Wolfram snickered over yet another picture of Yuuri in a frilly pink dress and pigtails. Although he knew he should be sympathizing with the wimp, given his own mother's unique affections, really he was just riding the high of finding out that somebody else had more photographic evidence of their traumatic childhood than he did.

Speaking of the wimp, where was he? Wolfram looked up, blinking, and realized that the light slanting in Yuuri's bedroom window was noticeably dimmer than the last time he'd looked up. Shutting the book and tucking it under Yuuri's pillow, Wolfram slid off the bed and headed out into the hall, tugging on his earth clothing to straighten it.

These jean things were flattering, but had a tendency to bunch up in strange places.

Across the hall, Yuuri's brother's door was opened just a crack and he heard low voices from inside. It sounded like Conrad was in there with Shori, so Wolfram pushed it open and stuck his head in.

"Oi," he said, blinking because he could barely see in the dim room. The glare of the computer on Shori's desk blinded him momentarily, but Shori tapped a few keys on the keyboard and the screen changed quickly to something dimmer.

"Something you want?" Shori asked brusquely, and Wolfram's eyes finally adjusted enough for him to see that Conrad was leaning over his shoulder to see whatever was on the computer, but both had turned their heads slightly to face Wolfram.

"I'm looking for Yuuri," Wolfram reported, still a little surprised by the whole scene. "You didn't let that wimp wander off all by himself did you?"

"Our world doesn't have people trying to kill him like yours!" Shori snapped, but Conrad put a hand on his shoulder.

"He went out with Murata a little while ago, to some kind of meeting," Conrad answered Wolfram. "He should be back soon. Why don't you go downstairs and wait for him?"

"Yes, why don't you?" Shori said, turning back to the computer. "And shut the door on your way out!" Conrad shrugged a little at Wolfram and turned back to the computer as well.

Gritting his teeth, Wolfram stomped from the room and kicked the door shut behind him. He paused a moment to wonder what his and Yuuri's older brothers were doing together staring a screen in the dark, but then decided it wasn't worth thinking about.

When he got the to the bottom of the stairs, it was obvious that Yuuri wasn't back yet, so Wolfram decided to head to the kitchen, where he could hear Jennifer banging pans around. She was sure to know where he could find Yuuri before that wimp got himself kidnapped or something; he really couldn't be trusted alone.

He was just turning the corner when he nearly ran head-first into Gwendal, who was leaving the kitchen. Something was a bit odd about his behavior as well.

"Brother," Wolfram nodded, "I was just looking for Yu…are you smiling?" Wolfram noticed that Gwendal was clutching something tightly. "And what's that in your hand?"

"No," Gwendal snapped, his face returning to its normal scowl, except for one errant, twitching corner of his mouth. "And nothing. I haven't seen His Majesty. I've got to go."

Wolfram furrowed his brow at his older brother's hasty exit and bizarre behavior, but again dismissed it as not his immediate concern. His fiancé was wandering around out there by himself, probably chatting up every pretty girl in sight!

"Wolf-chan!"

Jennifer's cheery greeting startled Wolfram out of his thoughts, and he blinked when he found his prospective mother-in-law looming over him with a plate of cookies.

"You have to try one of my Chocolate Chip Surprises!" she announced, and Wolfram gingerly picked up a cookie, eyeing Jennifer. Jennifer beamed. "Your brother really seemed to like them, he had half a dozen!"

"Gwendal?" Wolfram nibbled a bit off the cookie, which melted against his tongue in a heady wave of sugar. He took a much larger bite, then asked, "What's the surprise?"

"I forgot to buy chocolate chips," Jennifer blushed, setting down the plate.

"Ah." Wolfram polished off the first cookie and reached for a second. They were good.

"But I was going to make sugar cookies next!" Jennifer folded her hands in front of her and eyed Wolfram pleadingly. "Do you want to help?"

"I'm actually looking for Yuuri," Wolfram explained around a mouthful of cookie.

"He's out with Ken-kun," Jennifer said. "Some kind of baseball meeting, but he said he'd be home before dark, so you have plenty of time! Besides, Wolf-chan, sugar cookies are my Yu-chan's favorite."

Wolfram looked past the pleading pout on Jennifer's lips and saw ruthless calculation in her eyes for a second before she widened them innocently. He swallowed his cookie.

"Pleeeease?"

"Well…" Wolfram dusted the crumbs off his hands. "I suppose, since I'm here…"

Jennifer's squeal cut off the rest of Wolfram's words.

"You wait right here!" she patted Wolfram's shoulder. "I'll just get something for you to wear so you don't get flour all over your clothes!"

******

Yuuri was peering anxiously around the corner to the kitchen when Murata, whose one shoelace had gotten knotted and held him up in the entryway for a few moments, caught up to him.

"Murata," he hissed, eyes wide, "Wolfram's baking with my mother!"

"Aw, soon he'll be part of the family, ne, Shibuya?" Murata teased, elbowing Yuuri.

"And he's wearing that pink frilly apron!"

"What?!" Murata's glasses glinted in a way that made Yuuri edge away a little. "Don't just stand there, go free your fiancé from her clutches!"

"But I don't—oof!" Yuuri's protest was cut off as Murata shoved him into the kitchen with a cheerful "We're home!"

"Yuuri!" Wolfram said, looking up, and Yuuri quailed under the intense, emerald gaze.

"Welcome back, boys!" Jennifer sang from the sink on the opposite side of the kitchen. "Ken-kun, do you think you could help me with these dishes? I've got to get dinner started, and there isn't a clean plate in the whole house! You Mazoku men and your appetites!"

"Of course, Shibuya-san!" Murata answered. He turned to Wolfram and cleared his throat, dropping a pointed gaze at the apron. Wolfram rolled his eyes and reached to undo the bow, then tugged the apron over his head and handed it to Murata with one hand. Wolfram's other hand was busy straightening his hair.

"As for you," Wolfram turned on Yuuri, and Yuuri let out a little 'eep!' noise, "have a cookie!"

"Eh?" Yuuri blinked, and looked down at the plate on the counter Wolfram was pointing at, which held a pile of pink, yellow, and blue-frosted cookies of an indeterminate shape. "We're having dinner soon…I…"

"You'll love them!" Wolfram crossed his arms and glared, and Yuuri sighed and reached for a cookie. He chose a blue cookie, then tentatively bit a chunk off.

"Sugar cookies!" he exclaimed, grinning. "My favorite! And they're very cute…ah…" Yuuri turned the cookie around a few times, but the bite mark wasn't exactly helping him identify the shape, "…bunnies?"

"It's a bearbee," Wolfram glowered, and just then Yuuri realized that Wolfram had a smudge of pink icing across one cheek. He swallowed hard, and the cookie stuck in his throat, then went down the wrong way.

"Wa…water…" he choked, coughing until tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Wolfram shook his head and pounded Yuuri on the back while Murata filled a glass with water.

"You wimp," Wolfram sighed, and Yuuri eyed him balefully because he couldn't get a deep enough breath to shout his usual retort. Wolfram took the glass from Murata and handed it to Yuuri, his hand still resting between Yuuri's shoulder blades.

Shori and Conrad came in just as Yuuri's face was returning to its normal color, and Yuuri shrugged Wolfram's hand off.

"Oi!" Yuuri snapped as Shori reached for the plate of bearbee cookies. "Those are mine!"

Shori rolled his eyes and took a cookie anyway, Yuuri stomped over to defend his property, Conrad snatched a cookie in the confusion, and Wolfram turned away quickly to help Murata finish up the dishes.

"Are you smiling, Von Bielefelt?" Murata inquired, raising an eyebrow. "And blushing?"

"Shut up, Sage," Wolfram grumbled. "Or I'll take the apron back."

Murata shut up.