End of Engagement, Beginning a New Season

Even on Earth, Conrad's habits did not cease.

He accompanied Yuuri to his room. He went in first. He checked to make sure everything was
safe and no dangers were lurking in the dark corners under the bed and behind the armoire and
in the closet or in the bathroom.

He stood by as Yuuri finished his ablutions. He handed Yuuri his pajamas. He made sure the king
was comfortable and didn't need anything else.

“I'm not sleepy yet Conrad, is it okay if you stay a while?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“You promised not to call me that today.”

“But it's already tomorrow,” Conrad replied pointing at the clock.

“Look, in a few hours, even Wolfram won't be able to say that you don't have a right to call me
Yuuri, so let's start now, okay?” [In-Laws! Wolf can’t be as jealous if the knot is tied.]

“As you wish... Yuuri.”

They opened the curtains covering the large windows and pulled two chairs facing the lights of
the city. They sat talking about baseball and Yuuri's childhood and Conrad's first trip to Earth and
many other trivial matters until the first rays of the sun shot dull gray in the black night.

Silence crept into the room until it was broken by a single sniffle.

“Yuuri...”

“I promised him. Remember. That one time we almost got married?” Yuuri said brokenly, “He
understood. He... that was so long ago. We were just children, I mean I was... Wolfram always
knew what he wanted... I said we would always remain the same whether we marry or not... but
we can't... we're not kids anymore. I mean I'm not a kid anymore. Things have to change, they
have changed... Greta's all grown up and ruling her own kingdom...”

Conrad got up and knelt in front of Yuuri.

“We can't stay the same... I want to... but you know that's impossible... Growing up is part of life,
right? This is part of growing up, right?... [Marriage?] I don't know why I'm crying...”

Yuuri wrapped his arms around Conrad's neck and kept on sobbing.

“I'm being stupid, aren't I?”

“No.”

“Yes, I am... I don't know why... but I just feel... I just feel I'm losing something...”

Conrad understood because Conrad knew how to look back. For Conrad, the past was always
with him. His brother was different, Wolfram always looked forward.

“Wolfram won't understand,” Yuuri continued, “he... oh gods! I feel like I'm losing part of myself...
it's like... it's like I'm losing a dream I don't want... how can anyone cry for the loss of a future they
don't want... yet, here I am...” [The traditional wife and kids he’d been raised to think he’d have?]

Conrad held the king and let him wet his shoulders with his confused tears until all was silent.
Yuuri had fallen asleep.

He carried the king to the nearest bed and tucked him in. He brushed the stray hairs from Yuuri's
face and stared in silent awe at its beauty. Perhaps, it wasn't wise to fall a little bit in love with the
king. [If Yuuri was going to be with him that’d be more than fine, yes? And he’d probably be
more than ‘a bit’ in love.] But as Yuuri had said, there were feelings and there were no reasons
for them. One just felt them.

He was about to leave when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Please, stay with me tonight. I don't want to be alone.”

He looked at Yuuri whose eyes never opened.

“As you wish,” he whispered.

Conrad woke with the sound of the door banging open. It would have to be Wolfram that had the
other key to Yuuri's room. [Why? Yobai? xD]

Wolfram looked at Conrad with no surprise. “I figured this is where you were.”

“Wolfram, do you have to be so noisy in the morning?” Conrad asked.

“What are you doing in that clown suit?”

Conrad looked down at himself, he was still wearing the outfit from the previous evening. He had
only taken his boots off and fell on the other bed without bothering to undress. All his clothes were
in the other room and he had not wanted to wake his brother.

“Costume ball,” he replied.

Wolfram walked to the other bed and sat beside the sleeping form of his fiancé.

“Hey, Yuuri wake up,” he said as he shook the king.

“Wolfram, perhaps, you should let him sleep a little longer. We were up quite late.”

“No,” Wolfram replied, “I want to go home. Now. Yuuri's been acting funny this whole trip and he
won't tell me why. I want this trip to end as soon as possible... Yuuri, wake up.”

“Wolf,” Yuuri grumbled sleepily, “just a few more minutes.”

“No, wake up now, wimp!”

“What time is it anyway?”

“It's already eight. I would have woken you up at six.”

Yuuri scowled.
“See, aren't I a wonderful fiancé that I gave you an extra two hours?”

“No, you are not a wonderful fiancé,” Yuuri replied sourly.

“Look, Yuuri,” Wolfram whispered in a threatening tone, “I have been very patient with you this
whole trip. If you don't get up right now and take me home, you will regret it.”

“Okay, okay,” Yuuri cried fully awake now, “I'm awake, I'm awake.”

Yuuri stretched and yawned and then he noticed the two baseball uniforms on the table. [No
more prejudice! #42!]

“Wolfram,” he said quietly.

“What is it wimp?”

“We need to have a serious talk.”

Conrad got up and put his boots on. “I'll leave you two alone then,” he said.

“No,” Yuuri replied. “You stay here. We'll go to Wolfram's room.”

Conrad watched them as Yuuri steered his brother out. He heard the other door close then all
was quiet.

He finished putting his boots on. Then he stood up and went to the window. The sun was shining
bright and the blue of the sky reminded him of blue hair and blue eyes. [Thinking of Julia. Similar
situation? Julia had been engaged happily as well.]

Perhaps it had been a sin to fall a little bit in love with an engaged woman. And just as sinful to
fall a little bit in love with an engaged man. But Julia and Yuuri had that effect on everyone.
Perhaps it was the purity of their soul, the brilliance of which attracted other souls. And perhaps, it
was alright to be a little bit in love with the king because the king returned that love, deeply and
equally to everyone. But unlike everyone else who was content to receive Yuuri's love, Conrad's
devotion demanded more. He did not desire to serve the king, he needed to. His soul could not
find peace away from Yuuri.

Yet, just as Julia found one person to love more than others, so had Yuuri found the one person
that has become more important than anyone else. [And that person for Julia was not Conrad. I
bet it’s not for Yuuri either.]

Conrad looked at the sky as if trying to find an answer to a question he didn't have. Yuuri's
happiness was his but he had that feeling again, that slight feeling of loss.

There was a knock at the door and Conrad reluctantly tore his gaze away from the blue skies. He
opened the door to a smiling Great Sage.

“Good morning, Lord Weller. A bit early to be having deep thoughts, isn't it,” Murata said as he
swept into the room and proceeded to the bathroom.

“Good morning, Your Eminence,” Conrad replied, “are you looking for His Majesty?”

“Oh no, I'm looking for this,” Murata said holding a glass up.
“You needed a glass?” Conrad asked.

“Don't be silly, I need this room.”

Conrad watched Murata walk up to the side of one of the beds and hold the glass to the wall and
his ear to the glass.

“Your Eminence,” Conrad protested, “is that wise?”

“Lord Weller, let me give you a little bit of advice. If you ever get to remember 4000 years of living,
cherish all the fun stuff. And let me tell you, there is nothing more fun than His Majesty, Shibuya
Yuuri Harajuku Fuuri.” [LOL!!!]

[Also, forgot to note earlier. Boston allows gay marriage.]

Conrad was about to let the door close when it opened to let another person in.

“What are you doing here, friend of my brother?” Shouri vociferated as he walked in, “That's a bit
childish isn't it?”

“Yes, Your Eminence, Lord Shouri is right,” Conrad concurred, “perhaps we should just wait for
them to come out.”

Conrad watched the newcomer go to the other side of the bed and pull a stethoscope out.

“No, I meant using a glass is childish. One must have proper equipment for these things.”

Yuuri stood in the shower wishing the hot water could wash away all the pain caused by the talk
with Wolfram. All in all, it didn't go as well as he wanted to. But it did not go as terribly as he
feared. After all, he was still alive. And that's a good thing.

After Wolfram digested what Yuuri had to say, he sat in shock without saying anything. Perhaps,
Yuuri should have left after that, but instead he explained and explained and talked and
blubbered. Wolfram's shock was soon replaced with fury. [BOSTON?! EARTH?! SHIN MAKOKU
IS OUR HOME, WIMP!!!] And if Yuuri didn't think Wolfram had grown more powerful over the
years, he knew now. The ex-prince had been able to summon his Maryoku and proceeded to try
and burn anything he could get his hands on. They had been lucky that Yuuri had over the years
learned to put out most of Wolfram's fires. However, Shouri would still end up having to pay for
some damages incurred by the violent blond.

Yuuri sighed. He turned off the shower and dried off. After putting on a bathrobe, he walked out to
the room where Conrad was still sitting in his costume.

“Hey Conrad, why don't you go ahead and take a shower. I'll see if I can get back in your room
and get your clothes. And if Wolfram won't let me in, I'll borrow some of Shouri's.”

Before Conrad could reply, there was a knock at the door. Conrad answered it and for the second
time that morning Murata rushed in. He took one of the chairs, placed it in the middle of the room
facing the door and sat down.

“I wouldn't stand by the door if I were you,” he told Conrad.

Yuuri looked at him strangely and asked, “What's going on?”

“Leave the door ajar though,” Murata instructed.

Conrad shrugged imperceptively, and stood by Murata's chair.

“Murata, what did you do?” Yuuri asked, fear rising in his voice.

“What did you think I did? I was cleaning up after the mess you made.”

“Somehow, I doubt that's what you were doing.”

“It was. Honest. Now if something just happen to spill while I was consoling your belo--”

“You did not. You did, did you? Please tell me you didn't,” Yuuri whined in rapid-fire pace.

He didn't need to wait for Murata's answer as the door slammed opened.

“Murata, what did you do...” Yuuri whispered.

Wolfram was standing in all his awesome ferocity at the open door dragging Shouri by the collar.

“YUURI! YOU CHEATING WIMP! How could you?!! And with MY BROTHER?!!”

“Wolf... calm down... Wolfram... I order you...”

“Watch this Yuuri and burn it into that damn little head of yours,” Wolfram shouted as he slammed
Shouri onto the door and proceeded to kiss him hard on the lips. [Wolf knows it’ll upset Yuuri,
probably in a worse way than just seeing his brother kissing a guy. But no, it’s WOLF kissing his
brother.]

Flash!

Yuuri didn't think the situation could get any worse until he saw his mother and father by the
doorway.

“Wol-chan, Shou-chan!!!” Miko gasped in surprise. “What's going on here?!”

Wolfram ended the rough kiss and faced Yuuri's mother.

“Mother, Father, I don't know what Yuuri has told you,” Wolfram said barely suppressing his
anger, “I am sorry. But we are not getting married.” [So, Yuuri’s been telling them things that
would make them think that, aye? Wolf was the one who spilled the beans about the engagement
originally.]

As quickly as he stormed in, Wolfram was gone.

“YUU-CHAAAAN!!!” Miko yelled angrily as she advanced on Yuuri. [Miko seems to have been
expecting that wedding. If she had agreed to Yuuri being Conrad this wouldn’t make so much
sense, now would it?]