Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.
A/N: As I said on my profile, I am rewriting U&C completely. I know those who have already read this may find it boring but please read it. I have changed many parts. So many that I don't think it's anything like the previous one…Please R&R!
-U&C-
The birds chirped as a new day began. The wind that had been busy the whole night slowed to a waltz. The sun greeted the morning risers with a gentle ray of first light as the city gradually whirls into life. The streets were soon filled with busy citizens going this way and that; the sounds of the trains moving to life as passengers boarded and crowded in the train station.
The sakura trees were gently swaying in the breeze of late spring; its blossoms embracing the warm sunshine and leaving paths covered in its pink glory. It was almost as if the flowers were a sign of a new beginning – the start of a new year. A new 'spring' for the lovers keen on renewing the passion they felt for each other when they first held hands.
For some, it was just an ordinary Monday: the start of another week, perhaps just a sign of another five consecutive days of work; perhaps a signal of the end of another week-end. For others, especially a certain five year old, it was an important day. It was one of those 'firsts'. It was her first day at school.
However, the said five year-and a half old was still fast asleep while her house whirled to life.
"Masaharu, remember to go and get Haruhi, will you?" Yagyuu reminded his partner of the simple task as he tightened his tie around his neck.
"Of course," Niou protested. He was still in his pyjamas and was just getting out of bed. "I won't forget something as simple as that." Niou was annoyed that his boyfriend's trust was that shallow.
"But you forgot once before." Yagyuu pointed out. Yagyuu frowned at the thought of that memory. Haruhi had waited almost for two hours that time…
Niou put his hands up in mock defeat. "Hai, hai." He sighed. "I'll remember this time.
Niou staggered to the bathroom, still half asleep. As he brushed his teeth, Yagyuu carried on reminding him of all the things he had to do that day. Like taking Haruhi to Daiyon Elementary in time and all that.
"Don't forget that the classes begin at eight-thirty and it ends at half-three. Do remember to pick her up at the correct time."
"I got it, I got it." Niou said as he waved Yagyuu goodbye at the gate, "Have a good day." Why did his boyfriend have to be this…annoying?
A smile foiled Niou's fake annoyance as Yagyuu leaned out of the car window and pecked Niou on the cheek. Niou kissed Yagyuu back on the lips and watched the car turn around the street before heading back indoors.
Niou yawned. He looked at the clock in the hallway. It was only half seven. He went back up the stairs with the intention of sleeping for another half an hour.
As he slipped into the still-warm bed, he saw a note on the bedside table. He picked it up and read it, straining his sleepy eyes. 'Do not go back to bed. Prepare breakfast then get Haruhi ready for school. If you sleep anymore, you'll be late. More importantly, Haruhi will be late for' my, his boyfriend sure knows him well.
Niou cursed as he went down the stairs into the kitchen. If Yagyuu didn't want him to sleep in the morning, he shouldn't have kept him up all night, right?
Niou opened the cupboard and peered inside…
-PlatinumPair-
Niou nodded to himself, proud with his own work: two bowls of steaming white rice; miso soup; a grilled fish for him and for Haruhi, he prepared tamagoyaki. He headed towards the only bedroom on the ground floor.
Niou opened the door silently and crept in. The room was dark, save the night light plugged into the wall by the bed. Niou went over to the windows and pulled the heavy grey curtains back in one go.
"Rise and shine, princess!" He called out as Haruhi stirred. He had always wanted to try that. Yagyuu always woke Haruhi up this way…but now he's said it, it sounded pretty childish…
"Masa-chi?" Haruhi covered her sea-green eyes as the light penetrated through the small bedroom.
Niou sat on the small bed. He ruffled the soft brown hair and kissed her forehead. She closed her drowsy eyes and drifted back into dreamland.
"Haruhi." Niou shook her gently. She definitely inherited this stubbornness and love for sleep from Niou. "I thought you were looking forward to school."
Those closed eyes snapped open, eyes wide with expectation and excitement for the day ahead. Niou kissed her on her nose, making her squeal.
"Breakfast is ready." Niou brought Haruhi her uniform from the drawers.
After dressing her properly, they ate breakfast together.
"Papa," Haruhi looked up at him, poking at her rice with her chopsticks nervously, "what is school like?"
Niou was caught off by this sudden question. His years of Elementary education were spent playing tricks…but that's not something he should tell Haruhi…
"Well," Niou thought carefully, "you can make lots of friends. The classes will be easy for you," he assured her, "and there are several optional after school clubs. But I think they become compulsory after grade 3."
Haruhi nodded slightly as she listened to him. Her nervousness disappeared as her grin, which both Niou and Yagyuu loved, reappeared on her face.
-PLATINUMPAIR-
Niou waved goodbye to the tiny figure as Haruhi was ushered to the classroom. Niou drove home after checking with the teacher when he has to be there to pick Haruhi up.
Niou flicked through the channels but none of the programmes interested him. He decided he'd sleep. So he left the tv on and slept on the couch.
He dreamed of the first day they moved in together, all the excitement, the joy and the thumping of his heart…
-PlatinumPair-
That was before he gave birth to Haruhi. Both of them had a career – Yagyuu on the ladder to the seat of CEO and Niou was a model popular with teenage girls. Both of those careers pay well, so they would have no problems with buying a house as long as they don't quit their job. But Niou's sister had suggested that they start living together. After a long debate, mostly one-sided by Yagyuu because Niou had already made up his mind, they had agreed on it.
So they bought a house together. Of course it took quite a long time: their tastes on housing differed greatly, so did their taste on decors and furniture. Niou preferred the wild, abstract ones, with dark purple swirls on the wallpaper, because he though it represented Illusion; Yagyuu preferred the modest, more normal types. He had picked a cream coloured wallpaper with some darker coloured stripes running across it irregularly spaced out. It had reminded him of his favourite move – Laser Beam and his pride that few people can return such a powerful and fast ball. This was the argument on wallpaper; the disputes that centred on the subject of furniture were fiercer.
Yagyuu and Niou had been so stubborn on it that they had to draw lots…the winner takes authority of the choice of housing, its location and the gardens; the loser would take the responsibility of the interior. Unfortunately, Yagyuu won. So their living room now had purple swirly wallpaper…and their bathroom had a theme of oranges on the tiles…
Yagyuu had made the exterior of the house presentable in its glory. The garden was beautiful and the house stunning. Of course the scenery from the house he picked was absolutely wonderful.
The day they moved in was fun, packed with exciting events. But it's that night that is worth noting. That night was the first night they shared a bed. In Niou's vivid memory, Yagyuu's body had been extremely pleasurable to press against. That night was magical, at least for Niou. He can't read Yagyuu's mind so he has no idea what the Gentleman thought of that night. All he knew is what he thought and he found that night one to remember: the warm fuzzy feeling he got when his boyfriend wrapped his arm around Niou; the way he kissed Niou's hair; and the feelings of arousal that he received later on in the night…
-PLATINUMPAI R-
Niou stirred awake as his phone rang. Niou fumbled with the pile of mess he had left on the coffee table to find his phone.
"Masaharu?"
"Hiroshi!" Niou was happy to hear his lover's voice, it was the one sound he was sure he'd always love.
"I just called to check on you and Haruhi." The sound of fingers connecting with the keyboard of Yagyuu's laptop was clear through the phone.
Niou sighed. His boyfriend was forever hardworking…Niou let out a little smile, that was also a part of the man he loved so much. "I sent her to school on time, we didn't skip breakfast either," Niou replied, feeling like a child. "sensei." He added, just to tease Yagyuu a little.
A sigh was heard on the other end of the phone. Niou smiled. He looked at the clock. 11:45.
"Hiroshi?" Niou asked, "Did you have lunch yet?"
"No, why?"
"I'll bring you one." Niou said, and pressed the red key before Yagyuu could refuse him.
-PlatinumPair-
Yagyuu looked up from the monitor as the door of his office opened.
"Ojamashimasu~" Niou closed the door behind him.
As he walked up to Yagyuu, the Gentleman pushed his laptop aside. From behind him, the Trickster presented a wrapped bento.
The corner on the Gentleman's mouth tugged up into a smirk. He took it from Niou and opened it, facing Niou, that is. Nothing happened.
Yagyuu was sure that the Trickster wouldn't be able to resist pulling a trick…He turned the box to himself-
Slosh…A huge pancake topped with tomato sauce made a lovely imprint on Yagyuu's pristine white shirt. Niou's smile widened to a grin as he showed the Gentleman his own proud invention – a timed spring…
If only he put that smartness to good use, thought Yagyuu as he washed up in the washroom and changed into the shirt that Niou brought.
He looked into the mirror. They have all changed so much. Not only Niou and himself; but also the rest of his former teammates, and those they had met during their eventful youths. Yagyuu wondered what would Seigaku members be doing…Tezuka had regularly popped up on headlines with Yukimura and Sanada during the seasons of the Grand Slams. Akaya had been training with Yukimura and Sanada under Yanagi, probably still getting slapped at least once a day…
To the best of the megane's knowledge, Rikkai's other doubles were touring South America, participating in doubles tournaments as they journeyed from one place to another. Marui had taken a break from his modelling job. Especially after that event. Yagyuu chuckled to himself softly: that was one hell of an event - Marui giving birth, that is.
And their Master, Yanagi, was now a well-known tennis coach who trained and built the path to the pro world for Yukimura and Sanada. He has also heard that the Master was training Gen'ei - Sanada's daughter. Typical of the Three Demons, he thought, to be together after so long. And still be so passionate about tennis. It wasn't that Yagyuu was disenchanted by the sport: he still plays it at least three times a week with Niou, it was that it came as no surprise to any of the team that the three of them all ended up doing something tennis-related.
He put his soiled shirt into a plastic bag and walked into his office. Niou was sitting on his desk, his legs swinging childishly.
"You done?" He laughed.
Yagyuu pushed his glasses up his nose in a threating way and the smirk was wiped off Niou's face in an instant. But a few muffled giggles still escaped Niou's lips and pierced Yagyuu's ears. Seriously, did Niou have to bring in a Spiderman t-shirt?
Yagyuu sat at his desk and Niou took the real bento box out.
-PLATINUMPAIR-
"Haruhi!" Niou called out.
The little girl ran towards Niou as she heard her name. Niou squatted down to her level and held his arms out for an embrace.
"Papa!" Haruhi squealed as Niou lifted her up and swirled her around twice.
Yagyuu found a smile playing on his lips as he leaned out of the car window, watching the interactions between the other two. Niou sat with Haruhi in the backseats of the car while Yagyuu drove.
All the way home, Haruhi went on about her exciting few hours at Daiyon. Yagyuu looked at his daughter fondly through the mirror as she talked about the new friends she met.
"Masa-chi," Haruhi turned to face the sileverette beside her, "Akemi-chan said her mummy bakes yummy cakes. How come I don't have a mummy?"
Yagyuu almost carried on through a red light. Niou jerked forward as the car halted suddenly right before the white line. Niou's left arm held Haruhi's arm steady. The driver behind pressed the horn.
"Hiroshi!" Niou protested, "be more careful." But he knew why Yagyuu's attention strayed from the road.
Yagyuu's mind was racing. His mind never worked this hard, not even when he did his thesis for Ph.D. in business…