Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters related to it. They all belong to Konomi Takeshi.
Rating: T+ for minor-major suggestive adult themes.
Author's Note: When I said in Ch. 11 that this chapter was going to be much easier to write, it only ended up being half true. x.x The delay was due to being in my last semester of college (this semester I'm intern teaching) and having so much to do with wrapping up classes and being heavily involved in the marching band. And the chapter required so many things that needed to be tied in from previous chapters...
Thank you x 1,000,000 to all of my readers and reviewers! It's great to hear so much positivity and have so much support for my first fanfic ^^
So anyway, here is what you all have been dying to read for the last few months - please review if time allows. Enjoy!
Yagyuu woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. He sighed and turned over a couple of times before, heavy with mental exhaustion. Slipping the covers off of his weary body, he took a glance at his alarm clock. It read 11:30pm, which was two hours past his normal Saturday wake up time.
He frowned in frustration - he could have sworn he set his alarm the night before. He also wondered why his mother didn't wake him up since she knew how strict he was with his schedule.
Choosing not to change out of the clothes he slept in, he made his way downstairs to where his mother was busy making an unusually large amount for lunch while humming softly to herself.
"Mother?"
"Oh, you're finally awake, Hiroshi!"
"Why didn't you wake me earlier?"
"You needed the sleep. You didn't seem to have slept well the last two nights."
Yagyuu groaned softly - he was hoping that his mother wouldn't notice that he was troubled.
"And also," his mother continued. "Niou-kun came by in the morning and I am amazed that you didn't hear the doorbell…"
"What? Niou-kun came by?" Yagyuu questioned in surprise. "Did he tell you why?"
"He said that you two were going on a picnic," his mother answered back endearingly. "But I told him to come back in two hours and hopefully you would be awake. He seems to really be looking forward to it seeing that it was odd to me that he was up earlier than normal…"
Yagyuu wanted to smack his forehead - he had completely forgotten about the picnic. He felt completely unprepared and mentally flustered. On top of it all, he didn't really decide to go - Niou decided for him.
Before he could answer back, the front door opened and a brightly grinning Niou strode in whistling a chirpy tune.
"Oh, you're finally awake Yagyuu," Niou commented, characteristically stretching his name out with a drawl.
"I slept through my alarm," Yagyuu admitted, embarrassed.
"You must have needed the sleep real badly. For a second, I thought you might have been avoiding going on the picnic by sleeping through it, but then your mother said you had a rough night the other night."
"It was just an intense nightmare," Yagyuu reassured. "But I'm fine today."
"Another one?" Niou asked in surprise. "At least you were able to get extra rest. You're going to need it for today."
"Am I allowed to ask what you have in store for me?"
"Certainly not. It's just simply a picnic," he said with a discreet wink to Yagyuu.
"Here you go, Niou-kun," his mother said, handing over a picnic basket bursting full of food.
"You're the best!" Niou said, taking the basket from her, flashing a radiant smile and taking a peek. "Wow, you didn't have to do all of this. Pretty much all of my favorite food is in there."
"Not a problem at all," Yagyuu's mother answered back, blushing slightly. "I'm so glad that you're doing this for Hiroshi. It will be something nice after such an exhausting week."
Niou grinned even wider at Yagyuu, who quickly avoided his gaze by looking down at himself.
"I need to change quickly. I'm not appropriately dressed." Yagyuu mentioned before briskly taking off towards the stairs and into his room.
First of all, he was irritated that his mother not only knew he was struggling, but she also let Niou know, who was the main part of the problem. Second, he felt embarrassed that he wasn't neatly dressed when Niou showed up (not that he had much forewarning). His hair was mussed from tossing and turning and he was dressed in a t-shirt and athletic shorts - not good for a public appearance.
Lastly, when he saw Niou come in the door, something in his stomach stirred, almost as if he had butterflies, but not quite. Niou was like a ray of sunshine and Yagyuu felt overwhelmingly warmed by his appearance. The way his blue-green eyes sparkled and the way he was grinning was stunning. He was not remotely astonished that his face felt hot from the mix of emotions that he had felt when he was downstairs.
He sighed and started looking at the clothes in his closet for something suitable to wear. In his search, his hand brushed over the shirt that Niou had lent him on the day of heavy rain.
It was then, when his heart skipped lightly, that he knew Yanagi was right all along about his hidden feelings. It was almost as if Yanagi was the catalyst that caused all of his feelings to come pouring out of him, although it was sort of a jumbled mess after it happened.
'I am in love with Niou,' Yagyuu thought as he finally chose a shirt and started pulling his t-shirt over his head. 'I've always been in love with him.'
He pondered these recently discovered thoughts as he worked on buttoning up his shirt. As much as he wanted to be happy with being in love again, feelings of uneasiness and fear started to seep in.
'What happens if Niou really doesn't feel the same about me?' Yagyuu questioned himself as he was removing his athletic shorts to put on a pair of khaki pants. Yagyuu knew that one of his greatest fears was losing Niou's friendship, and all of the unknowns and uncertainties with what was in store for him in the future did not give him any peace of mind.
"Hey Yagyuu!" greeted Niou from the hallway, surprising Yagyuu who was currently in the process of zipping up his pants. He fumbled with the zipper as Niou threw open the door and popped his head in.
"Don't come in without permission!" Yagyuu said with alarmed annoyance.
"Sorry Yagyuu," Niou said apologetically. "You were taking a while so I just wanted to make sure you weren't passed out on the floor or anything."
"I'm glad to hear of your concern," Yagyuu said breathlessly, trying to slow his heart rate down. "Well, I'm ready now."
"Don't forget to grab your books. We're studying, remember?"
"Oh right."
He went over to his desk and started to gather up his materials.
"Here let me help you so we can get going quicker…"
He moved a bit to his right to allow Niou to slide next to him. Niou grinned and started helping out enthusiastically, which Yagyuu was thankful for since he felt very lost in thought still.
He suddenly felt Niou's arm reach around his back to grab for his book bag, causing his temperature to shoot up almost immediately. A part of him wanted to lean back to be touching more of Niou's arm, but he restrained himself.
"Whoo!" Niou exclaimed as he managed to get a hold of the book bag and started putting in the books that he needed. "Now we're ready for a fantastic day. Minus the studying of course, but that was part of the deal…"
"Yes…" came Yagyuu's reply as his thoughts flickered to what he would have to confess to Niou later that day. He wished that it didn't have to be so hard sometimes.
It took forty-five minutes instead of the usual fifteen to get to their secret abode because the duo had to take a detour to the grocery store for some bottled drinks and a pack of playing cards since Niou's was taken away by one of their teachers the other day. Niou didn't seem to mind one bit because he knew he deserved it after building a house of cards right in front of the doorway that the teacher walked into absentmindedly, and when he shut the door, a large bucket of ice cold water fell onto him, soaking both him and the cards. Sometimes Yagyuu wondered if Niou really liked standing up to authority or just liked the solitude of detention a little too much.
When they arrived at their secluded area by the lone mahogany tree, Niou quickly set down the basket, reached in his backpack, and pulled out a traditional red and white picnic blanket. He hoisted it up in the air swiftly and the slight breeze combined with his speed caught it to spread it out. He laid it down gently, but with a flourish that reminded Yagyuu of a professional waiter setting down a glass of wine on a table.
"Where did you get the blanket, Niou-kun?" Yagyuu asked politely, working on pulling some of the food out of the basket.
"Found it in the garage. My family used to go on picnics a lot when I was younger."
"Having it certainly makes this picnic feel authentic. Along with this basket, food, and beautiful weather."
"Amazing how things work out, right?" Niou agreed. "The only thing that makes the picnic not a true picnic is the fact we have to study."
"It was your idea."
"Only to get you lured in," Niou replied. "Now where should I start first?"
Yagyuu watched Niou scrutinize the pile of food he had set out before choosing to line up a sandwich, a bag of chips, an apple, a bowl of blueberries, a piece of strawberry cheesecake, and a large slice of watermelon with a determined focus. Then he stood up and walked away a few yards before turning to face his lineup.
"Am I allowed to ask what you are doing?" Yagyuu asked apprehensively, re-adjusting his glasses.
"Questions, questions, you always have so many of them," Niou ridiculed jokingly. "Just watch."
Yagyuu saw that he was rapidly shuffling the playing cards he had in his hand with a dangerous grin on his face.
"Are you going with red or black?"
"Umm… I'll go with red… Why?"
With a snap faster than a whip, Niou launched a playing card into the apple, startling Yagyuu slightly who should have been more on guard about what was going to happen. He did the same maneuver with deadly accuracy to the sandwich, the cheesecake, and the watermelon, and he tossed the other cards more carefully so they landed on top of the food rather than in it.
"So any food with spades or clubs next to it or in it is mine."
"You know my mother would have packed two of each."
Niou jogged back over and started examining his prizes.
"Shh… you're ruining the fun," Niou scolded, patting him on the head and Yagyuu brushed his hand off testily. "Ooo… it looks like I did well."
Yagyuu couldn't help but smile slightly as Niou gathered up the cheesecake, chips, and watermelon closer to himself. Even though he acted all stiff and serious when it came to Niou's ridiculousness, he still enjoyed how carefree and unique Niou's personality was. He just needed to be kept in line most of the time for his own sanity.
"You did that on purpose," Yagyuu stated. "Because you got all of your top favorite foods. And all of the unhealthy ones too."
"Nope, you chose the color. I shuffled before you picked."
"Knowing you, you probably had it rigged somehow."
Niou looked aghast.
"Me? You would suspect me of all people? I am completely innocent," Niou retorted dramatically, clutching his shirt and dropping his jaw.
"You're as innocent as Yukimura-kun appears to be."
"Touché. Just remind me to tell him you said that."
"He'll probably send you off for laps and then congratulate me for acknowledging his deviousness."
"…Damn… you're right."
"About Yukimura-kun or your food selection process?"
Niou laughed before answering that it was both.
"Now here, eat this apple, it has your name on it," Niou offered, picking the fuji apple off of the blanket and handing it to him with the card still sticking out of it.
"You could have at least taken out the card," Yagyuu said as he pulled it out, turning it face up to examine it. Indeed, it was a red card, a Knave of Hearts more specifically, but he noticed that his name had been hastily scribbled in the margin and he looked at Niou skeptically.
"When did my name get here?"
"A master magician never reveals his secrets. And no, none of the other cards have your name on it."
"I will figure you out," Yagyuu declared softly as he bit into the crisp apple. He wondered if he would have picked up on how Niou did it if he was in his standard frame of mind without troubled thoughts. Then again, Niou hardly ever failed to surprise him from time to time.
"You already have… you just don't know it," Niou added as he munched on some chips happily.
They continued eating the bountiful amount of good food that had been provided to them as they talked about school, tennis, and the beginnings of Niou's latest scheme that Yagyuu was asked to be a part of. Their conversation was a normal occurrence at their hideout - it was something sincerely enjoyable, relaxing, and fun.
Their exchange was definitely all of that to a certain degree today - the only hindrance was the mass of anxious and uncertain thoughts that were occupying Yagyuu's mind. He tried his best to shove them aside so that he could wait until a different time to explain everything to Niou, but he knew he could not keep putting it off for much longer.
'It ends today,' Yagyuu thought. 'And something starts anew…' He did not want to lose what they had and all of the laughter and discussions they shared. He certainly did not want to lose him as his tennis doubles partner when they were so close to achieving their dream of winning a National Tournament together. He dreaded the thought of dealing with that uncomfortably awkward atmosphere that would happen if they were forced to still be together if things turned for the worse.
Then there was the chance of good things happening too. Getting together would mean growing closer together, which would be interesting since they already knew each other inside and out. Being united with Niou would mean that life would never get dull since they'll be exploring fresh and exciting things that the world had to offer. If they were comprised of puzzle pieces, Niou would be the only one with all of the correct pieces to be able to fill every one of the holes that Yagyuu had.
'Yanagi had asked me a question yesterday. "What would you do if Niou was not in your life?"' Yagyuu recalled as he finished drinking his tea, full from eating. He reached into his book bag for a textbook and flipped it open, pondering his latest thought. He knew he had no answer because he did not want to fathom a world without his beloved best friend.
Yagyuu stared at his textbook trying to read, but found that his mind kept wandering to what Yanagi had said the other day. Snapping out of his trance, he looked behind him to see if Niou had noticed, but Niou was laying down, reading the same kind of textbook with a furrowed expression.
"… I hate English…" Niou said, dropping the book on his face. "Can't I just copy your notes?"
Yagyuu pushed his glasses further up his face, turning away from him back to his own book.
"No, Niou-kun. Not this time because you need to learn this for the exam."
"Next lecture then?"
"Sure - if you score higher than 85%"
Niou sighed.
"You'e not fun."
More silence passed between them as they both went back to studying. Yagyuu absentmindedly tapped his pen on his notebook as he was reading while Niou kept tossing and turning on the picnic blanket. After ten minutes, Yagyuu couldn't concentrate anymore.
"Okay fine! Take them," he said as he threw his notebook next to Niou. "Be glad I pay attention in class for you."
Niou grinned as he turned onto his stomach to grab them.
"I know I'd win eventually. Thanks."
Yagyuu sighed heavily before shutting his book.
"You always do."
Niou started furiously scribbling in his notebook while Yagyuu watched him. He noticed the way he ran his hand through his shock of silver hair, the way he sometimes bit his lip in frustration, the way his piercing blue-green eyes darted across the page…
'How did I not recognize that I loved him earlier?' Yagyuu questioned himself as he found himself wishing that those eyes were scanning over him instead, that he was running his hand through his hair, that he was biting his lip in frustration of not being enveloped in his strong arms…
A recent memory floated to the top of his mind. It was from the day before after practice when Yanagi walked him home. Most of the walk had been in silence, but there was a point just before he arrived home where they did talk and Yanagi expressed that he was indeed really devastated inside, but he had no regret in his decision because he knew that it was for Yagyuu's best interest.
'"You didn't realize you had feelings until Niou… I'm doing the same for you." Yanagi had said when we arrived at my house,' Yagyuu remembered. It was the final thing he had said before gently kissing him on the lips and holding him close from a brief minute. 'Why do I have such a hard time seeing my true desires? What is keeping me from trusting myself?'
"Something wrong, Yagyuu?" Niou questioned, snapping Yagyuu out of his pondering.
"No, why do you ask?" Yagyuu tensed up, thinking that Niou would mention that he had been staring at him.
"Because you never tap your pen while you read," Niou said matter-of-factly.
Yagyuu let off a mental sigh of relief. So he didn't notice after all.
"Preoccupied."
"Let's take a break then," Niou said excitedly, throwing his things aside.
"You're quick."
"Never say much, do you?" Niou pondered, rolling back over onto his back and tucking his hands behind his head. "But you're talking much less than normal these last few days…"
Yagyuu tried to ignore him, but he was sure Niou was right. Yagyuu prided himself on never revealing more emotions than absolutely necessary. Only Niou being his closest companion and Yanagi being his ex-boyfriend would be able to read him.
"How's everything going with Yanagi? You two doing anything you shouldn't be doing yet?" Niou asked, voice laced with playful curiosity.
Yagyuu's heart stopped for a moment. He didn't think that they were going to talk about Yanagi right then and he wasn't expecting Niou to bring it up. All of the courage that he had gathered up earlier to tell him today evaporated and he felt panicked to come up with something convincing.
"Don't lie," Niou warned, all humor in his voice gone now. "I know when you do because you look to the left and cross your arms."
'That's the price I paid when we started impersonating each other,' thought Yagyuu. 'He knows all of my habits…'
"We broke up," Yagyuu said stiffly. He bowed his head and wrapped his arms around his knees.
'There is not turning back now… I knew that the moment I told Niou, it would feel so… final and real…'
"What?" Niou sat up from his spot on the ground with a jolt. "Since when?"
"Since three days ago," answered Yagyuu indifferently.
"And you didn't tell me… why?"
"Doesn't concern you."
There was a pause as Niou moved to sit right next to him.
"You're hurting."
"Am not."
"Liar."
Yagyuu had enough. He violently threw his textbook away from him and stood up.
"Get out," he said threateningly, pointing towards the path.
"Not if you don't tell me why," Niou replied, unfazed by Yagyuu's abnormal and vehement behavior.
"I don't have to tell you anything," Yagyuu said defensively, crossing his arms and glaring at Niou.
'What am I doing? Why am I pushing him away?'
"Fine, then I'm going to burn your notes so you fail your exam."
"Go ahead. I have them memorized."
"… Damn you for being good at school," Niou pouted.
'I'm afraid of rejection and of loss...'
"Are you done yet?"
Niou rose off of the ground and walked to stand in front of Yagyuu.
"We're best friends," Niou reminded him. "I'm supposed to be the only one you share your secrets with."
'But not this time…' Yagyuu thought sadly.
"There's a good reason. Believe me," Yagyuu pleaded genuinely.
Niou stood there waiting for an answer that never came. Yagyuu's face was expressionless, and after ten minutes, Niou issued an exasperated sigh.
"If that's how you want to be, I don't want to be best friends anymore."
Yagyuu felt like he was stabbed in the heart and that the knife was twisted in the wound. There was no way he could believe what he had just heard.
"You're joking.. right?" Yagyuu asked uncertainly, struggling to remove the shock from his face.
"No," Niou said with a hint of annoyance. "You know my habits as well as I know yours so you know I'm telling the truth."
"Niou-kun…"
Niou turned his back on him, heading towards the path out of the forest.
"I know I'm stubborn. I'll just ask Yanagi… I'm sure he'll tell me. See you."
Yagyuu snapped again. Grabbing Niou by the collar of his shirt, he pulled him towards the tree and slammed him against the trunk. Clutching Niou's shirt with both hands, he peered into those beautiful yet infuriated eyes.
"Fine! It's you!" Yagyuu cried angrily. He wanted to hate Niou for bringing him to this level, but he could only hate himself for letting down his gentlemanly demeanor and for giving into the weakness of fear.
Niou could only look at Yagyuu, dumbfounded at what had just happened.
"Yanagi-kun said that my heart wanted you more than I wanted him, but I didn't realize it!" Yagyuu couldn't contain himself any longer, shaking with every word he spoke.
"He broke up with me and said that I should be with you and that he'll only take me back if you didn't love me in return. And I hesitated in approaching you because… because…"
"You wanted to get back together with Yanagi?"
"At first, but now I know it was because I was afraid that you would never want to be near me again if I asked." Yagyuu loosened his grip on Niou and looked into his eyes. "Because what Yanagi-kun said about my feelings was true… because I don't want my heart broken again by someone I love…"
"Yagyuu…" Niou said gravely, looking away.
"… What is it?" Yagyuu asked, concerned about the revelation.
"The truth is… I don't like boys."
Yagyuu couldn't suppress it anymore. Tears started slowly sliding down his cheek as he looked down towards the ground.
"I knew it… Let's forget this ever…" Yagyuu was cut short as Niou pulled his face in for a kiss.
"I only like this one person who I would not call a boy, but a gentleman," Niou said, eyes sparkling brightly with happiness.
Yagyuu was taken aback and rendered speechless as Niou's arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer to his warm body.
"You tricked me!" Yagyuu said, outraged.
"They don't call me the Trickster or the Swindler for nothing," he said, lightly laughing as Yagyuu wiped the tears from his eyes.
"And the card in my apple earlier…"
"A literary device called symbolism. If you were acting normally, you would have questioned why I chose a certain card for you instead of asking how your name got onto it, and when I didn't tell you, you dismissed it so quickly. You're sharp and observant and you know my habits well enough to know exactly how I did it so that confirmed that something about you was off. I figured it was worth a try to put my feelings out on the line and I was hoping you'd ask so you wouldn't have had to muster up all your courage later."
"Trying to give me an easy way…"
"It was the best I could do without asking you directly."
"If you're the Knave of Hearts, does that make me the Queen of Hearts?" Yagyuu asked cynically.
"No silly, you're the King of Hearts. Stay within your appropriate gender." Niou dodged Yagyuu's half-hearted attempt at a slap.
"One more question, when did you know I wasn't feeling well?"
"Yesterday around lunchtime. You can thank Marui and Jackal later because I happened to eavesdrop on them in the hall about how you flinched when you saw the glass jar they had. And then they mentioned that Yanagi gave them advice for free, which didn't add up."
"You knew all along and didn't approach me? How unlike you to seize an opportunity."
"Well, I didn't know exactly what was going on. I just knew that something happened between you two…"
"You know, listening in on other peoples' conversations is not usually a good thing, but this time, it worked out for the better."
"Imperfections are part of my charm, Yagyuu," Niou said cheerfully. "Besides, you went one question over the limit you had just set."
Yagyuu didn't feel like answering as Niou squeezed him a little tighter.
"So… when did you start falling for me?" Niou whispered in his ear, softly and sweetly. Yagyuu's heart knew the answer before his mind could even think about it.
"I knew the moment you impersonated me to reveal my feelings to Yanagi because…" Yagyuu trailed off, putting his arms around Niou. "It showed how much you cared for me… willing to sacrifice your own happiness for mine. I was just plain ignorant of my strongest feelings."
"… It was tough watching you in the arms of another man," Niou admitted. "But I was happy for you and Yanagi, really I was."
"I know," Yagyuu said. "Thank you for everything…"
It was Yagyuu who pulled Niou in for a second kiss, a deeper and more passionate one than the first. It was also Yagyuu who ran his hand through Niou's hair first, who moved his soft kisses to Niou's neck, who started to tug at Niou's shirt…
"You know…" Niou said contentedly as he felt Yagyuu's hands on his chest. "You are absolutely perfect in every way, flaws and everything, and the best thing I can do for you is to give you my whole being…"
It was then that Yagyuu surrendered, closing his eyes and allowing Niou to kiss him again by drawing his face closer to his. He felt Niou's smooth lips meet his, causing his heart to catch fire.
He parted his lips slightly and Niou took the opportunity to slip his tongue slyly into his mouth, and Yagyuu's body involuntarily pressed against Niou's in response. Yagyuu could feel Niou's grin even as Niou continued to kiss him heartily, barely stopping for air.
Yagyuu let out a small gasp when he felt Niou's hands pull his shirt up from where they were tucked in his pants. Niou's tongue danced playfully in Yagyuu's mouth as his hands worked their way up his chest under his shirt - the feeling of his coarse, athletic hands against his smooth skin was making him flush with pleasure.
Niou's mouth left his and trailed kisses up and down his neck. Yagyuu grasped Niou closer to keep from losing his balance and Niou chuckled appreciatively. His eyes were still tightly closed from being aroused - a feeling that kept exponentially increasing since he didn't know what Niou was going to do next. He didn't want to appear to be giving in so easily, but every ounce of resistance he possessed ebbed away with every kiss that Niou gave.
"You know, I would have never thought you were so submissive," Niou seductively whispered into his ear. "Maybe it's because you are always telling me what to do and what not to do…"
"Niou-kun, I…" Yagyuu started to answer back, but was halted by letting out a sharp hiss as Niou rubbed one of his nipples with his fingers under his shirt.
"You wish you weren't so sensitive to touch," Niou finished, continuing his sensual whisper into Yagyuu's ear, his nose lightly touching Yagyuu's head. "I wouldn't worry about it because I actually really like this side of you for this particular… activity…"
Yagyuu trembled slightly as Niou continued teasing his nipples between his fingers and squeezing them unexpectedly from time to time to cause Yagyuu to let out stifled noises of pleasure.
"Why do you like me… like this?" Yagyuu struggled to get out as Niou's mouth covered his again.
"Because this is one of those moments where you will let your guard down and be emotionally exposed. I can sense your feelings, your dreams, and your desires more clearly and I know that you want to be satisfied. And I enjoy having you in my captivity and seeing that I can make you feel like you are in heaven…" came Niou's honest answer as he started unbuttoning Yagyuu's shirt, still kissing him deeply. His body was now moist from the summer heat and the physical action he was being subjected to.
Not a long moment later, he felt the soft fabric being tugged along his skin until it left him completely, falling to the ground behind him. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sunlight accentuated his pale chest brilliantly and that Niou stopped for a moment to take in the display with ardent delight. Yagyuu blushed, feeling unprotected and bare, as he saw Niou poising himself up for his next move with a predatory facial expression.
He bit his lip when Niou suddenly dived to trace the lines of muscle on his chest with his tongue. The unpredictable alternation between licking and sucking was sending him up into the heights of ecstasy, and he sank down against the mahogany tree when he lost all will to remain standing. Niou climbed on top of his legs and continued his relentless assault, having no mercy on his sensitivity.
"Hiroshi, I think I've stripped you of all control," Niou pointed out, stroking a hand across Yagyuu's lower abdomen. "Also, if you blush because I called you by your first name, I can't wait to find out what state you'll be in once I start doing more… intimate things to you…"
Quicker than lightning, Niou removed his own shirt and threw it next to Yagyuu's. He was about as developed as Yagyuu, but he was skinnier, making his bones a bit more prominent. He grinned and positioned himself over Yagyuu so that he could do the same things to Niou's chest that were done to him.
"I know you would be mad at me later if I kept giving and didn't allow you to give back," Niou stated. "You always want to be fair, my gentleman."
"Niou-kun, would you really be content with me being the only one that received pleasure?" Yagyuu questioned skeptically. "It seems a bit unlike you to be so indulgent."
"When it comes to you, I'd do anything to make you happy," he said sincerely as he stroked his face. "Now, my body is aching for your touch, and if you deny it any longer, then I will have to take away your need for balance and fairness and resume taking advantage of yours."
Yagyuu could not suppress a laugh before pressing his lips to Niou's chest. He ran the contour of his rib bones with his fingers as he tasted every square inch of skin hungrily. He smelled soothingly of fresh mint and he had to stop for a second and inhale the invigorating scent. Niou was not showing nearly as much audible reaction as Yagyuu had shown to him, but he felt him grip him harder at times when he barely grazed sensitive spots on his upper body.
Meanwhile, Niou's hands had wandered down Yagyuu's chest and unbuckled the belt on his pants. Before Yagyuu could protest, he had yanked the zipper down and plunged one hand down, fondling around until he found what he was seeking.
If Yagyuu thought he was at the height of ecstasy earlier, it was minuscule in comparison to the surge of intense feelings that suddenly coursed its way through every vein in his body. He had a sudden impulse to let out a loud moan, but was able to repress to a small whimper. After hearing Niou snicker softly, he knew that no matter what he uttered, the reaction was going to be the same. His hand was hot and was adding more to the blazing heat that had accumulated in the area.
"Shall I stoke that fire some more, Yagyuu?" Niou offered enticingly. "Or would you rather have a little moisture to subdue the flames?"
"I highly doubt the moisture will stop the inferno, Niou-kun," Yagyuu pointed out. "It's probably going to defy the laws of nature and cause it to grow."
"Water not stopping fire… Interesting," Niou acknowledged, now working his pants down his legs. Yagyuu desperately wanted Niou's hand back where it was previously before he took it away to aid his other in removing the obscuring article of clothing.
"Regardless, fire needs two things to work properly. One is material, which you and I have plenty of. And the other…" Niou paused to remove Yagyuu's boxers. "Is oxygen."
Yagyuu couldn't help but turn slightly red as he lay there, vulnerable and now completely naked. Niou smacked his lips playfully as he teased around the area with his hands, but never touching the area that Yagyuu longed for him to address.
"Stop teasing me," Yagyuu implored through clenched teeth. The anticipation was killing him and Niou knew it. His breath hitched when Niou bent down to kiss him so close to the target, but barely missing on purpose.
"So, what will it be? A stroke?"
Yagyuu moaned as he was stimulated along his length by a hand that was earlier caressing his face, rubbing his nipples, and exploring all the places on his body that had never been discovered before. There were fluxes of pressure and friction with each stroke that drove Yagyuu to new extremes of blissfulness.
"Or some moisture?"
He let out a louder moan when Niou's mouth suddenly took him in and he felt his soft tongue swirl around him provocatively. His teeth narrowly and lightly scraped him, but in an intentional way that caused him to weaken to more waves of delight. When Niou groaned with him still in his mouth, Yagyuu almost went over the edge as he writhed against the tree.
Far too soon, Niou released him and pulled him into an embrace.
"Why did you stop?" Yagyuu inquired politely, hiding the fact that he severely wanted to continue being aroused.
"I just want to do this right the first time," he explained. "So I want to say that I truly love you and I will only go ahead if that is what you want."
"Niou-kun… I'm so touched…"
"I really want to make a snide comment to your last statement, but I'll refrain this time," Niou said, grinning brightly. "Anyway, I know you've always wanted to take things slow and to wait for when the moment is right… that the best things are not instantly gratified. I want to respect your wishes."
Yagyuu pulled him into a loving kiss once he finished his reasoning, causing him to finally let out a gasp of surprise.
"I love you Niou-kun. I've loved you forever and now I'm so overjoyed to finally be with you. And I really feel that the right time is now because we're finally together and I know for certain that you are the right one for me."
"Really?"
"Would I ever lie to you?"
"You would attempt and fail, but I was afraid that my seducing skills might have addled your normal thinking."
Yagyuu paused to gather his thoughts before responding.
"Never in my life have I been so sure of my decision."
Niou's grin brightened more if that was even remotely possible. He diligently started taking his pants off in response and then pressed his lower body to his lustfully, causing Yagyuu's back to arch in euphoric response.
"I hope you understand the perilous decision you have now committed to. Now I just have to get you extremely aroused again, which shouldn't be too hard since you're easy to turn on, and work my magic from there…"
Yagyuu was about to say something in response to his remark, but involuntarily let out another moan as Niou took him back in his mouth and started a rhythm that changed tempo rapidly and was both vigorous and tender in feeling. The strength of pleasure that engulfed him was exceedingly potent and he could barely contain it any longer. What was once thought to be impossible became possible - he felt like he was defying gravity.
"Niou-kun…"
"Mmm… Yagyuu…"
"I'm glad that Yanagi-kun is always right with his predictions."
Niou laughed appreciatively, pausing to take in Yagyuu's handsome facial features and strong body. Reaching towards Yagyuu's face, he removed his glasses and set them in a safe place away from them.
"Me too. We're lucky we have a data genius to take care of things," Niou said appreciatively before lowering Yagyuu's upper body onto the picnic blanket. "I hope you're ready because I'm not going to hold back any longer."
Words can't remotely describe what happened between that point and when Yagyuu found himself breathless with his head resting Niou's chest and a content smile on his face. It was all a ferocious blur of exhilaration and adrenaline although he remembered the exact moment his keen gray eyes locked into Niou's alluring blue-green eyes. He looked diabolical for a quick second, eyes glinting in a way that let Yagyuu know that he wanted to deny him release, but it was all a pretense as he moved him from what was imaginable into the unimaginable...
Yagyuu's world was incomplete until he was with Yanagi. Then it became a sphere of glass that seemed flawless. Little did he know that Yanagi was going to be the one with the hammer that would shatter his unknowingly fragile world into scores of fragments. However, the combination of the pieces falling together had created something new and wonderful, and best of all, something unbreakable and beautifully complete.
Author's Note: And here we are at the conclusion of As the Pieces Fall Together. *bittersweet moment* I'm glad to finally say that it's complete, but I will miss working with the Platinum Pair and their intricate and complicated personalities for the time being since I will be busy with intern teaching. I know they'll be back again in some shorter fics so I'll look forward to that. I have a short Alpha Pair fic that will be uploaded in this month that I've been hanging onto until this fic finished. And I have some drabble-ish fics too that are Rikkai-centric. I have the beginnings of a longer Alpha Pair fic (set before this Platinum Pair fic) and an AU Rikkai one based on my photoshop creations (I made the Rikkai players into Fire Emblem characters ^^) in my notebook that I hope to get more done with as time goes on. Look forward to it!
Some final thoughts on this fic...
Two summers ago, I started on this fic, but I actually wrote this last chapter intending for it to be a short fic. Then I got to thinking, 'How did they get to where they are?' and mapped out an outline of events that led up to this. Looking at the sequence of events, I split it into chapters and named each of them before I started writing from the very beginning. With each event, I was able to expand upon it in each chapter and accidentally create symbolism and irony in the process. And everything made it to the end exactly right - most of Ch. 12 was exactly how it was written originally, but some added content (mostly in the beginning) to tie in things and give it a better transition. I know that the reason I was able to finish the story was because I was able to work towards the end goal. *organizer by nature*
Yanagi will be just fine. If there was an epilogue of some sorts, I'm sure that Yagyuu would have thanked him for everything and made sure that he will be okay. Then, after some caring thoughts from Yukimura (and possibly Sanada), the winds of fortune will start to come towards him. Actually, one of these days, I will write a Yanagi fic picking up for this point. I know I will after I finish my other big fic plans :)
And lastly, after all of that dramatic turmoil (among many other things), the Platinum Pair is finally together! 3 They deserve all of the happiness that the world has to offer ^^
