This is for Rani and Asuka. I know I haven't been updating my fics or anything lately but honestly I've been lacking motivation to write. Actually I've been demotivated to do anything lately. I've just been really depressed and current events aren't helping at all. It's a tough situation and it only gets tougher by the day. But no matter what's going on these two individuals bear through whatever I do and smack me out of it. Or at least put up with it. Which is no easy task believe me. I got the idea while I was at work and planned it out during my break. As soon as I got home I jumped to the computer almost literally to get started while it was fresh in my head. They told me to write something that makes me happy. So without further interruption, aside from the annoying disclaimer, here is my appreciation story for them.

Disclaimer – I do NOT own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters associated to it. If I did there'd be a whole lot of yaoi. XD

The moon was full that night, much like the one Niou stood under right now as he glanced up at the sky and smiled nonchalantly. He was alone, for now anyways, as he'd left his home to run an errand. It was a warm night and the stars shone brilliantly in the sky. He wore a light jacket as it wasn't cold but he knew by the time he got home he'd be glad he brought it. Last time led to strict bed rest and lots of sneezing. And if there was anything Niou couldn't stand, it was being stuck in one place for a while.

The sight above him brought back so many memories of the past. It was a night just like this when he'd first fallen in love. So much has happened since then…he thought as the deep pools reflected the bright moon above him. He reminisced for a while before casting his gaze to the ground beneath him and continuing on his way.

Yagyuu had become a regular within his first week of entering the club; the upperclassmen just didn't know it yet. The one really in charge was Yukimura; he chose to manipulate things from the background for now, until it was time to make his move to make himself Captain. When he had, he already knew who his Regulars would consist of and how he'd polish them to become two time champions.

"Play doubles with me." Niou propositioned one day after a long practice.

"Pardon?" Yagyuu asked politely. From their first encounter and everything he'd come to know about this Niou Masaharu he could definitely say he didn't want to be playing with this individual.

"I said, play doubles with me." Niou repeats, this time taking a step forward from the doorway and closing the door behind him. Yagyuu felt somewhat trapped, especially with the look he was getting from Niou. As if the Trickster was toying with his prey.

"I prefer to play alone. I'm sorry but I must decli-" Yagyuu started, but was silenced as he stepped back against the wall. Niou had moved so fast it had given him no time to react otherwise. Niou looked up at him, his body mere inches apart from Yagyuu's. It made him heavily uncomfortable to be this close to someone. And Niou knew.

"You say it like I'm giving you an option." He says with a dark undertone. Yagyuu held his breath and waited for Niou to make a move, to say something, anything. But he didn't. Seconds turned to minutes and he held Niou's gaze with his own. Then he noticed…

There was something different about Niou's eyes. Normally they sparked with a dangerous fire that burned anyone who dared to go against him. However this time…there was determination. A drive that Yagyuu believes he has never seen before.

"It'll work. We'll be unstoppable. There's something about us…about what our combination could be…that will make us better than any doubles pair we face. All you have to do is trust me…just this once. I just know." Before Yagyuu could open his mouth to say anything, Niou had smirked and returned to his usual self before stepping back and leaving. Niou wasn't going to take no for an answer…but he could pretend to let Yagyuu think about it.

He already knew what his answer would be.

When Yagyuu had come to practice the next day, to Niou's locker before anything else and told him, "Let's do it." Niou's smile cheshired and he patted Yagyuu's shoulder, causing the Gentleman to visibly shy back. "Excellent. Don't get too jumpy around me Yeaaahgyuu~, I'll be breaking down these barriers of yours very soon."

Niou shivered slightly as the air started to cool and pulled his jacket closer. He waited at the train station for the last ride, the one that would take him home where he'd be safe and warm. Where he'd be with him. He'd been warned to not leave so late and to just wait for the morning, but Niou would have none of that. This was too important to have wait for the morning. He'd promised to make it as quick as he could and left before his partner could argue.

"Man it never gets old, watching those arrogant bastards think they can beat us and then trounce them into tomorrow, eh Yeaaahgyuu~?" Niou asks as the two sit together on the bus. After an incredibly easy thrashing on their part, the tennis team boarded the bus and started the ride back to Rikkai. Yagyuu's nod is all that Niou gets and he simply shrugs, leaning back in his seat. "What's the matter? You haven't said a word to me since the match ended." Once again Yagyuu is silent. Niou knows better by now that he's not going to get an answer, at least not at this time, so he sighs and stares out the window. As soon as he feels Niou's eyes off him, Yagyuu takes a breath and tries to relax.

But he can't. He still can't shake the image of Niou on the ground, shouting out in pain and the blood pouring from the open wound on his head.

He can't forget the way his heart froze over and he drops the façade as well as his jaw as he runs over to help his double's partner.

He'll never forget that once Niou is on the bench he smirks with a Puri~ and the illusion is revealed. It was a lie and he'd managed to shock everyone. The opponents are shaken and worried, thrown off balance and he'd even fooled Yagyuu into believing it also.

What's worse…Yagyuu can't forgive that he let himself feel his world stop for someone like Niou.

Someone like Niou…what does that mean? He wonders as he gets lost in thought, tuning out the idle chatter of the Regulars around him. Niou was the Trickster, he knew that Niou got into his opponent's head and threw off their game. He had the uncanny ability to read people just from looking at them. Yagyuu knew this, and he should have known that the stunt Niou had pulled was just that, a stunt. It wasn't real. He wasn't honest, he was a liar and a deceiver, and he'd done both to his doubles partner.

On the other hand he saw the Niou that no one else saw. The one that took care of his older sister and younger brother. He protected them from his abusive parents and he'd come to school acting like nothing was wrong, even starting off with a prank to push away any concern. But when they were alone Niou would confide everything to Yagyuu. He'd tell him that he couldn't wait to get away, that he'd find a place to call home and would work for himself, instead of others. That he would get his brother and sister out of there, somehow. Yagyuu saw the Niou that loved video games, who knew how to cook and enjoyed building things, who stared at the sky when he was lost in thought or thinking of better times. The Niou that had a weakness for cats and the Niou that would wait for him and walk with him to school, smile wide as they talked about a new tennis strategy or what Niou had up his sleeve.

That smile…Yagyuu had never seen him use it with anyone else. When he honestly thought about it, he wondered why Niou would recruit and spend time with someone like himself anyways. He assumed that people like him probably pissed Niou off or bored him extensively. Why was he so different?

"Oi, Yagyuu, we're here." Niou called out, and Yagyuu looked up at him still lost in thought. He nodded and stood up, getting off the bus to join the rest of the Regulars. "Everyone did well to win their matches today…" Yukimura started. Everyone waited for the rest…because there was always more with Yukimura. "However there is a lot to work on in terms of speed. Renji will have your new weights when you come to morning practice tomorrow. Until then, rest well and see you bright and early tomorrow." He gave the nod to dismiss everyone. The three demons began their walk home together and Marui had begun dragging Jackal off to get snacks. Kirihara followed suit, which left Niou and Yagyuu alone. "I'll see you tomorrow at practice." Yagyuu said as he started to walk home. Niou blinked, offset by the cold attitude he was getting.

"Hold on, you're mad at me and you still haven't told me why! I'm not just going to let you fester some pisstivity to unleash at me during warm ups. No way." Niou shouted, jogging to catch up to Yagyuu. "Why don't you just be the Gentleman you are and show some diplomacy? Talk to me."

Yagyuu ignored Niou and walked as quickly as he possibly could home. Which was no easy feat as Niou was on his heels the entire time. Sighing, Yagyuu gave up trying to lose the Petenshi and allowed Niou to catch up and walk alongside him. He looked over and caught Niou looking up at the sky. What is he thinking about? Yagyuu pondered. Was Niou really that affected by his silence? Yagyuu found himself looking up too. The sun had disappeared below the horizon some time ago and the vast sky above them was littered with shimmering stars. They paled in comparison to the moon, which stood bright and full, proud amongst the tiny specks of stars. Not a word was spoken during this time. They just enjoyed the view and took it for what it was. It wasn't until Yagyuu's house came into view that Niou grabbed his arm. "Yagyuu I'm serious. If I did something wrong I want you to tell me. We can't let this partnership fall apart, Sadobuchou will kill us if we suck at practice." He looked Yagyuu over, but he couldn't tell what was bothering him so much. Yagyuu would hardly look at him.

"Do you…"

Niou focused his attention back to Yagyuu as he started to speak.

"Do you think so little of me that you'd not inform me of the trick you pulled today?"

"Oh you're mad at me for that? Come on Yagyuu, I had to fool you too, otherwise they wouldn't believe it." Yagyuu clenched his fist slightly, and Niou could see he'd tensed up. "Nevertheless Niou-kun…" Niou cocked his head to the side. What was Yagyuu getting at here? "I was really worried about you! I don't like being played as the fool like all the others. I could have pretended, you've been teaching me the trade. Weren't you the one that asked me to trust you?" Niou's eyes fell to the ground. He'd really worried Yagyuu? He didn't know what to make of that. "We're partners Niou-kun…don't scare me like that again." Yagyuu reached out and lifted Niou's chin, looking into his eyes. Niou's widened. That was the first time Yagyuu'd touched him since they met. Their eyes remained locked for what felt like forever and Niou felt his pulse race and his heart pound. Then it was over; Yagyuu pulled away and smiled, the mask down and his soul bare for Niou to see. Niou smiled back as Yagyuu turned and started home once more. "Hey Yagyuu…"

Yagyuu turned his head to acknowledge Niou. "I'll call you when I get home…" He watched Yagyuu smile that smile one more time that night. "I'd appreciate that. Thank you Niou-kun. I'll talk to you soon then."

"Masaharu."

"Hmm?" Yagyuu asked, turning to face Niou this time. "I want you to call me Masaharu…when we pull off this switch and fool everyone…" Niou looked away but wasn't fast enough to hide the blush from Yagyuu's sight. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the trickster. What is going on in that head of his? I wish I could read him as well I he can me...

"We'll see…I normally don't refer to anyone I'm not close to by their first name." He stated and Niou looked back at him. "I'll have to fix that then. You will know me inside and out by the time we do this…Who knows, you may even fall for me in the process." Niou teased. He had no idea what Yagyuu preferred but he had a feeling it wasn't guys. Yagyuu just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please be careful on your way home Niou-kun." Niou chuckled and let Yagyuu continue on his way. When he saw Yagyuu go inside his house Niou looked up at the moon. He smiled and shook his head, closing his eyes. He recalled the look on Yagyuu's face just a few moments ago. His fingers were so warm against Niou's skin. His heart was beating so loud in his chest then…It still was Niou'd realized.

"Listen to me…telling you not to fall for me…" He took a breath and turned around to head home. "When it's me that's already fallen for you…"

Niou rubbed his hands together as he finally boarded the train, absorbing all the warmth he could by sitting next to a heater. He smiled as he continued to think of the old days. Back then Yagyuu fancied quite a few girls at their school. When Niou met them…he found them utterly fake and unworthy. Some he had to…dispatch of and others Yagyuu himself shook his head and let them down gently, all the while wondering what he'd seen in them. Niou had never cared for girls. They were needy and false. At least to him. It didn't help that his mother beat him and his sister didn't do much of anything. "Haa, I remember another memorable face Hiroshi made…" he said to no one in particular and closed his eyes.

"Seriously Yagyuu?" he was in disbelief. For one this girl was way too loud and obnoxious and two, she was not one week ago talking about how much she loved Yukimura. Of course Niou was biased against girls but he knew for the most part what Yagyuu liked in a girl and she had nothing he wanted.

"It's not so much for me as it is for my parents. They want me to get close to her, so our parents can meet." He replied, rather disinterested in the conversation. He wasn't thrilled about his parent's business but he was stuck listening to their wishes anyways. Niou reached over and stole some of Yagyuu's lunch. "So let me get this straight, you're going to go out with her just so your parents will get off your back? That's bullshit."

Yagyuu gave him a reprimanding glance before looking back to his lunch. "Language aside, there's not much else I can do Niou-kun. Have your parents ever talked to you about marrying rich or anything?"

Niou shrugged passively and sipped on his juice box. "Nah, my parents don't give a shit who I date. Could be a girl, or a guy. Either way if I don't cause them any problems then it's pretty much free reign." Yagyuu nearly choked on his food. A guy? Come to think of it, Niou did get rather snappy with girls. He never looked interested in any of them, and he did attract a lot of females. They liked the 'untamable bad boy' in him. But he'd always brush them off or ignore their affections, rather irritated about it when he met Yagyuu before afternoon practice. "Niou-kun tell me something.." he started then stopped. It was really none of his business when he thought about it. Niou was free to date whomever he pleased, no matter the gender. But did Niou have a preference? He scolded himself mentally. When was he so curious about Niou? It didn't make any difference to their tennis…he didn't need to know…did he?

"If you were going to ask what I think you were going to ask…" Niou began with a smirk. He had a feeling where that was going. It was getting easier by the day to read Yagyuu. He was an open book to the Petenshi. He liked that very much… "Then I'll tell you. You are my partner after all…" There was a brief moment of silence between the two before Niou leaned in over the desk to get closer to Yagyuu. "I don't like girls. They disgust me. They're clingy and whiny. They proclaim false love and they giggle like morons. I think they are deceivers…more so than I am. I know some guys aren't much better than them but…I feel comfortable around them." Yagyuu hid his shock well enough so no one else could tell but Niou could tell. He smiled a little at causing such a reaction. However…he also felt a little sad. "Does it make you uncomfortable that your doubles partner's gay Yagyuu?"

Gay…

He'd said it. Yagyuu could not believe that he said it. And so whimsically too, as if he'd practiced that in case anyone asked him. Niou had a thing for guys. Yagyuu shook his head. Why would that bother him? It didn't change who Niou was. He was like this before the two had even met. He didn't see anything wrong with it. "No it doesn't." Niou raised an eyebrow skeptically. Yagyuu did not seem like someone that would condone such a thing but would not approve of it either. "You are still Niou-kun. Always have been. You don't force anything on me. Your sexual preference does not make me uncomfortable. Unless you have a boyfriend when we switch…I prefer not to kiss him in your place."

Niou laughed at that. "Nah I don't have a boyfriend either. I like guys but I haven't found anyone I don't think I'll scare away just yet. I guess you can say I'm still waiting for the one. What a load of crock right?" Yagyuu chose not to answer that and simply finished his lunch. Niou didn't say anything either and they both ate in silence. It wasn't until Yagyuu finished and they were both looking over a magazine right before break ended that Niou spoke up once more. "You aren't scared of me are you Yagyuu?" he asked.

"No, of course not. I'll admit at first when I met you I was a little. Now I'm more appalled by your lack of manners and your speech." Niou chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. That would probably never change. And the two of them knew that. So neither said anything about that. The people around them started to leave or enter the classroom depending on whether or not it was their class when the bell rang. "Hey Yagyuu…"

"Yes?" he looked up just in time to catch Niou's face closing in on his. He stopped before anything happened…like a kiss and Yagyuu fought a blush more than ever at that moment. What on earth? He wasn't really going to try anything was he? I don't think so…but knowing Niou-kun…I really can't be sure…

"Once you put together the clues and signs…it tells me that you may be the one I'm looking for. What do you say? I'd make it worth your while…" his eyes twinkled dangerously and his smirk stretched across his face. Yagyuu stammered and stumbled over his words…or lack thereof and Niou burst out laughing. "I'm only fuckin with you. You like girl parts. It's fine. I'll see ya later. And wipe that look off your face, you'll scare the girls away." He ran out of the classroom in a fit of laughs and Yagyuu let out a grunt of frustration. Did he have to make him a victim of teasing and torture also?

I'd make it worth your while…

Yagyuu shook his head. Why did he just think about that? He had no interest in guys, and even IF he did, it wouldn't be for Niou!

Would it?

If that were true…why was his face still red? And why couldn't he get that image of Niou's smirk out of his head? It seemed a little more seductive that usual. Wait…seductive? Yagyuu ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm down. What was Niou up to this time? Unable to focus, Yagyuu raised his hand and asked to be excused. He needed to splash some water on his face. He needed to recollect himself. And he definitely needed to stop thinking about Niou.

Meanwhile Niou sat in his desk and stared out the window. Yep…that look on Yagyuu's face was definitely one for the books…

For once the train didn't take unnecessary stops so Niou had made it to his in relatively decent time. He got off and pulled his jacket even tighter around him. It was definitely much colder than it had been earlier that evening but it would all be worth it in the end. At least he hoped it would. He'd been dreaming of this for as long as he could remember. Before the two were even dating. Before they'd shared their first kiss. It all happened so fast for Yagyuu but to Niou it felt like he'd waited forever. And it would feel like an eternity before anyone else even knew about it. But the others didn't matter as much as Yagyuu did. To Niou, he was the most important one.

When Niou Masaharu and Yagyuu Hiroshi made their relationship public, most if not the entire tennis team already knew about it. It was really no secret to them as they could just tell that something special was going on between them. If one hardly knew them or were simply passing by, they would see nothing special about the two. 'They look like classmates' is what most say. But to the Regulars, they could see the smile would slip from sly and devious to genuine and sweet when Niou looked at Yagyuu. Or Yagyuu's façade voluntarily and involuntarily dropped around Niou and Niou alone. It was Yanagi who'd first discovered it, before anyone else. He'd gone to lock up the clubroom one day, as Sanada was visiting Yukimura in the hospital, and he'd overheard the two confessing to each other. He decided to keep this information to himself and simply let the two be, calculating how long it would be before they told anyone they were together. It had taken them almost an entire year but eventually they opened up about it. They received smiles and congratulations from the regulars. Yukimura told them 'It's about time you said something' and Sanada remained his usual, quiet self. Yanagi translated that stoic appearance as 'He's happy for you' and Kirihara ambushed them with questions of 'Who's the man and who's the woman?' or 'When you….you know…do it, how DO you do it? Did you two actually do it?' Answering such questions was definitely going to get Niou in trouble with Yagyuu so he smirked evilly and gave the young devil a noogie and a 'Puri~'. Though they both knew the answers to those. Yagyuu was most definitely seme…Niou preferred it that way in fact. He hated relinquishing control to anyone but Yagyuu…made him horribly submissive and it was a thrill he embraced each time. But he would never consent to being called a woman. XD

"You don't need to be asking things like that, you're still a brat who has years of growing up to do first. Wait until you're older."

Kirihara struggled against his senpai's grip and frowned. "You're only a year older than me! You shouldn't know that stuff either!" Niou released him and looked at Yagyuu, who'd simply chosen to remain silent and watch things unfold. "But I do because I'm smart."

Yagyuu coughed oh so subtly.

"Mean!" Niou pouted. His boyfriend was so cold. Yagyuu cracked a small smile, enough to tell Niou 'I tease' before slipping back into the mask of gentlemanly stature. Niou smiled and moved to face his partner. "Now that practice is over why don't we go and…reacquaint ourselves with each other's anatomy?" he asked, sliding an arm around Yagyuu's waist and pulling him against him. Yagyuu sighed in annoyance. "Masaharu just because the others know about us now doesn't give us the right to openly say such things." Niou raised an eyebrow and smirked. He loved the way Yagyuu said his name. He knew it would be special coming from him and he was right. "Oh but I think it does Hiroshi…I think it does…it could be worse." The smirk only grew when Yagyuu gave him a look of 'How could it be worse?'

"We could just drop and do it right in front of them." He answered. Yagyuu felt his cheeks grow hot and he knew he was blushing, which only served to egg Niou on even more. He liked to pull the Gentleman out of his shell. He did it quite often when the two of them first started out. "Point…now please let go of me." Niou complied, albeit reluctantly, but not before he placed a kiss on the older man's lips and smiled impishly. "You are fortunate that I fancy you." Yagyuu said, pushing up his glasses, which told Niou he was still a little nervous about being this open with the others around. Niou smiled a bit and rested his arm on Yagyuu's shoulder. "Fancy? I'd rather you not say that. It sounds so stuffy."

"Would 'I love you' suit your neediness?" Yagyuu asked.

Niou smirked. "That would do just fine."

He ran up the stairs with relative ease. All the years of tennis he'd been playing really paid off. When he thought about it, he and Yagyuu never had a big fight or drama like their friends with their relationships. Niou and Yagyuu changed, albeit in ways that didn't affect anything in their partnership. Unless it was to make it stronger than it was before. They were still known as the Platinum Pair, the official D1, and it didn't look like anyone would change that before their last year of University. The only things different about them was Yagyuu had finally told his parents about he and Niou and moved out of the house and in with Niou. And Niou had successfully managed to get his little brother and his sister away from his parents and with relatives that would actually take care of them. Didn't mean that they wanted to see Niou at all…but he was used to everyone looking at him like he wouldn't amount to anything. He cared very little what most thought of him. The only ones he cared about knew he was smart and talented. Yagyuu would never let him forget that. And Yukimura wouldn't let him leave the club even if he wanted to, so he always had the Regulars. Niou unlocked the door and stepped inside, shivering as the wave of heat hit him. He took off his jacket and tossed it in the closet. Yagyuu would find it and scold him for it later. "Hiroshi? I'm back.."

There was no answer at first but as Niou stepped into the living room he saw Yagyuu immersed in one of his mystery novels he just smiled and watched him. He could tell from the way Yagyuu was sitting in the chair that he was worried about Niou. It was only then that Yagyuu pulled his feet up on the chair close to his body. Yagyuu saw Niou when he went to turn the page and closed the book, getting up and walking over to him quickly. "Masaharu it's almost midnight. Are you alright? You didn't answer your cell phone at all." Niou blinked at that.

"Yea I'm fine, just had a bit of a problem with that business I needed to take care of. I had the phone on silent and I was preoccupied getting things taken care of…I'm sorry Hiroshi. I didn't mean to worry you." He pulled Yagyuu close and brushed his lips against his sweetly. Yagyuu's tension bled from his body and he smiled. As long as Niou was ok, he could forgive his reckless Petenshi. This time… "So what on earth did you need to take care of that had you leave the house so late?" he asked. He was horribly curious. Another quality that had rubbed off on him a long time ago from his boyfriend. Niou smiled and gave Yagyuu his signature smirk. "Puri~ it's a secret." He looked up at the clock and realized it was about that time. "Go put a jacket on and meet me on the roof." Yagyuu cocked his head to the side. On the roof? This late at night? He would question this but Niou was already out the door. He knew that whatever it was, Niou would not accept refusal, so he went to the closet, seeing Niou's jacket carelessly cast on the floor and shook his head. He took the time to put it on a hangar before grabbing his own jacket and sliding it on, closing the door behind him and heading to the stairs. Upon reaching the roof, he looked around for Niou but couldn't see him. "Masaharu where are you?" he called out.

"I'm up here." He answered, and Yagyuu looked up. Niou held his hand out and Yagyuu took it, being pulled to the very top of the building. Yagyuu looked out at all the lights of the city below and smiled. It was a beautiful view. "This is wonderful Masaharu but was there a reason you had to show me this right now?" he questioned. Niou chuckled. "Ya, there is. Look I have a present for you…but there's a string attached."

This time Yagyuu chuckled. "Why am I not at all surprised? That sounds just like you Masaharu."

"Just trust me."

Yagyuu also knew by now that when Niou said those three words…that he should indeed listen. He had not led Yagyuu astray after saying that yet. In fact it brought him happiness he could only dream of before Niou. Niou brought him so many things, and taught him so much. That he should do what he wanted with his life, not what his parents wanted. That someone could love him even though he didn't know what he was. Niou have given him an identity, showed him that he could love and be loved, despite his faults. Yagyuu thought true love was only in novels but now…he wasn't so sure. It was definitely real for him. He looked back and in Niou's hands there were three flowers. Roses to be exact. Each a different color.

"Masaharu what are those?"

"Roses." He answered simply. Yagyuu held back a sigh.

What a smartass.

"I mean what are they for?"

"This one represents your past." Niou gave him the yellow rose. "In the beginning…we were just friends…actually we were just people who knew each other…we weren't really friends…but…I don't have a rose that symbolizes that…so just play along." Yagyuu chuckled good-humoredly and nodded. Either way, it was sweet and Yagyuu ran his fingers over the silk petals fondly.

"This one represents your present." Yagyuu received the red rose and pondered what that meant. Red symbolized passionate love. Which was certainly accurate between the two of them. Niou smiled and Yagyuu knew he'd gotten it right without having said a word.

"And this…" Niou took a step closer and placed the white rose in Yagyuu's hands; on it's side and looked at him. "Represents your future." Yagyuu was about to mull over what the white could possibly mean but he caught the string attached to the stem of the rose. He chuckled. When Niou said a string attached…he wasn't kidding. His eyes traced the path of the string to Niou's fourth finger…but something else caught his eye and he went back.

There between the rose and Niou's finger…on the string…

Was a ring.

Yagyuu looked up at Niou in shock. "Masaharu…"

"I'm not one for speeches so I'm just going to say what comes from the heart. I love you. More than I've ever loved anyone or will ever love anyone. I don't deserve a lot of things in life but I asked for you and I got you…now I'm asking you to stay with me forever. Hell longer than forever. Some people only dream of having what we have…And I'd like to keep that going. I want to wake up to you everyday and live this fairy tale life…though neither of us believed in it at first. Yagyuu Hiroshi..." he ran the fingers on his right hand against Yagyuu's cheek. "You're gonna marry me right?" Yagyuu couldn't help the mixture of tears and laughter as Niou added his personal flair to the occasion. He was so overwhelmed but in a pleasant way. He never doubted that they would get to this point…but he couldn't figure out why Niou chose now to pop the question. "I'd be a fool to say no Masaharu."

"Then be the smart man I know you are and say yes. If you need incentive…I've got plenty of it…" he leaned in and kissed Yagyuu, gently at first but growing steadily passionate. Yagyuu's eyes fluttered closed as he reciprocated the kiss with equal intensity. The world dissolved around them and he could feel Niou's heart beat heavily against his own, almost in perfect sync. He knew his answer all along. They shared that moment for what felt like eternity before Niou pulled away.

"You didn't need it but I'm glad you were so willing to share…Masaharu…I will most definitely marry you." Niou's smile was the happiest Yagyuu had seen since he'd moved in with the Trickster. The ring was removed from the rose and placed on Yagyuu's finger where it belonged and Niou handed him the last rose since Yagyuu accepted his future. Yagyuu smiled, his heart about to burst with happiness when he'd realized…

"Did the power go out?" he looked out at the city and sure enough…the lights were out. Niou paused. "It sure looks that way. Hmm I'll bet I can fix that." Yagyuu looked at him in disbelief. "Masaharu you can do many things but repair a power outage?" Niou tsked and waved a finger. "Have faith my love." He turned away from Yagyuu for a few moments, and Yagyuu saw a flicker of light before Niou turned around and held up a candle. Yagyuu raised an eyebrow. "That's not going to fix anything."

Niou chuckled. His boyfriend…er…fiancé had no imagination. "Yes huh, just you watch." He held out the candle towards the city. "I'll bet you've wondered why I chose to do this now, eh Hiroshi?" The Gentleman hmm'ed a confirmation. He was indeed curious to know what inspired the Trickster's timing. "Alright then…" he blew out the candle and motioned for Yagyuu to look out at the city once more. The lights in certain areas began to flicker back to life, but stopped at a specific point. Yagyuu's eyes widened when he'd pieced together the last bit of this night's puzzle.

Below where the selected lights shone, spelled a simple message.

Happy Birthday Hiroshi.

Yagyuu choked out a broken version of Niou's name before he threw his arms around his love and kissed him once more. This surprised Niou but he was not disappointed with the reaction. He kissed him in return and held him close. "Happy Birthday Hiroshi. Hope you don't mind but that present was for me as well." He teased. Yagyuu managed a laugh among the happy tears. He was hardly a man that showed his true emotions but now…now it was just him and the one he loved. The one who knew even if he tried to hide them. It was ok and it was just so wonderful. Niou was amazing. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me…I'm quite happy to share this present with you." They shared a few short kisses before Yagyuu finally pulled away. By that point the lights in the city had been fully restored and life resumed for everyone else. But that was alright for Yagyuu. He would never forget that moment. Though he'd also have to ask Niou later how on earth he got the entire city to participate in such a thing. But for now…

"I think someone needs their birthday spankings." Niou interrupted the thought in Yagyuu's head. He chuckled and smirked. "Hmmm well it would break tradition otherwise, and we can't have that can we Masaharu?" he teased, though meant as well. If he was getting spoiled…they might as well go all out…right? Niou helped Yagyuu down and they left the roof to continue the celebration.

Hand in hand.

Wow this is the longest fic I've done in a long time. With Platinum I could probably write forever if I had the chance. However I have work in the morning, and it's a double shift so…I wanted Rani and Asuka to have this tonight. So I spent every minute I could spare working on it. And Platinum always makes my crappy days better, even if just a little bit. Just like Rani and Asuka. I'm really sorry for how I've been lately guys. You two are wonderful and Asuka you have such a brutally honest approach to things but thanks for tellin me how it is. XD Rani you are beyond awesome and I appreciate all the time you take out of your day to listen to my problems. You inspired my Platinumness tonight so I hope you don't think it sucks. Lol. And Kai...I don't know what's going on but...this really sucks and I'd wish you'd say something to me. Anyways the title of the fic is actually from Younha's song Te wo Tsunaide, which roughly means Holding hands or something. It's a great song and I think it totally fits Niou and Yagyuu well. If anyone else has any comments/suggestions/criticism go ahead and lemme know what they are. Until next time thanks again!

~Azi