Voiceless

Title: Nightmare

Pairing: Wolfram X Yuri

Rating: M

Story Contains: Yaoi, Rape, Violence, Language, and most importantly Unrequited Love

Chapter Warnings:

Summary: Wallowing in the aftermath, Wolfram is discovered by his brother who had been awoken by his screams. Yuri wants to know where Wolfram has been hiding out all day, and then wants to know why he won’t say anything to him.

Chapter Number: #3

Author Note: Just a chapter to keep the plot moving.

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He healed what he could with the strength he had remaining. He fixed what he dared acknowledge. His jaw and a broken tooth were corrected, and he fixed his right arm and left wrist. Other places were still injured, but he didn’t dare to touch them, and his healing magic didn’t work on his heart.

“Yuri,” his lips said without sound. “Yuri, Yuri.” He didn’t know why he pined for the Demon King, but the more he thought about Yuri, the more tears fell from his eyes. He guessed it didn’t matter if no one was watching him anyway. It was his secret. It was his secret nightmare. Just a nightmare and nothing else. He was sure that if he went to sleep now he would wake up and realize that it was all just an illusion. His sheets would be blue again, clean again, and the false pain that he didn’t waste time trying to stop would prove to be imaginary.

“Wolfram?” It was firm inquiry. Very little compassion etched Gwendal’s words. Wolfram knew why the compassion wasn’t there, Gwendal thought all of his noise was about Yuri. “Wolfram!” He pounded on the door and Wolfram thought about going to open it, but when he moved his legs his body had other plans. “I’m coming in, Wolfram,” he said firmly. Wolfram responded by pulling his blood drenched sheets over his body and held them firmly against his chest.

He wondered if his oldest brother would recognize the blood in the blackness of the room. His hopes for secrecy were diminished when the lights began to illuminate the room slowly. They were dim, but they exposed him.

Gwendal’s eyes locked with Wolfram’s for a more than a second before they softened. Wolfram knew he looked pitiful in the face. He knew his cheeks were flushed red and that his eyes matched them. Gwendal’s eyes flickered down to the crimson stained sheets and widened.

“Wolfram, what happened?” he attempted. Wolfram glared and turned his head away. His lips formed words, but they both noted that no sounds stumbled past them. “Answer me!” He demanded. His voice still lacked the compassion, but Wolfram knew that the emotion fueled the forceful tone.

Even if he could speak, Wolfram wouldn’t tell. It was all just a nightmare and it would be over eventually. He would just have to wait patiently until then.

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“So I guess Wolfram isn’t coming to lunch either then,” Yuri said as he eyed Wolfram’s empty chair.

“I guess not,” Lady Celi said, sighing.

“I didn’t expect him to be that mad at me. Do you think I should take him something to eat? He has to eat something, doesn’t he?”

“Don’t bother him,” Gwendal said coldly.

“I should at least be allowed to see if he’s eaten anything since last night!”

“It’s best that you leave Wolfram be.” The ice in Gwendal’s eyes did nothing to change Yuri’s mind.

“If I can’t go see him, maybe you should, Gwendal. See if he’s eaten anything.” Yuri pressed.

“No.”

“But why not?”

“Wolfram can take care of himself.”

“Gwendal! He’s your brother! You have to make sure he’s alright!”

“Harassing him will hardly help his situation!”

“How is checking in on him harassment? I heard from a guard that he never even left his room this morning!” Yuri paused. “Gwendal, did something happen to him?” His silence was enough of an answer for the Demon King who bolted from his chair and moved towards the door. Words of protest were all that Gwendal could offer. It wasn’t as if he could draw his sword against the king to protect his brother.

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“Wolfram! Hey, Wolfram!” Yuri knocked on his door again and Wolfram did his best to block out the sound. The door wasn’t locked, but he didn’t feel like running over there to lock it before Yuri’s impulsive nature took over and entered. “I’m coming in, Wolfram, so if you’re not decent this is your last warning.” There was a several second pause and then the doorknob turned. “There you are.” Yuri spotted him standing before the large window, looking out at the scenery with his back to him. “Hey, Wolfram, I’m sorry about last night. I don’t think I handled that situation too well. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or your pride or anything.” Wolfram let out a noise that was as close to a “humph” as a mute could get.

Yuri allowed his eyes to dance across the room. The sheets had been cleared away with Gwendal’s assistance; no maids were in on the secret. Everything was in its proper place, except for Wolfram’s mood.

“What? Are you so mad you can’t even call me a wimp?” He heard Wolfram exhale in a sharp burst that might’ve been a growl. “Wolfram! Don’t be like that! I just came to check on you! The least you can do is say one little word to me!” He was answered with more silence. “Wolfram!”

“He can’t talk,” came Gwendal’s voice from the doorway. Yuri turned to look at him, missing the angered look that was shot at the older man by silent one who finally turned his head away from the view he wasn’t seeing.

“Can’t talk?” Yuri echoed. “Why not? Is he sick or something?”

“No,” Gwendal stated firmly. “And it’s really none of your concern.” It took less and less persuading to get Yuri out of Wolfram’s tomb as the blonde’s shoulders stiffened more and more as his back faced the two once again.

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“Gwendal, tell me what happened to Wolfram that made him loose his voice,” Yuri said softly after managing to catch him alone after another meal that Wolfram did not attend. “He may not be my fiancé, but he’s still my friend and I’m worried about him. I know you know something, Gwendal, so please…please tell me why he’s so upset that he won’t talk.” It was depressing him, Wolfram’s stubborn silence. He had tried to visit with him once more, but all he saw was Wolfram’s back and all he heard were regular breaths and then breaths that mocked other expressions.

“He can’t talk, there’s a difference,” Gwendal said firmly.

“But why not? If he’s not sick, then why can’t he say anything?”

“Because he strained his voice screaming,” Gwendal said. He didn’t want to answer with details, but he knew that if he said one thing, another question would follow until the Demon King heard all that he wanted to. Yuri could be thoughtless when his heart was caught up in something, and that thoughtlessness, Gwendal knew, could hurt Wolfram worse. It wasn’t the physical injuries that Gwendal was concerned about, though they did leave wounds of their own. Wolfram had offered his heart to the king, only to have it taken, appraised, and then smashed.

Like a vase, the pieces could be put back together by a skilled and thoughtful hand, but even a master of restoration would not be able to hide every crack, and none of the cracks would cease to exist.

“Screaming? Did he get hurt?”

“I’m not fond of talking about my younger brother behind his back, even if it is to the Demon King,” Gwendal said, moving away from Yuri.

“But, Gwendal!”

“Please do not bother Wolfram. If he wishes to see you then he will. Otherwise you’re just making trouble for him.”

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Yuri was sound asleep, and Wolfram was jealous. He stood beside the king’s bed and watched him because he felt safer in the presence of others. He didn’t like the fact that he was afraid to be alone, and he also didn’t like the fact that the pain that was supposed to be imaginary still burned in his body. He didn’t like those things, but he couldn’t ignore them.

I can always say I didn’t want Greta to think that I didn’t want her anymore. I could rest here with both of them. But that mock hatred burned in his chest and he knew it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t share the bed with the traitor anymore, and it wasn’t fair to Greta to use her as an excuse to be close to him.

“Wolfram?” Wolfram jerked and backed away from the bed quickly. “What’s the matter?” The voice wasn’t Yuri’s, it was Greta’s. “Aren’t you going to go to sleep?” Even if he could speak, he didn’t know what he would say. The answer would be no, but as for a reason…he didn’t want to explain it to her. He wanted to take her to his room, to sleep beside her, someone, anyone, but dared not to put her at risk. His own attacker was free, and if that person returned it may be Greta who became the victim. He couldn’t take that chance. He’d have to be alone.

Wolfram moved back towards the bed and stroked Greta’s hair softly before leaving her and walking back towards the door.

“Where are you going?” She asked in a whisper, knowing not to wake Yuri. She knew they were fighting, but she wondered, as she heard the door close, if it had something to do with her. Why else would Wolfram not even say a word to her?

Wolfram slipped back into his own room and laid in his bed fully clad with his sword unsheathed beside him. He had one light that would reflect a shadow if the door opened, and that’s all he cared to have. If he couldn’t rest with a person at his side, the sword was the next best thing.

~Alice Von Wonderland

Closing Note: A longer chapter this time. Yuri typically is very inquisitive and relentless when his heart is in something, so I assumed that he would try to force something out of Gwendal.

Also, Wolfram really is temporarily mute. He could heal himself if he wanted to, but it is easier for him to cope if he doesn’t run the risk of saying something he’d regret later. He isn’t refraining from speaking out of defiance or because he just doesn’t feel like it.

Until Next Time

R&R

Alice Von Wonderland