Disclaimer: I do not own No Money / Okane ga Nai or The Beauty and the Beast.

Without knowing how to love, I only hurt you. How much meaning have I been able to build up?

J E W E L S (alicenine.)

Kanou did not know how to love the one he most certainly loved. The younger boy was just too fragile and weak to be dangerously loved by the beast he was. No matter what he did, Ayase was scared. No matter how scary it was, Ayase had to put up with his fear and let the older man do what he wanted. He couldn't defy the one who saved him. He couldn't defy the one he loved himself. But Kanou did not know this. He never heard the blond say, "I love you," without bursting into tears or running away. He never even got a kiss from Ayase, except when the boy was drunk or on the verge of a very long waterfall that fell from the large blue eyes that he had.

This certain beast wanted something from the poor princess. But no matter how much he wanted it, he couldn't get it. He wouldn't ever. Kanou always forced things onto Ayase. The blond was used to the suddenness of his actions but he was not used to whatever it was. Everyday was a merry-go-round. It spun and spun in the same direction, it played the same music, and had the same horses. But no matter which horse he sat on, no matter how close he was to the horse that Ayase sat on, he could never fully reach a hand out for his love. He sometimes fell off his horse at times of accelerating speed, sometimes he just was too scared. Scared to touch Ayase. Scared to break his love...

The man woke up. What a nightmare. He looked around for his love. He wanted to hug Ayase right now. He was afraid that the blond had flew away and disappeared from his sight. It was a scary thought. He got up from his large couch in which he fell asleep on. "Ayase?"

He checked his chamber first and then the bower where Ayase slept. He was not there. He then checked the gallery and then the privy and the bathroom. No soul in sight. He checked the kitchen, pantry and many storerooms. No one. "Ayase?" He was frantic now. Had the young boy really left? Did he really fly away and go back to the heaven he belonged to? "Ayase?" He looked into the wardrobe room. Nope. The casemate. Was he there? No. The dungeon. No way he would be there, would he? In the great hall, Kanou stopped. Where was Ayase?

He then went out to the nearest balcony for a breath. Closing his eyes, he sighed. When he reopened them, something caught his eye down below. A bush of bright yellow was hiding among the green ones that grew around. It was Ayase. He was in the rose garden of the front bailey. Kanou called to him. "Ayase!"

The said boy looked up. He smiled and called back, "Kanou-san."

Kanou ran for the stairs. He hopped down three steps at a time. There was no need to rush, really. But Kanou was so glad that his princess had not left him as he thought. When he got to the archway that led to the large rose garden, he slowed down into a walk and went along the stone path to Ayase. When he spotted the blond, he quickened his pace and walked straight up to him.

Ayase had heard footsteps, and the only person that would be walking in the castle other than him would be the beast, Kanou. No one was ever allowed in the castle except themselves and some intruders that occasionally came and those people were Gion and Someya-san. The two twin butlers, Kuba-san, were sometimes allowed in the castle, but only when Kanou needed them. When Ayase once asked about how they get here (the castle) so fast, Kanou told him that they live in a house near the castle.

As Kanou drew closer and closer, Ayase got up from his huddled position and turned around to face the beast. What surprised him was that when he fully made a 180 degree turn to face Kanou, the older man pulled him in to a hug. "Kanou-san?"

"Just stay like this for a while," was the answer. And for a while, they hugged as the beast wanted. In between though, Ayase began chuckling to himself. Kanou let go and asked, "What's wrong?"

The blond smiled, his cerulean eyes sparkling in the sun. "It's nothing, really. It's just that... I was wondering why you hugged me so suddenly."

The beast stared at his princess before answering, "Because... I thought that you had disappeared on me."

"Eh?"

"Nevermind that. Let me hold you." Kanou wrapped his arms around Ayase once more. For another while did they stay in that position. They stood there in the middle of the vast rose garden that the beast had built just for Ayase. Suddenly, Kanou said, "Ayase. What are you wearing?"

Ayase blushed. The older man had always told him to wear a dress, but today, he wore a raggedy white shirt with shorts – the kind of wear a normal orphan like him would wear. Before Ayase could defend himself, he noticed Kanou's own clothes. He giggled at the sight. "Look at yourself!"

The beast did. And what he saw made him blush. He was still in his sleepwear. The violet silk of his robe shone brightly in the warm weather. The dark slippers burned of rage from being out in the sun. His bed hair danced with the wind. They both burst out laughing.

"Let's go get changed, shall we?" Kanou stretched out a hand for his princess.

Ayase took it and smiled. "Yes."

A/N: The beginning was a bit odd, since I kept twisting and turning it, but please bear with me. I hate beginning things T^T; Also, there may be some OOCness in future chapters. Just letting you know ^^ ~SEi

This site helped with the rooms of a castle: http:/www[dot]castles[dot]me[dot]uk/rooms-in-a-medieval-castle[dot]htm