To Assure

Author: pratz

Disclaimer: none is mine. Don’t play to-sue-or-not-to-sue with me, because that’s not the question.

Timeline: in between the anime episode where Wolfram’s heart is returned to him and Yuuri defeats Shinou.

Note: RumorUnderOath said that almost all of my Maruma fics takes place in bed. Well, yes. I guess it’s time I have to explain. To put it simply, it’s because I believe behind the door of the bedroom, they can be themselves; Yuuri can be anything but the mighty king he’s asked to be, and Wolfram can show a side of him which is less volatile. It’s not only sensual—or possibly sexual; it’s also personal and intimate. Thank you for reminding me to put a note about that.

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Yuuri, to some extent, is still frightened.

It is only hours after Shinou finally found peace in his rest. It is only hours after they managed to get Wolfram’s heart back, but Yuuri has not fully escaped from the dreadful moment yet. He can still feel the horror ringing in his ears, the restlessness still driving him to the point that ‘worn out’ cannot even describe how he feels, the remnant of the forbidden darkness still following his every step.

Yet the man he is afraid for is now sleeping soundly on his bed, unaware of the king’s anxiety.

Trust Wolfram to finish reading a book in a day, Yuuri thinks good-humouredly as he picks the fallen book from the floor. He puts the book on his night table and sits on the side of the bed. Rearranging Wolfram on the bed is not very difficult to do actually. Once he learns the trick, getting Wolfram to sleep in a proper way—meaning that the noble will not kick him out off his own bed—is... manageable. And so is remembering the kind of books that Wolfram likes to read before sleeping. And so is putting them neatly on the bookshelf next to the night table, and so is telling Wolfram at the following day if the blond soldier asks for them. And so is being familiar with all the perfume that Wolfram sprays on his bed. And so is taking those frilly, silly, eye-sickening nightgowns as ordinary.

He has grown to being much used to Wolfram’s presence, it seems.

No, no. It is indeed.

“You don’t know how afraid I was back then, huh?” Yuuri mumbles, hand reaching to suavely slip strands of golden hair behind Wolfram’s ear. He lifts the comforter to slide beside Wolfram. No more will he sleep on the floor. This is his bedroom and his bed; if Wolfram insists to sleep here, damn right the soldier will have to share his bed with him. Not that I mind it now, though, Yuuri quickly counters.

Resting his cheek on the noble’s chest, Yuuri closes his eyes. He feels the quiet rise and fall of the chest as Wolfram breathes, the steady beats of Wolfram’s heart—the heart he has almost lost. Yuuri shuts his eyes more tightly to erase the memories from his mind. Damn it. Go away! He hates it when things go beyond his control, and he hates it even more when he lets things slip away through his fingers while he actually has the power to control them. I will not lose your heart. I will not lose you again. He will certainly make sure of that.

The warm body beside him stirs a bit. Yuuri can hear a shallow hitch of breath. “Yuuri?”

“Hey,” Yuuri greets, trying his best to push the shiver in his voice down. One of his hands gently pulls the silk comforter up to cover Wolfram’s upper body. “Sorry if I wake you up.”

“Som’thin’ happens?” the sleep-tainted voice slurs, but Yuuri can hear the genuine concern beyond it.

So he smiles, burrowing his face deeper into the seams of Wolfram’s nightgown. It smells perfectly of what he wants it to smell of. Of Wolfram. “Everything’s fine.” You’re here, and that’s fine enough for me, Yuuri adds silently. “Go back to sleep?”

“Oh. Alright.”

Yuuri unintentionally nudges Wolfram’s side as he readjusts his position. “Wolfram?”

“Stop movin’, Yuuri. I’m tryin’ t’get some sleep here.” Blindly, Wolfram winds an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, pulling the mortal king more firmly against his side. “Whatever it is, I’ll listen t’you t’morrow, ‘kay,” he mumbles, fingers curling loosely around the fabric on Yuuri’s left sleeve.

Yuuri manages to lift his head to look at Wolfram, who is already dozing back to dream land. A smile curls the corners of his lips upward. Wolfram is here with him; alive, safe and beautiful. Wolfram is beautiful. Wolfram will always look beautiful.

With Wolfram’s heartbeat on his ear, Wolfram’s warmth around him and Wolfram’s quiet breathing falling on his face, Yuuri does not feel so frightened anymore.

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