Title: Go Went Gone
Author: Raine
Rating: G
Genre: General/ Angst
Pairings: 28 (Nioh/Yagyu)
Summary: A little drabble of Nioh and Yagyu's life starting from their years in junior high.
Notes: Forgive my poor grammar/ diction. English had always been my worse subject in school.

GO

"Go, both of you! Run 50 laps before you dare come back here!" Sanada hollered, trying to keep his temper down and holding back the urge to smack them both, especially the trickster. The clouds in the sky were just as threatening.

Sanada had tolerated Nioh's pranks, only because Yagyu had always been there to save Nioh's ass every time Sanada decided to unleash his anger. Without Yagyu, Nioh would have been smacked countless times already. But Yagyu had a way around things, using his 'gentleman' image to his advantage whenever necessary. And when it came to Nioh, it was more than just a necessity. But even Sanada had a limit. Finding underwear in his locker instead of his pants had made his patience even thinner and seeing Nioh's grin made him snap. Yagyu walked over to the menacing Sanada for the umpteenth time. Yagyu didn't even have to think about it, his body acted on habit. But by the time he got there, all he heard was the command to run those 50 laps, and without uttering a single word, he turned around, pulling Nioh with him and began to run.

"Hah, so there you have it, he finally snapped," Nioh grinned as he looked as his doubles partner while running the ninth lap.

"Nioh-kun, perhaps you should consider allocating your time and interest to more meaningful actions."

"Oh! Seeing Sanada like that has more 'meaning' than you think, Yagyu."

Yagyu didn't reply and continued running. There were some values of Nioh he could never quite comprehend, not that anyone else could have understood any at all. Those values, as Yanagi would put it, were ones in a geometry problem where the answer was completely ambiguous. Nioh had taken up a considerable interest in Yagyu since they both entered the tennis team 2.5 years ago. None of Nioh's pranks had any effect on Yagyu, and because of that, Nioh had stuck to Yagyu ever since. Some strange bond formed between the two that one could never quite describe with words alone. But both of them were happy to have each other's companionship, and that was all that mattered to them.

Practice ended not long after their 50 laps. Rain poured down on them and Sanada had decided that the heavy rain would only hinder their performance and cancelled practice. The weather forecast had been inaccurate once again. The chances of rain were only said to be 20%, yet it was pouring down on them now like there was no tomorrow. Yanagi made a note not to listen to the weather forecaster again, and to rely on his own data instead.

Rikkai's D1 were the last to leave. Yagyu was standing 2 steps short of the exit as Nioh stepped out. Seeing that his partner didn't follow, Nioh turned back to look.

"I didn't bring an umbrella," Yagyu answered Nioh's silent question.

"A little rain won't kill you, Yagyu. Now get your ass out here before I have to resort to other measures." The last 4 words were spoken in Yagyu's tone of voice.

Yagyu complied, again, not quite understanding why he so easily obeyed Nioh's commands. Perhaps it was because it would be impossible to get home without having to get soaked in the process. Yagyu let his mind settle with that answer as the two walked in complete silence. Even at the parting intersection, they didn't speak a word. Nioh turned left as Yagyu turned right. A passerby could easily have misinterpreted their parting for a couple that had just broken up with each other.

WENT

"Went to look at some of universities and the programs that they offered, although none quite measured up to the standards that I had in mind." Yagyu answered as he returned to the dorm room that he shared with Nioh. Nioh found it uncharacteristic of Yagyu to go out on a holiday such as this one, especially during exam period. Normally, Yagyu would just keep himself at home and with the books. However, Yagyu's answer was no surprise to him either. Nioh knew that Yagyu was a person who planned ahead, and liked to have everything perfectly laid out for the next decade of his life. First year of their junior high together, Nioh found that Yagyu wanted to be a doctor. Six years later, the present time, Yagyu is still aiming for that.

"What about you Nioh-kun? What do you plan to do with your future?"

"Don't you know that already?"

Yagyu paused momentarily to allow his brain to fall into Nioh's mindset. After a minute's thought as Nioh, he replied his own question, "With a mind like yours, an occupation in the businesses would suit you best. Your quick mind will serve you well there." Yagyu paused again but continued, "However, have you no intentions to gain more knowledge in a post secondary institution before you venture into the world of working?"

Nioh stared lazily at the ground while he gave Yagyu another one of his ambiguous answers, "Who knows..."

Nioh rarely gave anything more than 5 minutes of his mind, with exceptions to his pranks. But he did allow the topic of post secondary stick in his thought process for longer. Rikkai had a university of its own. Nioh had considered going, but only if Yagyu had intended to do the same. Therefore the chances of Nioh attending Rikkai's university were nil. He knew Yagyu wouldn't be satisfied with the Rikkai university, just because their medical degree wasn't as well-known as what some of the other universities were famous for. Even if Nioh decided to tag along, their classes would split them apart anyway. Nioh could take the same courses that Yagyu takes. It's totally within his capability if he, as Yagyu once said, allocated his time to more meaningful actions. However, he would quickly die of boredom.

When high school came to an end, Nioh did go to university, but he stayed at Rikkai's. At least there, he would see more familiar faces. Of course, Yagyu kept in touch with him, but their distance had pulled quite noticeably apart, both physically and mentally.

GONE

"Gone..." The word came out of Nioh's mouth without him realizing it.

He sat at the church, the seat closest of the center aisle in the fifth row on the right to be exact. His hair was still ever so white. It matched his white suit perfectly. He wasn't completely in the proper attire, but Nioh had some sense on how to dress for this occasion as to not embarrass his friend yet not strangle himself in formal clothing. Yes, his best friend, and perhaps only true friend, was getting married today. Only today, he will be quite. Only today, he will not play tricks. Only today, will he have lost the one thing that mattered most to him, Yagyu.

The wondrously bright light shining through the stain glass of the church windows came down on Nioh like the cold piercing rain on a certain day of their silent parting.

END

A/N: I wrote this fic because of a piece of fanart I drew. The fanart can be found on my art website or my LJ.