I know you guys are wondering why the hair coloring is weird and such. I'm trying to make this as believable as possible, thus we can't have Noa running around with blue hair. Even Joey's blonde hair would have been a little weird during that time. So hopefully that explains the confusion. I still don't own Yugioh.
Chapter 1 - Katsuya's POV
Four months. It had been four months since he had last seen Noa. In that time Katsuya had married Mai reluctantly and they now were set up in their own branch of the house. He was still not happy about sharing a futon with the young lady but he did it. He had mourned Noa. He wasn't sure if the boy was really dead but he might as well have been. Katsuya celebrated his nineteenth birthday alone. His new family offered to do something with him but Katsuya spent the day riding Noa's horse and the night curled up on their stone bench. He didn't realized how much he had fallen in love with the other boy but this had to be love; there was no other way to describe the gut wrenching pain he had felt when Lord Fujikara announced that Noa's body had been found floating in a river. Katsuya frowned again. He hadn't been allowed to view the body and Noa had been buried. The family had done the whole funeral process and Matsugo-no-mizu (water of the last moment). The whole family, that is, but Katsuya. For some reason unknown to the black haired male, he had not been allowed to participate in the mourning ceremony.
Katsuya was now laying back on their bench and listening to the soft rush of water coming for the fountain. He could just barely hear his wife talking with one of her sisters. Katsuya shuddered at the idea of his wife. He had kissed her but twice since Noa's death. Disappearance, not death, he told himself. There was no way Noa was dead he told himself again. He sighed and rolled off the bench gracefully, catching himself before walking back to his room. In the morning his wife (another shudder racked his body) and he would be traveling to the Imperial Palace to meet with the Emperor and announce Mai's younger sister as a lady of the court. The Fujikaras' were hoping to expand their family wealth by marrying off Hikaru to a relative of one of the other ladies-in-waiting's brother. Katsuya had gotten his father-in-law's permission to go along with Mai and Hikaru. It took a while to get it which bothered Katsuya as Lord Fujikara had never said no to him spending time with his wife and actually encouraged the contact. Katsuya shrugged and didn't bother to try and figure out the antics of his father-in-law. Katsuya just suffered through the days now awaiting the time where he could once again see his Noa. He knew deep down that Noa had to be alive and that they would meet each other again.
Chapter 2 – Serenity's POV
She laughed again at something Noa said. The past four months had all but flown by. She had been introduced to Seto, strangely enough by Noa, and they were a little more than friends now despite the angry glances Princess Misaki kept throwing her way. There was also a little jealousy amongst the other ladies of the court but they brushed it away happily. Noa had adapted well to life at court but Serenity could tell behind those crimson eyes and bright smile was the face of anguish she had seen the first night they'd met. After that he had stayed close to Serenity and Kaneko. Sometimes she would catch him wandering in the garden crying or, rather, he caught Seto and her in the garden.
Late night wanderings were more than just common place now for her and Seto, unless Seto had guard duty the next day. For some reason there were less and less young men coming to be guards for the Emperor as more and more stayed home to be Samurai on their own land. This stretched the men who were willing to guard the royal family slightly thin. Seto, himself was more than happy to take on extra duties but Serenity knew of some who didn't share his cheery air. "Why don't you go home and protect your land as opposed to staying here?" she had once tentatively asked Seto. The man smiled and shook his head. "All of Japan is my land and the best way to protect it is to protect her ruler," he had retorted, puffing out his chest in pride. She had laughed, the reaction he was hoping for, and gave him a look that told him she didn't believe him.
"Alright, well, maybe it's because I have four brothers, all older then me. I'm not really.." He had trailed off as she started to nod in understanding. Serenity herself had written home a few times and each return letter said the family was fine and to stay and enjoy herself. For the past month or so she had been sitting at the Empress' side, a place of high honor amongst the courtiers. The Empress had seemed to relax around Serenity, and the younger girl was even asked to join her for private sessions. Serenity had impressed the older woman with her quick thinking and skill with a needle. Things were finally looking up for her.
She hummed softly to herself as she watched Seto go through a series of sword thrusts. They were currently lazing in the practice room, well she was lazing. Noa was wandering around thrusting his own sword at a wooden dummy. One particularly hard thrust caught the dummy in the chest and as Noa pulled the sword back he fell over. Serenity broke out in laughter as Noa stood up, blinking at the metal sword sticking out of the dummy's chest. Seto smiled and reached out for the sword, pulling hard to get it unstuck from it's wooden sheath. Walking over, Seto sat down next to Serenity and wrapped an arm around her waist. Leaning in she kissed him quickly on the cheek. Serenity's gaze went passed Seto and landed on Noa who was staring at the couple with a very unhappy look on his face. Noticing her watching him Noa turned away and all but ran out of the room. Serenity started to stand up to go after him but Seto, oblivious to the silent exchange, pulled her into another kiss. She smiled and resigned herself to him.
Chapter 3 – Noa's POV
Noa's breath came out in short gasps but not because he had been running. Tears stung at his eyes and he threw himself onto his futon. Even after six months he was still angry. Still so sad and defeated. He remembered the night when his father had all but dragged him off his futon. The elder man's face was filled with rage as he screamed in a quiet voice for him to pack. Noa, still half asleep and very much confused, did as he was told. His father then hustled him to a waiting wagon filled with his belongings and set the driver off.
Noa had then begun to fall back asleep despite being afraid for what was going on. His biggest fear was that Katsuya would forget about him while he was gone. That had jerked him out of his sleepy state easily. He had crawled to the front of the wagon and inquired of the driver where they were going and how long would he have to stay there. From the looks of the cargo it didn't appear he would be gone long but with his father acting so strangely he wanted to know. The driver had just gave him a grim smile and kept driving. The trip was quiet and long, lasting about a day with only a few stops to eat along the way.
They had arrived at the palace early in the morning and Noa had been allowed to rest for about three hours before he had been presented to the Empress. Apparently, feeling pity on him, the Empress wanted to turn him into a pet of sorts. From there as the months progressed the Empress had confided in him and made him a runner who carried her written messages to others in the palace and back. Noa hadn't minded the running around too badly but then one of the cooks mentioned that he was here to become Princess Hoshi's husband. He had inquired of the Empress as to whether or not these rumors where true and the gentle lady laughed and told him no. Noa had felt great relief at this and had continued to perform the duties asked of him.
During this time he had been introduced to Seto. Seto changed everything about the way he had been living. For starters, instead of living in a room off the Royal family's chambers, he was transferred to sharing a room with Seto and Kaoru. The two older men had then begun to teach him sword play and guard duties. Noa thought being a guard would be much better than being some royal woman's husband. Plus in some twisted thinking he thought that learning the art of sword fighting kept him closer to Katsuya, who was quite the warrior himself. From there it was just a matter of conforming to court's everyday life. He had met Serenity about a week after first arriving.
The evening was warm with gentle breezes floating on the wind. It was around mid-spring and the sakura blossoms were just starting to open up. Noa had been swapping stories with Kaneko while Serenity and Seto whispered sweet nothings that Noa was steadily ignoring. The white haired boy had just happened to glance towards the door when three people had walked by. Two women and one boy. Noa turned back to Kaneko, then white hair flew into his eyes as he did a quick retake of the party in passing. Noa narrowed his eyes and got up from where he was sitting. He pattered over to the door and hung his head out it. Yes, he knew them. A scowl crossed his face as he looked at Mai and his younger sister Hikaru. Then his eyes wandered to the boy with them. Could it be? Noa silently asked himself. He followed them into the hall. "Katsuya?" He called out. A smile broke across his face as the other boy turned towards him.