The Heat of the Moment

Disclaimer- i do not own any of the characters to Kyo Kara Maoh


Chapter 15

It was nearly dawn as Yuuri paced around his room. After what he was told, he could not sleep a wink last night. He wanted to throw stuff against the wall, smash and break whatever he got his hands on but he couldn't destroy the room. After all, Eric has been so kind to him. It just wouldn't do to be a rude and destructive guest.

What Yuuri really wanted to do was smash in the face of that smug arrogant Count Drakko. It was unanimous. Yuuri truly hated the older man with a passion. With just a few words, the overbearing jerk destroyed all his wonderful plans.

He opened the balcony doors and stood outside and watched as the sun slowly rose to start the next day. He saw the guards patrolling the gardens and sighed. He leaned against the railing as his mind went back to the dinner last night.


-flashback-

"Wolfram is no longer a citizen of Shin Makoku but a citizen of Americus." Eric stared in sympathy at his new friend.

"I don't . . . understand." Yuuri was in a daze as he felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. He had an inkling of what Eric was saying but he had to hear it straight from his silver hair counterpart's mouth.

Eric really didn't want to be doing this but he has no choice. Just as he was to tell him, Corwyn decided to save his king and friend from having to deliver the bad news to the young demon king of Shin Makoku.

"What it means is that Wolfram is now bound by our laws," said the dark hair commander. "Which means . . ."

"Which means," said Drakko cutting Corwyn off, "your proposal is null. and. void."

"You changed the way you proposed?" asked Gunter shocked, turning to his cousin appalled.

"Well, yes," said Gunnar. "See, when our ancestors first arrived, things were kind of tense. Tempers were running high and arguments would break out and well . . ."

"A lot of men were proposed to out of anger," said Derrick shrugging his shoulders. "So once everything finally settled down and Lord Darcy von Vainamoinen was chosen as demon king the first thing he did was change the way a proposal was declared."

"That's why when you slapped Wolfram I was shocked. I was wondering why you would be angry with him but then I remembered Wolfram telling us that in Shin Makoku proposals were still done by slapping the intended on the left cheek," said Eric.

"So, how do you propose to someone you want to marry?" asked Greta.

"It is much simpler now," said Gunnar smiling. "All you do is go to any goldsmith shop and purchase a bonding bracelet. Or you can make it yourself with the help of the goldsmith."

"How romantic," said Gunter swooning.

"And I've already made my intentions known to lord von Bielefeld," said Drakko sipping his wine. "My lovely Wolfram will be receiving my proposal in the morning."

"What do you mean?" asked Cecilie.

"When purchasing a bonding bracelet, you only buy half of the bracelet and you send that half to your intended. If this person accepts the proposal, your intended then purchases the other half sending it to you letting you know that he/she accepts your proposal," said Nikolas. "You could also deliver the bracelet yourself."

"I have sent mine along with a dozen lilies." The count smirked at the young double black king.

-end of flashback-

'It seems that our positions have reversed. Now I am the one chasing you and you are the one that is turning away from me.' He sighed sadly as he looked out over the garden. 'I won't lose you again Wolfram. You and I belong together. I realize that now, and I will not stop. Not until you are in my arms where you belong.' A small smile graced his lips as he thought about his blonde prince. Suddenly the smile fell from his face as he thought about Count Drakko sullying his love with his vile hands. 'No one is going to keep me away from you. Not even that pompus ass, Drakko.'


Every time Yuuri thought about the older man with that smug smile on his face he felt like strangling the overbearing jackass. Yuuri sighed and went back into his room. He plopped down on the bed closing his eyes. Laying back on the mattress, he stared up at the ceiling as his eyelids began to close. Only one name drifted across his mind as he let himself succumb to sleep. 'Wolfram.'

xxxxx

Early that morning as Wolfram and his children sat down to breakfast. Yuu was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of dark blue pants while Wolfram and Dominique were still in their robes and night clothes eating.

"So," said Yuu looking up at his father, "are you going to accept count Drakko's proposal?"

"How do you know about that?" asked Wolfram frowning. "I just received his bonding bracelet early this morning."

"I was up practicing my swordsmanship in the backyard when I heard a horse galloping toward the house." He shrugged his shoulders. "I peeped in through an opened window in the study. I saw you hold up half of a bonding bracelet and the messenger telling you it was from Count Drakko."

"What would you say if I accepted his proposal?" Wolfram looked at both his children waiting for a reaction.

Dominique didn't look too happy and Yuu only arched a dark brow. "Well, I would take my sister and go live with Esmeralda. Father, how can you honestly think about accepting his proposal?"

"Well, you kids need another strong male figure in your life and . . ."

Yuu spoke up before he could finish. "You are all the strong male figure Ni-ni and I needs."

Wolfram sighed. "Well, you needn't worry about it. I had no intentions of accepting his proposal. So you can unpack your imaginary bags and exhale that held breath." He smirked at his son. "Besides, you know he always makes my skin crawl whenever I am around him."

They continued to eat in silence for a few minutes more when the maid walked into the room.

"Excuse me lord Gilbit you have a visitor," said the woman. "She said her mane was Greta."

"Show her in," said Wolfram smiling and wiping his mouth on a napkin.

The woman bowed slightly and went to get Greta.

"Who is Greta?" asked Yuu frowning.

"You didn't get a chance to meet her. Yuuri and I had adopted her when Yuuri . . ." He stopped talking when he saw the frown turn into a dark scowl on the boy's face. He sighed as he continued to tell them about their visitor. "When Yuuri and I were engaged." He smiled. "You might say she is your big sister."

"Really," Dominique said in awe.

Wolfram smiled at the excited look in his daughter's eyes. "Yes she is."

Yuu only snorted.

"Now Yuu," said wolfram glaring at his son. "I will not have you being rude to your sister."

"I have nothing against her," said the boy. "As long as she doesn't speak to me of that man, I have no quarrel with her."

Wolfram sighed shaking his head. 'Oh well, at least he's not glaring in murder at the mention of Yuuri's name.'

Suddenly the door opened and Greta walked into the room. "Good morning poppa Wolf," she said smiling.

"Good morning Greta," said Wolfram getting to his feet opening his arms. Greta ran toward him and leaped into his arms. Wolfram gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. He kissed her on the forehead. "You truly have turned into a beautiful young woman." Then he turned her to face the children. "Greta, this is my little angel Dominique. And this is my brave knight, Yuu. Children this is your big sister, Greta."

Yuu just snorted as he continued to eat his breakfast. He glared at the young woman out of the corner of his eye. He snorted again. He didn't see what was special about her. She looked like any ordinary human.

"I saw you at the castle," said Dominique smiling.

"Yes, I remember," said Greta smiling at the girl. "I heard that your birthday is coming up soon."

"It is. Will you and the others be coming?"

Upon hearing this Yuu stiffened as he stopped eating and turned his onyx colored eyes upon his adopted big sister and waited to see what she would say.

"Yes, we received the invitations from poppa the other day," said Greta.

Yuu snarled and jumped to his feet. "How dare you invite that man here after all the pain he put you through? If he comes, I will not be here."

"You will cease this childish behavior this minute," snapped Wolfram.

"I am not being childish," said the boy angrily. "I don't want him here and I meant what I said. If he so much as set one foot in this house, I will make it a point of not being here."

"Silence!" Wolfram roared as he pounded his fist against the table rattling the plates on it. Yuu snapped his mouth shut and glared daggers at the floor. He stood as stiff as a board. "Now sit down and finish eating your breakfast." Yuu didn't say a word as he took his seat and began to pick over his food.

Dominique began to cry as she watched her brother and father argue. Wolfram hurried over to his little girl and knelt beside her taking her into his arms. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" He rubbed soothing circles against her small back.

"Please stop fighting," she whined softly as tears fell from her eyes. "Since that man showed up, you and Yuu have been so silent and angry. I don't like it. Everything was fine until he came here. I wish he had never come here." Dominique pulled herself out of her father's embrace and ran out of the room.

"Dominique!" Wolfram called after the little girl but she paid no attention to him and ran to her room. He sighed and then turn an angry glare at his son. "I hope you're happy. For your information, I did not invite Yuuri. I invited your uncles, their families, Greta, the Great Sage and your grandmother. What is wrong with you? Why won't you let go of all the anger you hold toward your father?"

"He is not my FATHER! And why should I give up my anger. Have you given up your love for him?" Tears fell like rain from his black orbs. "I may have been young but even I could see the sadness and pain in your eyes whenever you would look at me. I knew . . . I knew you were thinking about him. Even when you were smiling, the sadness was always there in your eyes. How can you still love him after he treated you like dirt?"

"That's not true," said Greta feeling the need to defend her father.

Yuu turned those wet flaming black eyes upon her. "So are you saying that he did love my father? And that he was just pretending to not like my father because he was a boy for his own sick amusement so he could see my father suffer?"

"No, that's not what I am saying. He does care for poppa Wolfram . . ."

Before she could finish, Yuu interrupts her with a scoff. "What the hell would you know about how my father felt. You, who had all that man's attention. You, who had all that man's love. You, who are not even related to him by blood. He considered you to be more important than his own fiance." He slammed his fist against the table. "What is so important or special about you that he held you above his own fiance! You're nothing but some stupid human girl with a pathetic sob story."

"You will be silent, Yuu!" yelled Wolfram slamming his fist against the table.

But Yuu was so enraged that he did not pay attention to his father's threat. "No, I will not be silent! What would she know? She never had to sit by and watch as the person she loved turned from her time after time because she just happens to be of the same gender. He tore your heart out and stepped on it. He took all your love and threw it back in your face! Every since you met that man you have done nothing but suffer! You yourself have told me the story of how you and that man met."

"Yes, I told you but I also told you that your other father was also a kind and gentle man," said Wolfram.

Yuu snorted. "Yeah, to everyone but you. This is the same man that ran away from you and told everyone he came across that you were not his fiance. This is the same man that told you, to your face, that he has no intentions of ever marrying you. This is the same spineless, brainless wimp that did not once think to ask you why you would want to be engaged to someone that did not love you. Now, years later, all of a sudden he realizes that he wants to be with you." He turned angry black eyes to Greta. "Why?"

"Because he realizes that he wants a life with poppa Wolf and his son."

"I doubt it. Could it be because his wife, turned out to be nothing like he had hoped? After making such a fuss about wanting to marry a woman and saying that same gender relationships are wrong, now he wants to be with my father. I thought he didn't want to be with father because he was a man. Isn't he being hypocritical after being so forceful about his belief."

"How do you know about that?" asked Wolfram. "I did not tell you about that."

"You'll be surprise what a child will come across when he sneaks into his parent's room." He smirked at Wolfram. "I came across those letters your friend sent you. I read everyone she has ever sent you. I read the one where everyone in the castle realized that this woman wasn't what she was pretending to be. Everyone knew this except for that idiot king. I especially loved the letter that was sent to Lady Flynn telling how that bigoted weasel was getting married only two months after you called off the engagement."

"What were you doing going through my things?"

"It doesn't matter. Now that his marriage to a woman has failed miserably. He figures he would try out being married to a man. Is that why he is here, sister."

Wolfram and Greta flinched at the scathing way his hissed out the word sister.

"I don't understand what you are getting at," said Greta.

"You know what I mean. That wretch wants to use my father as an experiment. He just wants to see what it's like to be married to a man."

"No, you're wrong. He loves poppa Wolf. Yuuri told me himself."

Again Yuu snorted. "Oh please, you would believe anything he said. After all, you're his daughter." He spat in disgust. "You're the one he wanted. You're the one he claimed without prejudice as his daughter. While I'm just a mistake that occurred after he got drunk and seduced my father."

Wolfram gasped in horror. "How did you find out about that? The only people that knew you were conceived when Yuuri was drunk were Gisela and Ellis. I didn't even tell lady Flynn about that."

Greta looked at her other father in shock.

"Than you and dad should have learned to talk lower and make sure no one was outside your door." The child smirked up at Wolfram. "Send him away. He is neither kind nor gentle. If he was, he would not have accused you of taking advantage of him the next day when he awakened to find the two of you in bed and naked."

Wolfram turned a darker shade of red.

"If he truly cared anything about you, he would have never given up his search for you no matter what anyone said. He is a dishonorable person that is not worthy of your love or trust. He flirted with women in front of you. He continuously denied that you were his fiance. I hate him.”

"No," said Wolfram looking at his son in pain. "Don't say something like hate. Hate is such a bitter and powerful emotion. It can make you do things you will regret afterwards."

"But I do hate him and if it was in my power, I would kill him."

Upon hearing that Wolfram surged toward the boy and struck him across the cheek. "Don’t you ever say that again." Yuu raised his hand holding it against his stinging cheek. Wolfram stared at his son in horror as a dark bruise appeared on his cheek. Clutching the hand that struck his child into a fist, he turned his head away from the tears that were pooling up in the corner of the boy’s eyes. Lowering his hand to his side Wolfram turned a steely glare upon his son. "I know that you don't mean that because I didn't raise you to hate your father."

"I do mean it. And I will never forgive him for what he did to you, for what he did to me." Yuu turned and ran out of the room and out of the house crying.

xxxxx

Yuu had run out into the middle of the woods behind his house and sat on the banks of a river. Rubbing his burning cheek with his hand, it still stung from the slap his father had given him. Yuuri Shibuya, the demon king of Shin Makoku, how he hated that name. How he hated the fact that he was his real father and not Ellis Gilbit. He remembered the day his father came to tell him the truth about whose child he really was. It seemed almost like yesterday when his world came tumbling down around him. It was two weeks after Dominique was born.

-flashback-

It was night when Wolfram and Yuu had sat up a small camp in the woods. Using his element of fire, Wolfram started the campfire. Yuu sat and stared in awe at the dancing flames that consumed the firewood.

"Father, will I be able to do that?" the child asked looking up at the blonde with adoring eyes.

Wolfram smiled softly at his son raking his fingers through the short black hair. "Well, I Don't know. You may or you may not. I would think that your abilities would lie in water."

"In water? Why do say that?"

Wolfram sighed as he pulled his son into his lap. "Yuu, I have something important to tell you and I’m not sure how you will react to hearing this."

Yuu felt Wolfram tightened his hold on him and an unnerving feeling settled itself in the pit of the child’s stomach. He swallowed a lump that was stuck in his throat. "Does . . . does it have something to do with this person name Uuri?"

Wolfram froze suddenly and stared down at the boy. Yuu looked up into the shocked eyes of his father. "How do you know that name?"

"Well, I heard you and dad talking about him in your room. Dad said something about he should meet me? Who is he father?"

Wolfram sighed once more and told him the truth. "His name is Yuuri Shibuya. He is the demon king from my homeland of Shin Makoku. And he . . ." Wolfram hesitated before going on. "He is your real father."

-end of flashback-

Yuu laid back on the ground with the back of his head resting in the palms of his hands. Wolfram did not want to lie to his son. So, he told him the whole truth. Or at least as much of it as his young mind could understand. Yuu remembered he was very upset when his father told him the entire story of how his 'real' father thought it was wrong for two men to be married. On that day Yuu began to dislike this man who was his true father. He did not like him at all. And as he grew older, Wolfram told him how he and Yuuri first met. He told him of the proposal and the duel that followed afterward. Wolfram told him about all the dangerous adventures they went on together. He told how they had met Greta and how Yuuri adopted her as his own daughter.

And it was during that time Wolfram fell deeply in love with the wimpy king known as Yuuri Shibuya. He also told his son about how Yuuri would vehemently tell him that the engagement was an accident and that he had no intentions of marrying him.

Yuu sighed as he sat up and stared at the raging river. Raising his hand, he watched as the water churned violently as two water dragons rose out of the river writhing and roaring. Then they began to snake around each other until finally they exploded and water fell like rain soaking Yuu.

He raised his face upward letting the water soak his face and wash away the dry residue of his tears.

"Hey Yuu," came a voice to the left of him.

Yuu turned to see his friend Henri walking up to him. "That was a strange way of taking a bath." The blond hair grey boy eyed boy sat down next to Yuu.

"Hey Henri, what are you doing here?"

"I did say I would be back. Besides, I'm worried about you," said Henri smiling. "After what happened when you met your father, well I thought you might want to talk some more about it."

"There's nothing to talk about. I want nothing to do with him," said Yuu pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on his right knee.

"So, how does your father feel now that your other father has reappeared in your lives?" asked Henri.

"What do you mean?" Yuu frowned turning to face his friend.

"Well, from what you told me, Lord Wolfram was and still is deeply in love with this man. Does this mean he will go back to this man he loves?"

"I should thrash you within an inch of your life for saying something so stupid and unspeakable. My father would never go back to the man that only showed him disgust."

"I Don't know Yuu," said Henri picking up a rock and tossing it into the river. "Adults are strange. They do things out of weakness. If your father still loves this man he just may forgive him and marry him."

Yuu's onyx colored eyes turned as hard as stone. "That will never happen," hissed Yuu angrily. "I will not let it happen."

"How? Are you going to challenge him again? You're not nowhere's nearly as strong as this man most likely is."

"I know! You do not have to tell me. I know I am not as strong as him. The fight we had clearly shows that he could have defeated me at any time. I just wish . . . I could defeat him and show my father that he was right when he left that wimp behind. Everything was fine until he showed up. Now, my father . . . I can see the love and hope shining in his eyes. He may tell me, that man, his brothers or all of Americus that he does not love that man anymore. But I know the truth. He loves that man more than he loves me or Ni-ni."

"Surly you don't mean that." Henri stared at the boy appalled that he would even say his father loved the other man more than his children.

"I do mean it," said Yuu picking up a rock and throwing it into the river and sighed. "For as long as I can remember, that sadness has always been in his eyes. But now that that man has come back . . . " He shrugged his shoulders not bothering to finish his sentence. "I have never seen such a look of deep intense love in his eyes before. Even when dad was still alive. Don't get me wrong, he did love dad but it was never with the intensity of how he loves this man."

"Than maybe you should give him a chance."

"Give him a chance! For what? So, he can keep my father hanging on a string for years with the promise of one day they would be married." Yuu snorted. "You forget, he thinks marriages between men are disgusting and immoral. I hate him. I wish he would just leave us alone."

"Well, if you hate him that much than you should give him to Count Drakko."

Yuu stared up at the boy in shock.

"If you've heard the rumors, you know that they absorb the powers of demons like a vampire," said Henri.

Yuu sighed as he thought about his friend's suggestion. "Wouldn't that kill him? I know I hate him and several times I wished he was dead but my father would be sad. You didn't see my father when dad died. I Don't ever want to see my father look like that again." He glared at the flowing currents of the river. "And I am pretty sure he would be devastated if something happened to that wimp."

"From what I've heard, the person isn't killed. They just have all their powers sucked out of them until they are just a regular human. At least that's what I heard," said Henri. "You could just go talk to Count Drakko in person."

"What the heck are you talking about? There is no way I am going anywhere near Dragoon."

"I don't mean go there," said Henri rolling his eyes smirking. "No, I mean talk to him here. I heard that he was staying at one of the inn's in town." He leaned close to his friend and whispered. "I even seen one of his chevaliers looking into a dress shop."

"So he's here. I was wondering about that?"

"About what?"

"Well, this morning my father received a bonding bracelet from Count Drakko," said Yuu picking up another rocking throwing it into the river.

"Oh, I see," said Henri staring curiously at his friend. "So, will he accept the proposal?"

Yuu snorted. "No. My father can't stand him and I can't say I blamed him. And even if he did like Count Drakko it wouldn't work because the love of his life decided to make an appearance after ten years of being absent." Yuu sat in silence for a few minutes thinking about what his friend said about the vampire. ‘It was an interesting suggestion and if things look as though my father will forgive that man. I could . . .' He stopped to think more about it as he drummed his finger against his bent knee. 'Well, it’s an option I will keep in mind.'

Yuu looked up at the sky to see that the sun was in the center of the sky. "Hey it's noon, you want to come up to the house and have lunch."

"Yeah," said Henri. The two boys got to their feet and headed back to the house.