing far back any serious desire she had for her young king. "That's why you simply have to let me repay you. I'm quite well connected, you know. I'm sure any wish you have I can grant somehow."
Still taken aback by the more genuine side of the woman, Yuuri paused in his retreat. "Ah... well, now that you mention it, there might be something... but-"
It was too late. He saw them coming but still there was never enough time to react. Cecilie threw her arms open wide and hugged him to her chest, his face lost in the warm crevice between her breasts. This had once been Conrad, he thought. This had once been Gwendal stuck ear deep in bouncy milk pillows that probably weighed more than a small child. No wonder they had both grown so tall. Height was most certainly the best defense. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she begged, wrestling him close.
Yuuri managed to pull back, gasping for air, flushed from his deep exploration of her cleavage. Celi giggled, beeping him on the nose. "Does it have anything to do with Wolfram?"
"Uh.. yeah, actually." Yuuri adjusted his collar, trying to look her in the eyes again rather than where his face had just been. "You see, I'm.. uh... well..."
"You don't have to say another word!" She squealed like an excited school girl. "I have just the thing for two star crossed lovers desperately seeking some time alone together. You just do as I say and I'll take care of the rest!"
"You mean it?" Yuuri relaxed into his heals, relief clearing the cacophony of his thoughts.
Celi nodded, turning him around and urging him to walk with her towards the interior of the castle. "Trust me, Your Majesty, I'm an expert!"
----
Celi was an expert alright. At just past one she stole Yuuri away from his bedroom, guards somehow too distracted to notice as the busty woman and her king cargo escaped down the halls towards one of the tower stairs. It was a long way up the twisting walk, Yuuri's legs aching as they cleared the floor level with the rooftop of the main building. Through windows he could see how high he was compared to the other towers, the lights all out outside expect for the flickering glow of the watchman's lamp as he paced the grounds. It seemed a bit excessive to meet in secret in the middle of the night but the air of intrigue in even the details around the location made Yuuri all the more excited. He wasn't sure what they'd talk about or do, hadn't thought to ask if there were games or books at the top that would give them something of entertainment. The worst thing imaginable would be to sit and stare at each other in silence as they could already do in the morning hours under the gaze of those they were seeking to escape.
At the top of the tower Celi made Yuuri wait outside the door as she went in for last minute preparations. He looked down the helix of stares, wondering when Wolfram would come or if Celi would go and bring him alone as well. With a click the door reopened, the ex-queen giggling to herself as she closed it quickly behind herself. "It's all done. You just go inside and make yourself comfortable. I'll make sure Wolfram doesn't keep you waiting."
Yuuri smiled. "Thanks for this, Celi. I mean it."
She squealed again, excitement running through her as she gave his cheek a kiss and bounced her way down the stairs. "Don't thank me, Your Majesty! Enjoy!"
He watched her take off on her spiral descent, trying to pretend he wasn't staring agape at the physics of her bust. He imagined there was no man or woman alive who could keep from staring at nature's job well done. Like most deadly things, they were best observed at a distance. Tearing his eyes away, he headed inside to wait and see what all Celi had prepared for him and Wolfram, nervous for his first date and proud to have made it happen.
In hindsight, he should have known better. Red and pink draperies covered every bit of stone on the rounded walls, more featherings of translucent cloth hanging as a canopy over the spacious bed. There were candles burning in every which corner with a sweet fragrance filling the air. Rose petals were strewn over the red silk sheets. Yuuri stared, mortified. Wolfram would definitely get the wrong idea! He leapt at the bed, trying to scrape the petals off but not sure where exactly to put them. He dodged around the room blowing out candles but feared the room would be far too dark without most them. There was no way he could pull off and hide all the flowing drapes and cloth in time without setting fire to the whole room. Such decorative things were forgotten the instant his eyes fell upon the bottle set on the dresser not far from the bed. He knew without having to look at it what it was but picked it up and read the heart-shaped label anyway: Celi's Perfect Anal Lube. He regretted reading it instantly, face far too red and eyes too big to ever look normal again--or at her! He was dead. There was nothing he could to do. He was in a room straight out of a love motel, standing in candle light, holding a bottle of lubricant next to a bed covered in rose petals. This was not at all like how he thought his life would end. This was how someone like Murata was supposed to go.
The door latch flipped and Yuuri froze, pretty very sure he knew who it was. Thinking quick, Yuuri ran to the window barely visible behind heavy drapes and chucked the lube as far as he could, praying it didn't hurt anyone on its fall or that someone innocent like Greta wouldn't find it.
"What are you doing?"
Yuuri turned away from the window, closing the drapes behind him and holding on to them tight. "Nothing! Nice night! Maybe we should go outside!" He cautioned himself to lower his voice but his nerves gave him the squeal of a prepubescent child.
Wolfram raised a brow but said nothing, looking around instead at the romantic set up his mother had prepared for them. Despite Yuuri's efforts, the room was still noticeably atmospheric and except for the swept piles of petals clustered on the bed rather than spread evenly, not much had been done to affect it. "I'm surprised."
"Wolfram, it's not what you think. I intended us to have a nice date night and your mother completely got the wrong idea!"
The prince consort shrugged, sitting down on the bed with legs crossed at the knees. "I'm not so old fashioned as to be offended. I'm certainly not saving myself for anything."
Yuuri worried his bottom lip, hands still clutching the drapes shut. "I'm serious, this was all her. I respect you way more than to assume you'd want this right now."
Wolfram smiled at him, patting the bed beside him. "You don't have to assume if you ask. Come here."
There was a large 'RUN!' sign flashing in his mind, a quick thought given to how far a drop it really would be out that window if he wanted to escape that look in Wolfram's eye--so much like his mother's. Yuuri swallowed hard, stepping further into the room and slowly sinking down on the soft bed at his side. "Like, I was saying, I was trying to plan just a normal date night thing and I don't know why I thought I could trust Celi to help but this was all h-"
Wolfram turned Yuuri's face and kissed him, currently not all that interested in excuses.
Yuuri enjoyed kissing. It felt like forever ago that they had shared their first kiss. It was even better when it didn't come in the middle of an argument, much softer and more caring, slower and with feelings other than exasperation and fear. Wolfram's lips were just as soft, the smell of him just as familiar and calming. He liked the way Wolfram's fingers framed his neck, thumb resting on his cheek and caressing it lightly. It was much better than their first kiss, of that Yuuri was sure. He kept his arms at his sides, uncertain what to do with them as Wolfram guided his lips to part with the swipe of his tongue and urged them closer with the desire for more. His hands ran down Yuuri's face and chest, grasping his thigh and running his hand along the inside hem of his pants.
Yuuri gasped free of the kiss, spark of interest making his head spin. "W-hoa. Ah, W-Wolfram! Like I said, this was Cecilie's idea!"
"Doesn't mean it's a bad one." The blonde pushed his king back on the bed, rose petals bursting up into the air as he landed among them, wide eyed and stupefied. Yuuri pushed himself up on his elbows as Wolfram descended on him, leaning across his body to kiss him again, hands following once more on their path over him.
"It doesn't mean we should-a-hah!" Yuuri jolted as Wolfram's palm slid up along his inner thigh, firmly pressing in right along his previously flaccid length. His breath caught in his throat as the passing caress became a gentle rubbing, friction exciting him far faster than his head felt ready. "W-wolf! That's not-"
"I won't take it too far," the mazoku promised, his other hand pushing Yuuri's black over-shirt shirt up to reveal reasonably taut abs from summers spent training on the diamond. His fingers crept under the material, pressing along his skin with skillful pressure, awakening strange rushes of arousal even in the tenderest and most chaste of touches.
Yuuri bit his lip to still a moan, heart hammering in his eardrums and nerves firing warnings that things had gone far enough already. He wriggled against the touch at his groin, intoxicated by his uncertainty and wary of the moment. "Just through the clothes, okay?" he said.
"You'll make a mess if we do that." Wolfram straddled his left thigh, knee tucked away in the warmth between his legs while he leaned over Yuuri's body, thigh replacing his palm with pressure and movement, hands free to pull at the closure of Yuuri's black over-shirt. He pulled it open, tugging again now at the white shirt which slid much more smoothly up over his chest where the cool night air made rosy nipples perk into blushing nubs. He rubbed one against his thumb in tiny circles, the knuckle of his forefinger drawing in close to pinch the sensitive spot and illicit a surprised gasp from the bewildered king. Wolfram kissed at his neck, just below his ear where his jaw hinged and his blood pulsed. His kisses were soft but fingers rough from decades of swordplay.
Yuuri grasped handfuls of the crimson sheets, rose petals folding under his fingers as he seized the silken cloth. "Wolfram, this--ah...this is a little too fast for me."
"Then show me, Yuuri." His breath was moist and heavy on his skin as he sat up, weight sinking down on Yuuri's thigh as he ran his fingers back down his chest, his stomach, tripping over the waist of his pants to steady along his black clad hips. He leaned back as his hands followed down Yuuri's thighs and up his own, fingers tipping buttons through their holes as he slowly removed his uniform jacket and unveiled the pale skin at the dip of his neck as the white collar fell open in a 'V' to his sternum. Yuuri stared as his breathing steadied, eyes following the pattern of his movements as shoulders shrugged off heavy, scarlet sleeves and hands tossed the extra article away. Yuuri did not resist as Wolfram took his hand and brought it to his chest, sliding it behind the curtain of white to press against the supple flesh of a well toned chest and the drumming of the heart that pulsed beneath it. "Explore me. Know me. Make me feel how much you're ready for."
A shiver carried a panicked arousal through his body as Yuuri's mouth went both too dry and far too moist. He swallowed hard, feeling the ache of his body as it yearned for what he denied. His breath trembled over his lips as he pushed himself up on one elbow, other hand frozen against the milky skin offered to him to discover. He was warm like a furnace and soft like the sheets. Yuuri let his fingers mimic the way Wolfram's had touched him, finding a nipple and teasing it erect, wanting to see his friend react as he himself had done. He liked the way Wolfram's breathing changed slightly, the concentrated effort he could hear in every exhale as he kept back all honest sounds.
It wasn't a woman's breast he kneaded in his palm and in some ways that was quite comforting. It certainly made it a lot less awkward to explain away the urge to put his mouth on it. Sitting up he wrapped an arm around Wolfram's waist, pushing the shirt open with the other as he bent his neck and pressed his lips against his skin. He kissed his pulse against his neck, the hollow of his collar bone, the slope of his pec. Wolfram rose up on his knees, hands burrowing in Yuuri's hair and spreading down his shoulders and back as Yuuri pulled his hips closer, tongue teasing in circles around his nipple while the swell of Wolfram's excitement pressed noticeably against Yuuri's stomach. Rather than let his mind linger too long on that particular thought, Yuuri found himself rocking against the knee still planted firmly between his legs, humping it slowly but unmistakably as he let his teeth test Wolfram's ability to maintain his cool appearance. A sturdy bite made him arch against him, fingers digging in to the muscles of Yuuri's back as he exhaled with gasp and a shaky moan.
Yuuri joined him with a chorus of panting breaths, wanting so much more than the pleasure he took from thrusting himself against a leg. "...We're going to do something impulsive and stupid, aren't we." There really didn't seem a point to pretending it was a question. He let his hand slide down over Wolfram's hip to his backside, firmly grasping a globe as he pulled him closer, wiggled himself nearer.
"No," Wolfram said. "We won't. I won't let it be something we'll regret."
Yuuri believed him. He fell back on the cooling sheets as Wolfram guided him to lay, adjusting his position so he straddled both Yuuri's thighs as he leaned down over him. There was a great deal of security in letting Wolfram take the lead, letting his experience guide them even as Yuuri himself feared total submission to his friend's desires. He could trust Wolfram with his insecurities and doubts, his inexperience and his expectations--even the ones he didn't yet know he had. He could let go if he just stopped thinking. He grasped Wolfram's face and kissed him urgently, the best known cure for a wandering mind he knew. To his delight, Wolfram kissed him back fervently as his hands worked on Yuuri's fly, pulling free the bow at his hip that was the closure of his black undergarments.
Even knowing without a doubt whose hand it was, it was still a hand that was stranger to that private place on his body. Yuuri tightened his arms around Wolfram, moaning through open-mouthed kisses as he felt the fingers wrap around his erection, callouses making the touch all the more foreign as they lightly rubbed him with their tough texture. Wolfram's thumb pressed against its head, fingers rolling down his foreskin and brushing along the sensitive glands with a reverent stroke. Yuuri was lost in him; the tongue that taught him how to kiss, the hand that possessed his attention and desire. He bucked against that hand, wanting more, never one to tease himself in the ways the noble swordsman did, lingering and long strokes not fast or firm enough to carry him over the edge.
Yuuri moaned more loudly, breaking away from their exchanging of breath to speak while the facility to do so remained. "You.. you too," he managed, looking dazedly into Wolfram's dark eyes shadowed by their veil of lashes.
Wolfram nodded as his free hand left Yuuri's side and began on the closure of his own trousers. Yuuri could not sit idly by. He moved his friend's hand aside, pulling apart the buttons and untying the black stands at both sides of his hips. He pushed the material down, staring at this unveiling as his nerves sent his fingers trembling. Wolfram was most definitely a man and an excited one at that. Yuuri started with his fingers pressed shyly at his belly, slowly building up the courage to touch as he'd been touched. Wolfram remained perfectly still, head tucked forward with chin to chest and his own fingers languidly maintaining their caress on Yuuri's arousal. Yuuri felt past the coarse patch of blonde hair and up the smooth, heated flesh to the very tip with all eight finger pads like a musician learning his instrument. He was more gentle than planned, timid in his idle touch that neither grasped nor stroked. He felt the dew of cum at the slit of the head and wondered vaguely how much he had to do with Wolfram's present state, his lack of skill obvious to even him. But of course, he had everything to do with it, from the very beginning to the present command. It made Yuuri's cock twitch with renewed interest as he wrapped his fingers around Wolfram's and fondled him with an earnest stroke that insisted on more with its conviction. The surprise in Wolfram's gasp made every measure worth it as Yuuri continued to press and pull, feeling him as he had felt himself for years. Wolfram bent down again for another kiss, echoing Yuuri's pace and intensity as he returned to his pleasured task.
It was embarrassingly short lived. With a buck and a grunt Yuuri came across Wolfram's hand and his own stomach, muscles trembling in that familiar and yet unexplored way that meant completion in every sense of the word. He felt Wolfram's hand still stroke him, more gently and with less purpose as everything was spent. It was all he could do to remember his unfinished charge as he coerced his lover to join him in indulgent bliss. He was lazy in his rapture. Wolfram's hand joined his, wrapping along his fingers to guide him along his length. Yuuri half closed his eyes as he caught his breath, watching the motions from pleasure to ecstasy roll across Wolfram's face as he bid himself to climax. He felt the warmth of his seed as it mixed with his own on his belly and let his hand go lax, so ready to faze out of reality for a moment and regain thought where only sensation had been.
Wolfram rolled off to his side, deep breaths swallowed in the pillow he turned his face into. His ears were rosy, his porcelain skin flushed and ghost like against the sheets. He turned his face towards Yuuri, rose petal stuck to the crest of his cheek as he smiled softy and pressed the king's bangs from his brow.
Yuuri thought him beautiful. He leaned a kiss to his lips, a softer, less demanding kiss than the ones that had left his lips feeling bruised and tingly. Wolfram maintained its chaste appreciation, hand finding Yuuri's again and intertwining their fingers in an embrace of similar sentiment. Yuuri gave his hand a squeeze, content to lay there and smile for all the time the world would give him.
"I told you you'd make a mess if you kept your clothes on."
Yuuri chuckled, squeezing his hand once more. "Half of it's your mess."
"Is that okay?"
He didn't need to be in complete control of his body and mind to understand Wolfram's meaning. There were far easier ways to ask 'can I cum on you?' and far better times to do so. Just thinking about it made Yuuri want to cringe and run around like a nervous six year old on the playground. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to change that reaction so easily, the knee-jerk of disgust at the thought of men and their bodies and the unnatural ways they interacted. Girls didn't cum, not like boys did. In all the ways Wolfram's gender did not matter in their relationship, it was like this when that distinction was undeniable. Was it okay to cum? Was it okay to have a penis, to function and take pleasure the same as he did, to touch and kiss and above all else love?
Yuuri kissed him again, rolling over on his side to be all the nearer. "Only if it's you," he said.
Wolfram smiled and leaned his forehead to his, simple hearts delighting in simple moments.
The clock on the wall chimed, hands stretching out towards the east as the bells rang twice, still hours till dawn. With a sigh of defeat Wolfram kissed Yuuri once more then slid apart, sitting up to re-button his dress shirt and correct the state of his undergarments.
Yuuri frowned, rolling again onto his back as he stared down at the genetic ooze sliding over his skin. There was definitely that six year old screaming 'ew!' and running away somewhere in him still. He grabbed the top sheet and wiped himself off, trying not to look or at least not look like it bothered him. He bundled the sheets together to try and hide the mess. The less evidence he gave Cecilie, the more likely he would be able to ever look her in the face again, her perfect anal lube not withstanding.
"I'm sorry I can't stay," Wolfram apologized, his back still to him as he continued to redress.
Yuuri sighed, sitting up and pulling his own clothes back into array. There were a few spots of their misdeeds stuck to the fabric. They and the sheets were simply going to have to be burned. He knew the maids; there was simply no getting around it--they'd notice. "Don't be. I mean, I am too. It's just the way things are right now. It won't be like this forever."
Wolfram shook his head. "It's the first time we've ever... I would have wanted to have stayed. I hate settling for this."
In all honestly, Yuuri would have preferred to have kept his company through the night as well. Sexual contact hadn't been on his agenda at all when he'd asked for Celi to help him, though he was grateful for what he'd gained from it. Wolfram was always going to be assertive if not a bit aggressive in their relationship, had never been a fragile flower of a maiden impressed and awed by Yuuri's awesome might. They were equals, and even if Wolfram was stubborn and full of his own fantasies and ideas, he did listen, he would stop, he had given control over to Yuuri until their intentions became one. Being in a gay relationship might still have had its lingering fears but there was nothing frightening about Wolfram or the way he felt about him. Yuuri only wished he had near enough time to just enjoy his everyday company again.
But who said they had to be alone to be happy together?
Yuuri walked across the mattress on his knees, wrapping his arms around Wolfram with his chin tucked over his shoulder. "How about tomorrow we have a tea party with Greta. Maybe fly a kite or go riding. Anything would be fun, I think. You can even invite that Iorund guy."
"Iorund's just as likely to invite himself anyway." Wolfram leaned his face against him, nuzzling him with his cheek. "But, yeah. I'd like that."
Yuuri kissed his face and let him go so Wolfram could grab his uniform jacket from its resting place on the floor. It was an odd good night, too rushed and too slow and certainly all too soon. Wolfram pouted at him as he shrugged back on the scarlet coat, eyes downcast and guilty. Yuuri just smiled for him, doing his best to show it was going to be just fine.
Wolfram knocked at the bedroom door three times then waited. Curiously, Yuuri watched, wondering why he knocked and paused as he did. The door opened from the outside, an all too familiar face peaking from the crack.
"The coast is clear."
"Conrad!" Yuuri grabbed at the sheets, mistakenly grasping hold of the ones he'd wiped himself off on, flailing to hide them as much as to hide himself though fully dressed. He fell off the side of the bed, trying to imagine away the candle light and flower petals still obviously adding their ambiance to the darkened room.
Wolfram shook his head, palm hiding his eyes. "Yuuri, really. Who else do you think my mother would trust to make sure we weren't disturbed?"
Yuuri slammed his face down into the mattress, wanting to bury himself far, far away from the soldier's knowing smirk. Celi was evil. Pure, beautiful evil.