This Time Around
Title: This Time Around Author: Shirahime Pairing: Adelbert/Yuuri Rating: eventual NC-17 Summary: Spoilers for early Season Two. After the revelations exposed by his rival, Adelbert must decide what he is willing to do for the sake of what he once thought was lost.
Part One
Back at Blood Pledge Castle, the moon looming high in the sky, Conrad’s steps took him to the door of Yuuri’s bedroom. He raised a hand to rest against the polished wood. There were so many times that he wanted to turn the knob and enter. But he dared not for various reasons. Conrad sighed. No doubt, Wolfram had likely snuck inside earlier anyway, snuggling underneath the sheets. He tried not to envy his brother in this. Pulling away, he turned to head down the dimly lit hallway toward his own quarters.
Beyond the door, Yuuri lay in bed, sleeping deeply. In his dreams, he was standing with darkness surrounding him, yet he could feel the heat of the sun on his face. Somehow, he knew that the sky was a clear blue, though he could not see it. Slowly, strong arms began to encircle his waist to pull him close, a large and somehow familiar figure draping itself over him. Then there was a deep voice murmuring close to his ear, and he felt himself smile. Roused from the dream, Yuuri blinked at the rays of the sun streaming in through the window onto his bed. He noted that nearby lay the form of Wolfram, wrapped in a bundle of covers and snoring loudly. Yuuri sighed, rising from the bed to head toward the window. He stood in the rays of light before resting his head on the windowpane, absently gazing at the scenery below. Forgotten memory seemed to nag at him as he placed his arms around himself, trying to hold onto the fading sensation of warmth that his dream had held. It seemed so familiar somehow, but he couldn’t place the source of it.
Yuuri turned at the sound of the door opening. Conrad appeared at the entrance to call him down to breakfast when a look of concern passed across his face. Yuuri smiled uneasily, telling the man that he’d be there in a few moments. Nodding, Conrad pulled the door closed, still troubled by the odd look on Yuuri’s face that he’d initially been greeted with. He shook it off, assuring himself that he was being more protective of the teen than usual due to recent events. The brunette headed down the corridor to seek out the dining room below. Inside the room, Yuuri let out a large sigh as he headed over to the bed to shake Wolfram awake from his slumber.
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Later in the day, Yuuri sat at his desk, his head resting on a folded arm as Gunter nagged him to finish signing the stack of papers threatening to topple over and spill onto the floor, when there was a knock at the door. Gwendal entered followed closely behind by Conrad, Murata and Wolfram. The sight of the stern expression on Gwendal’s face made Yuuri perk up.
“Majesty,” Gwendal began, “Our sources have heard rumors saying that the final box might be in a forest on the edge of Mazoku and human territory. It’s not clear if this information can be believed, but we still need to dispatch a unit to verify this.”
Yuuri stood up, pushing the chair behind him. “Then let’s get going and check it out!”
Gwendal’s usual frown deepened. “There’s no need for Your Highness to go along. I will head up the group as you have other matters that you need to attend to,” he said, eying the stack of papers off to the side of the desk.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Yuuri argued. “I should definitely go. There’s nothing more important for me to do besides finding the last box.”
“He just wants to get out of going through all those papers,” Wolfram muttered under his breath, Conrad hearing his words and smiling faintly. “He’s such a lazy king.”
“But, Your Highness-” Gunter started.
Yuuri waved him off. “My mind’s made up. I’ll take care of all of this later,” he said, indicating the papers before heading to the other side of the desk.
Gwendal sighed, exasperated but relented. Sometimes, there was no use in arguing with the boy. As he often did, he’d just find a way to end up tagging along anyway. Despite himself, Gwendal was pleased that the young ruler tended to take a more active role in matters than he’d initially expected he would. The group headed out of the door to seek out the cadre of troops that would accompany them on their journey, Gunter staring after them, hating that he’d been left behind yet again.
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As the setting sun gave way to night, Adelbert sat in front of a campfire near a makeshift shelter on the outskirts of human territory, watching the flames dance. He’d had a sense of unease ever since fighting Conrad a few days earlier, the truths laid bare then continuing to plague him. He pulled his knees up toward his chest, draping arms around them. Raising his right hand, Adelbert gazed at his palm as the memory of he and Yuuri on that precipice came back to him. It was as though he could still feel the warmth of Yuuri’s soft skin against it. He frowned, closing the hand into a fist, teeth gritted.
The words that Conrad had spoken to him that night had been like daggers cast at his heart. The other man had told him that Julia had wanted to spare him the pain of her future rebirth, the knowledge that she would be born a different person, her previous life forgotten and lost. Adelbert frowned. But was this the only factor in her actions? The blonde stared into the twisting flames of the fire before him, cursing himself. He had loved her gentle spirit and her beautiful form, but he hadn’t truly understood the workings of her mind. She had entrusted her very soul to another instead of her betrothed. Was this because she’d doubted the depth of his love for her then? It was hard for Adelbert not to take her deeds as a rejection of him.
Adelbert pulled his cloak tighter around himself as the cool night wind blew through the trees, leaves rustling. A darker possibility always lurked within his mind, fueled by jealousy. Perhaps she’d chosen Conrad for the important task so that it could be him by her side in her new life in Adelbert’s place. He shook his head. She wouldn’t, he reassured himself. The woman he remembered had frowned on even the slightest of deceits. There was no way that her final act would be so. Sighing, Adelbert continued to gaze into the flames as if they held the answers that he sought.
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It was a two day journey by land for the Mazoku to reach the edge of the forest that might hold the final box. Beyond the trees, lurked human territory. Riding behind Yuuri, ignoring the daggers thrown at him by Wolfram’s eyes, Murata gazed into the forest. He had a feeling that the information they’d received would turn up naught. He hoped that they would discover the truth of the situation soon so that they could get back to Shin Makoku. Dark eyes turned up to view a sky full of dark clouds that hid the sun. A storm was brewing, and for some reason, suspicion nagged at him.
Dismounting, the group headed into the woods, leaving their horses behind with the troops that had been left at the opening of the forest for security’s sake. The close growth of trees and thick underbrush wasn’t amenable to riding the animals through with any real speed. Slicing at obscuring branches, Gwendal led the way toward the center of the wood. Hearing a distant sound, Conrad held out a hand to block Yuuri from going further.
“What is it?” the teen asked.
“There’s someone else here besides us,” the man answered.
As if to confirm his words, a hail of arrows sliced through the woods, some shearing thin branches from their attachments, others embedding themselves into the trunks of the tall trees. Conrad moved to get Yuuri under cover behind a large trunk as the other soldiers took cover.
“Who-” Wolfram started to ask.
“Big Shimaron,” Conrad answered as he caught sight of a soldier in the recognizable uniform running quickly across their field of view before disappearing into the thick of the wood.
Yuuri groaned from behind Conrad. “Haven’t they given up yet?”
Conrad turned his gaze over his shoulder. “Apparently Belal’s lust for power hasn’t been sated yet.”
“Damn it!” Wolfram said under his breath. “We’ve got to get to the box before they do.”
“If they haven’t already,” Gwendal added, darkening their moods further.
“So, what should we do?” Wolfram asked. “We can’t just rush forward when we don’t know how many of them there are or where they’re hiding.”
The decision was made for them when a hail of arrows from a different direction sent them running from their hiding places. As the last arrow sailed overhead, two groups of enemy soldiers rushed forward from different directions, causing the group of Mazoku to scatter as they defended themselves. In the confusion of battle, and to Conrad’s dismay, Yuuri got separated from his companions, fleeing from two soldiers who slashed at his retreating form. Engaged as he was with a small group of the enemy, Conrad could only hope that Yuuri would be alright until he was able to fend off these men and come for him.
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Panting as he fled amidst the trees, Yuuri could hear the footsteps of the two Big Shimaron soldiers as they closed in on him from behind. He debated whether or not he should unsheathe Morgif and try to defend himself. Deciding that this would likely be a fatal act, he sought to somehow loose the men among the trees and bushes. Tripping over a rock in his path, Yuuri pitched forward, groaning as his body hit the ground. He rolled over, rubbing the side of his neck then gazing nervously up at the two soldiers who’d overtaken him.
“It’s the Maou!” one of the soldiers exclaimed.
The other man turned to the first. “If we bring back his head to King Belal,” he began, causing Yuuri to cringe, “we’ll be rewarded handsomely.” He raised his sword, a sinister grin on his face.
Yuuri’s eyes widened as he watched the soldier scream as he was slashed at from behind. The man turned to face his attacker and was laid low by his rival’s blade. Yuuri stared in shock when the man’s body fell, revealing the familiar form of Adelbert. The other soldier rushed at the blonde, but soon met a similar fate as his companion.
“Adelbert,” Yuuri said with wonder as the man approached, “What are you doing here?”
The blonde leaned down to extend a hand which the teen took, pulling himself to his feet. “Is that any way to talk to someone who saved your life?”
Flustered, Yuuri sputtered, “No! I just… thank you, but I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
Adelbert smiled faintly. “Neither did I. I was in the human town on the other side of the woods when the soldiers entered the city. I wanted to see what they were up to, so I followed them from a distance.” What was closer to the truth was that Adelbert had hoped that the sighting of Big Shimaron soldiers indicated activity which would bring Mazoku soldiers that would be accompanied by the Maou. But now that the boy was here, he wasn’t sure of what to say to him.
The blonde watched Yuuri give a bright smile again, thanking him once more for his efforts. Adelbert saw Yuuri move away and turn to look over his shoulder, no doubt wondering how his friends were fairing against the other soldiers. He frowned. Maybe the boy was only wondering how Conrad was fairing against them. Anger gave way to reason and a form of sorrow. He couldn’t fault the boy, could he? Conrad had always been his protector, from before he was even born to the world, carrying his soul to its destination in another world. It was only understandable that he would feel a bond with the person who had always been at his side. Adelbert continued to gaze at the boy as Yuuri turned back to face him, a questioning look on his face. The blonde called to mind the image of his lost love. No, not lost. Maybe the issue was what he was willing to accept to get it back again.
Yuuri stared at the man as he moved closer, made slightly nervous by the intense gaze Adelbert focused on him. The man’s proximity forced him to gaze upward “What? Is something wrong?” he asked.
Adelbert opened his mouth as if to speak, the words dying on his lips out of uncertainty. What could he even say to the boy? Did he deserve to stand by Yuuri’s side as protector after raising his sword to the boy so many times out of ignorance? The thought that he could have snuffed out the light that he’d mourned the loss of pained Adelbert even now. Conrad’s accusation that he should have known who Yuuri was when they’d first met came back to haunt him. Maybe Julia had been right in her choice. Maybe she’d known how small his love could be. But was it, really?
“Is it really so different?” Adelbert asked aloud finally, the question directed more toward himself than anyone else. He edged closer to the boy.
“What do you mean?” Yuuri asked.
“It’s not, is it?” Adelbert continued. The boy hadn’t pulled away from him on the cliff, would he now? He raised a hand, placing it onto Yuuri’s chest. The teen greeted the gesture with surprise. “Even he said that you were born a different person,” he continued, referring to Conrad, “but were you really? Everyone loved Julia for her kind and giving heart. Aren’t you loved now for the same reason? Your body is different, but fundamentally…”
Adelbert’s words trailed off as the hand on Yuuri’s chest rose to cup his cheek. He looked down into wide dark eyes. “Flesh is only flesh, and yours is still soft and warm. And though your eyes are dark, they still shine with the same light, so maybe it’s not so…”
Yuuri stiffened but didn’t pull away when blue eyes loomed closer as the man bent down towards him, finally fluttering shut as lips pressed against his. A gasp from Yuuri, and the kiss was deepened as a strong arm wound itself around his waist to pull him close. Initially, Yuuri wanted to escape from the intimate embrace, but there was something familiar about it, something that he’d felt in a distant memory that now rose to claim him. Entranced, Yuuri found himself returning the man’s efforts, an act which Adelbert met with restrained passion.
The sound of Yuuri’s companions shouting his name interrupted the entangled pair. Adelbert pulled away to lock his gaze with Yuuri’s, eyes burning as he cupped his cheek. “I thought that I could watch over you from afar, but now… I’ll not leave things to Conrad, not this time. The next time we meet, I won’t allow you to leave my side again.” Then he pulled away, heading toward the opposite end of the forest.
Yuuri raised a hand to his mouth, fingertips resting on his lips as the sensation of Adelbert’s kiss faded. He stared into the woods at the man’s retreating form, watching the path he’d made through the forest even after he was long out of sight. Ahead of the group, Wolfram approached his wayward fiancé, annoyed as usual.
“Didn’t you hear us calling you?” he asked angrily. “We were worried sick-” Wolfram noticed how the hand Yuuri held to his mouth trembled slightly. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Biting his lower lip, Yuuri didn’t answer, averting his eyes. Even when Conrad grasped his shoulders gently to turn the teen to face him, his questioning voice insistent, Yuuri avoided his eyes, turning to look over his shoulder at the distant trees.