Hello hello Vesperia fans! This is a little something I did for one of my closest friends. It was originally for her birthday but things got a little crazy. Azi I'm sorry! Anyway she's one of the people recently affected by the fires and I wanted to finish this as soon as I could so it could cheer her up some. For the rest of you, enjoy!

By the way I own nothing. If the Tales series were mine, Flynn and Yuri's bromance would be a hell of a lot more than implied. And Sodia would have suffered greatly for what she did.

"I love Yuri."

It was strange really, how the words passed so easily through Flynn's lips. He couldn't remember when, or why he said them the first time he did. There was no defining moment, no magic between the two that had changed the feelings in Flynn's heart to tell him otherwise. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, just about to retire for the evening, he smiled. He had always loved Yuri. In the beginning, he would have asked himself why. There was nothing admiring about the way his reckless nature caused trouble for those around him. No romantic or sweet word in that brain at all. Just sarcasm and a knack for disrespecting authority. He didn't know what he'd gotten himself into when he fell for Yuri Lowell.

All he knew was that when the dark-haired man smiled, he was drawn to it. Enveloped in it, in Yuri. The smile was intoxicating, an addiction that held no cure. All he knew was looking into Yuri's eyes was unpredictable, almost dangerous. They were so full of life, and mischief, and concern and so many things one would drown in them trying to map out each flickering expression held in those stormy pools. All he knew...was that Yuri was beautiful. From the top of his long raven tresses to his toes. Physically stunning sure, but Flynn knew Yuri was even more beautiful on the inside. When he helped the citizens of the lower quarter without so much as a second thought, requiring no thanks for his deeds. He protected them, even if that meant getting thrown into jail. Multiple times. A day even. Yuri shouldered a burden far more than one man should carry, just to spare someone else the pain.

Without letting anyone know what he was doing. Flynn had to think Yuri was...some kind of a masochist really. "I'm glad you can trust at least me with this secret now." he pondered aloud as he thought on the REAL Yuri Lowell.

Yuri upheld the perfect facade of the arrogant, lone wolf of a lawbreaker for everyone else but him. He had tried to with Flynn also, don't get it wrong. But Flynn was too fast, too observant to let Yuri put up the mask completely. The Yuri Flynn saw was entirely different than the rest of the world. It brought Flynn comfort, and pride knowing he was the one and only person with such a treasure. To witness the raw emotion from his best friend and greatest rival. To flip through the pages of a book that only he had been able to read. Left sitting in secret, where only Flynn knew where to search. Perks of being lifelong friends.

The two had always been together. Growing up in the Lower Quarter, joining the Knights. Though that time was short lived for Yuri, the two still found time to see each other. Even if it was a small conversation, or a short sparring match, they made that effort. They had to. There was no one else they could trust as much as they did each other. No one that could connect to the pains they had faced, or know what they were thinking from the simple way they stared out a window, or up at the stars.

But that was back when things were simple.

Before Flynn had left on a pilgrimage, wondering if Yuri was ever going to do something good for himself.

Before Flynn had seen the wanted poster of Yuri.

Before Yuri soiled his hands in blood with the deaths of Ragou, and Cumore. When he took upon the burden of becoming the Don's second. The dark enforcer.

The two had been torn to walk down two separate paths, a Knight and a Vigilante; and Flynn worried that his best friend had been lost forever to a life of crime. Tied to the darkness. And he would have to be the one to end him.

"You're always there to make sure I don't go that far. If I get lost, you'll pull me out. Won't you Flynn?"

And he did. He always would. Losing Yuri would be losing part of himself. His other half. He did whatever he could to make sure that bond between them never broke.

It caused him to do things that others viewed as uncharacteristic.

It made him put himself in harm's way just to protect Yuri.

It made him exhausted, depressed and empty when Yuri vanished off Zaude.

It made Flynn stand side by side with him against an overwhelming group of monsters.

It made Flynn call Ioder to the middle of nowhere with no protest. To go along with the crazy scheme Yuri and the small guild had come up with that had been based off theory and could potentially not even work.

It made Flynn swell with pride when Yuri defeated the Adephagos.

It made him look into a mirror and say three words he should have said all along. After all, what was the Commandant of the Imperial Knights afraid of? So his eyes rose and looked upon his reflection once again.

"I love Yuri Lowell." and his smile cracked into a grin. Damn it felt so good to say it out loud like this.

"Now Commandant I'm sure you can do much better than Yuri Lowell." came a voice from behind Flynn, causing him to jump and abruptly turn around. His eyes narrowed and his cheeks flushed. "Y-Yuri, don't sneak up on me like that!" A weak attempt to change the subject.

"Oh but you're usually so good at keeping your guard up. I was surprised you didn't sense me when I first got here. The windows made such a racket." was Yuri's nonchalant reply. Flynn gaped at him before his eyebrow twitched in frustration.

"Whatever." he brushed past Yuri out of the bathroom and into his room.

"Still, a confession of love. I wasn't expecting that when I snuck in here." Yuri continued, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. "I hear some women like a bad boy but who would have thought the great Flynn Scifo liked em too..."

"Shut up!" Flynn snapped, embarrassed. "I already know I shouldn't! I don't think I normally ever would! But it's...it's different with you." Yuri fell silent and Flynn took this opportunity to make good use of it. After all those instances were pretty damn hard to come by with Yuri.

"It's not a matter of me doing better, or worse than you. You're the one I trust more than anyone. Care about more than anyone. You might have the stupid notion that there isn't a place for you by my side, but I'd rather walk forward alone than turn and see someone other than you there." he clenched his fists and looked away. "Damnit if you're going to make fun of me then just reject me and get it over with. I don't want this making everything jaded between us again." he concluded, breath coming out in small gasps as he attempted to calm down. For what felt like forever the air filled with an awkward suspense.

"Hey..." the gentle sound of Yuri's voice broke the momentary silence. "How long have you felt that way?" he asked. Fair question Flynn thought to himself.

"For as long as I can remember. When we made that promise to always be friends." he muttered shyly.

"Heh, guess you lose."

Lose? Flynn looked at Yuri, baffled. Then he paused. Well, they did say the first to fall in love was the loser...Flynn supposed he could take that as a gentle rejection. He had come to expect as much but it still...really hurt. His chest felt very heavy and he wanted his brain to tell his legs to move so he could get the hell out of there. Damnit why did Yuri have to hear him say he loved him? They could have just carried on with their lives like normal! Flynn would have been alright with Yuri never knowing his feelings, if it meant they would be friends forever.

"Cuz I've been at it longer." Yuri piped in, halting Flynn's thoughts in their tracks. Flynn's eyes opened and he shot a look at his best friend, who had turned his head to the side, trying to hide the faint blush gracing his cheeks.

"W-what?" Flynn stammered lamely. He felt like his lungs were filling up, making it difficult to breathe.

"For God's sake Flynn do you want me to spell it out for you? I've pretty much loved you forever." the raven-haired man explained, face now full on red in embarrassment. It didn't matter though, as Flynn darted from his spot and embraced Yuri, who in his surprise fell to the floor. Burying his face into the crook of Yuri's neck, Flynn smiled happily, taking it all in. The smell of Yuri, the warmth of his body against his. Even the nervous heartbeat the two shared at this very moment. He closed his eyes and drank it up. Flynn wanted to remember this forever. "Idiot, you should have just said that in the first place. I thought you were turning me down."

"The Empire's most prestigious Knight falling in love with me? An outlaw with a bad history from the slums. I can't wait to see the crushed looks of all the currently hopeful and single noblewomen's faces when they hear this. We just pissed off sooo many people." Yuri laughed without remorse. Flynn lifted his head and looked at Yuri before smacking his arm roughly. "For your sake I hope it's a hell of a lot more than that to you."

At that Yuri's face darkened into a dangerously playful expression, smirk reaching end to end. "Well, I could show you how much it means to me."

Flynn sighed. "How did I get the feeling you would immediately take this to the direction of sex?" Though he was expecting this reaction out of Yuri, he was kind of hoping for a more even-keeled pace than this. Yuri must have sensed this as well as he sighed, motioning for Flynn to get off him.

Yuri sat up and pouted. "Alright alright. You win." Flynn blinked. Wait, he won? In an argument against Yuri Lowell? This was a surefire sign of the apocalypse, NOT the Adephagos. Flynn started to grow suspicious so he began to mentally prepare himself for whatever retort Yuri would come up with to get his way. But he wasn't fast enough before Yuri spoke again. "I'll let the virgin Commandant get his beauty sleep."

Flynn felt something snap-most likely his patience-and pulled Yuri to his feet. "If I go to sleep at all then someone's not very adequate." he challenged.

"Oh-ho, it's on now. But don't come crying to me when you can't walk in the morning."

Never before had Flynn experienced such discomfort sitting in a chair as he did when he began his paperwork that morning. His head pounded painfully from lack of sleep and he closed the curtains to provide himself some relief. Flynn put a hand to his face to stave off the light intruding his darkened office and came to realize something he should have realized the night before.

Taunting Yuri Lowell in the bedroom was a very, very bad idea.

I read a lot of fics where Yuri ends up on bottom, and while I generally don't care who is where, so long as it's fun, I feel Yuri deserves a chance too. Lol. Happy Late Birthday Azi! I love you and I hope you enjoyed! You have inspired me to go back and play Tales of Vesperia myself. Ahhh True Knight Yuri is a beautiful thing. And for all the Flynn x Yuri fans out there, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO!

Thank you.

Rani