Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters related to it. They all belong to Konomi Takeshi. Also, I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the elements from the series.

Rating: T for implied adult themes in certain chapters. K for the rest.

Author's Note: The long-awaited significant encounter between the dashingly handsome Captain and the person who missed out an epic dinner gathering! However, everyone else has been missing out on enjoyment that is lounging on a tree branch and spying on their crush :P

Reviews are wonderful - thank you to those who left me one last chapter! ^^ Please enjoy this chapter (it was a tough one for me to write, but I am satisfied with the end result).

Part 2 - Chapter 11 - Whereabouts Unknown

Everyone in Niou's house had their own set of chores to do daily before they were allowed to go do their own thing and they all had to get up before the crack of dawn. His older sister was primarily responsible for tending to their vegetable garden and occasionally cooking the meals when mom was busy doing other things. His younger brother was in charge of cleaning the house and doing the dishes. His mother always had her hands tied with cooking, going to the market, and overseeing that her children didn't cause too much chaos in the town.

As for Niou, he got stuck with the toughest chores - getting firewood from the forest, hauling water from a well from a few houses down the path, and repairing damaged or broken things around the house. Even though he sometimes griped out loud about them, he actually preferred the ones he had because they could easily be done in the morning and they helped him really build his body strength. Getting water was an every day occurrence, but firewood was only for 3/4 of the year. The amount of broken and/or damaged things depended on the weather and his siblings' moods and pranks.

After his chores, he would climb up the large tree next to their home and take a nap until it was time for lunch. However, on the days that he knew Yagyuu would come by, he would secretly watch his every movement and take in every detail about the man that unknowingly stolen his heart. He no longer feared getting caught - Yagyuu was always on some mission to help those around him or his eyes were focused straight down the path to continue on his patrol. Niou wondered if the man ever took time to take in the beauty of his surroundings or to simply not work.

Niou ate lunch as quickly as possible to make as much time as he could to do his first round of archery practice. It was also wise to avoid the chaos his siblings created through their loud talking and arguing. His mother also liked to dote on him or complain about his habits at that time as well, and he needed to save his sanity by vacating the area before his siblings came up with something smart to contribute. He hated the days where the weather was too bad for him to go and practice because he was stuck inside with nothing to do but lock himself in his room and stare idly at the ceiling until it passed.

The first practice always started with a warm-up of shooting one target at his normal distance away from it. Then he would proceed onto a course of fifteen targets scattered at varying heights in the woods and along the river. Some days he chose to walk and go for careful precision - other days he ran as fast as possible and challenged himself to do as well under building exhaustion and quick decision making. After a small break, he would proceed to warming up with a ring shot, which was shooting through a ring four inches in diameter suspended by a string tied to a branch.

At first, ring shots were the most frustrating things invented to Niou and he wanted to scrap the idea altogether, but he would never let himself live with giving up. He realized that the moment he just relaxed and allowed himself to understand fully how his environment was acting around him, he was able to compensate how he shot his arrows to be able to get it through the ring that was swaying to the forces of nature. After the warm-up, he would then do the course he designed with ten ring shots that led back to where he started the day. This course was also extremely hard for Niou to complete at first, but after the countless of days he toiled away honing his skills, he was now able to finish it in an absurdly fast time and felt his heart swell with pride each time he did so.

Dinner was the most time he would spend with his family in one stretch. By this time, his siblings were a bit worn out from working or messing with other people, so they were able to have nice conversations without getting into heated arguments. His mother always pulled out all of the stops for dinner and a ravenous Niou throughly enjoyed every bite of it. After helping his mother clean up the table and carrying in a stack of firewood to put by the fireplace, he would leave for the forest again for his evening practice.

The second practice was always about the basics - one target, framed by lit torches, and very detailed thinking about the perfect execution. Once he was satisfied with his accuracy, he would go for speed, firing shots as rapidly as possible while maintaining everything he had meticulously worked on. He would then back up and repeat the same exercise, getting further and further away from the target until he could barely see it. By the time he was finished, night had already fallen and he would go retrieve all of his equipment and head home to grab a quick snack before bed. Niou enjoyed his busy, yet simple life without anything to worry about but himself.

As Niou readied his last shot, his ears caught the sound of something rustling in the forest that wasn't due to wind or an animal. It wasn't very close yet, but by the slow, rhythmic sounds it was producing, Niou was pretty positive it was a human.

'But no one ever ventures this far in,' Niou thought to himself as he tried to imagine exactly where the guest was in relation to him. 'Maybe I should scare the person? Hopefully it doesn't scar them for life…'

After figuring out that the source of the noise was behind him and a ways to the left, he waited until he person was within a range clear of obstruction before whipping around and firing an arrow into the distance. By his calculations, it should have cleared him by at least a foot or so, but a loud clink of metal told him otherwise. Confused, he ran towards the person who was currently on the ground, and as he got closer, a feeling of guilt washed over him when he saw exactly who the visitor was.

"Uh, sorry Captain Yagyuu," Niou said sheepishly as he retrieved his arrow. "Didn't know it was you and people in these parts don't wear armor to go into the forest."

"Do you normally shoot at people?" he asked curiously as he stood up and brushed off the leaves that were clinging to his clothes. He didn't seem to affected by the fact that he could have been seriously injured, which Niou found a bit peculiar.

"No, but that's because no one ever goes in this far in the woods. I had only meant to scare the person, but you must have moved at the last minute because the arrow was supposed to have missed."

"I, uh, dropped something right at the moment," Yagyuu said, a bit embarrassed. "It was a good luck charm that I had in my hand and I stumbled on some rocks.."

"You mean this?" Niou asked as he spied something glinting in the light on the ground. It was an emerald cut in the shape of a crescent with some ancient writing inscribed on it. He picked it up and held it out for Yagyuu, who accepted it back with a gracious thank you.

'Whoever made you that charm is quite a craftsman,' Niou thought to himself as Yagyuu tucked it safely into a pocket.

"So… what brings you here?" Niou inquired as he looked him over.

'Not that I mind of course since it is him,' he thought. 'But what does he want with me that he sought me out here?'

"A request," he said somewhat timidly.

"Sure? I have no idea what I could possibly help you with, Captain," he said cooly as he headed back to the area he dropped his bow.

"I hope that I'm not asking too much…" Yagyuu started hesitantly and Niou turned to stare at him, stopping in his tracks. The man of his affection for the longest time was there in the flesh asking for a favor. It was almost too good to be true, but Yagyuu didn't need to know that so Niou had to pretend to be serious and casually distant.

"Ask away. You're already here."

"I want you to teach me archery. After watching you at the tournament, I knew you had to be the one to teach me."

"Huh? What?" Niou said, completely surprised. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes, you did," Yagyuu answered back as a furious blush worked its way into his face. "Please. If it's the only thing you ever do for me, then it's fine."

"Whoa, hold on," Niou said as gave him an intrigued look. "I didn't say no. I just need to know why."

"Can you wait a minute?" Yagyuu requested and he nodded slowly. "I need to go get my bow from where I left my horse."

"Go ahead. I'll be here and I won't shoot at you when you come back," he said as he watched Yagyuu take off at a run. As he made his way back to his original area, he couldn't help but be astounded by the events that had just occurred.

'Sure, I have always dreamed of meeting him, but never in the woods,' Niou thought sardonically to himself as he started picking up all of his equipment. 'He looks as handsome as he always does… perhaps even more so with that blush…' He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, hoping to get a handle on them by the time Yagyuu would come back. He sat down on a tree stump and stared up at the forest canopy to relax.

"I'm back," Yagyuu announced a few minutes later and Niou turned his gaze slowly towards him. He took a look at the fine bow in his hands, carefully held between his palm and fingers, and smiled inwardly.

"That's a really nice bow," Niou noted as Yagyuu approached him. "Although it doesn't really help you since you said you needed my assistance."

"It was my father's. It is very dear to me," Yagyuu said and Niou's expression softened.

"I'm sorry… He isn't with you now, is he?" Niou said, attempting to console him. "What… happened? If you don't mind telling me…"

"He was killed along with my mother when they went to halt the bandit uprising in one of the mountain towns many years ago. The squad's camp was attacked in the middle of the night and their bodies were never found. Just his bow that had miraculously survived under a pile of rubble. I was... only nine at the time."

"Wow…" Niou said, struggling to find something else to say that sounded more sympathetic. "...I'm sorry again for your loss."

"It's okay," Yagyuu said weakly, brushing a stray tear in the corner of his eye. "I haven't told anyone about it except our lord, but I needed you to know the real reason why I want to learn."

"How can I refuse?" Niou said as he held out his hand for the bow. When it was handed to him, he took a closer look at the beautiful engravings in the bow and smiled. "I would have said yes anyway seeing how nicely you asked, and I'm assuming how much trouble you went through to find me."

"It took me a couple of tries, yes. I had asked your mother where you were…"

"What? And she didn't tell me you had visited? That woman..."

"At my request, Niou. I wanted to be able to find you on my own so that we could talk in private."

"Oh right," Niou said, feeling a bit idiotic. "So, let's see what you've got. Then we can figure out days to meet."

"It isn't much, we don't have anyone in the military that specializes in this."

"Don't worry about it," Niou said hastily, handing the bow back. He didn't want to talk about the military quite yet. "The target is over there."

He watched all of Yagyuu's movements carefully, doing his best to mentally jog down notes about his preparation, concentration, and execution. After the arrow missed the target by a considerable amount, he urged him to try again so that he could have a clearer idea. That arrow dropped short of the target, landing softly in the grass.

"Yeah, we have a lot to work on," Niou stated, faking a slightly disappointed tone even though he was really excited about the prospect of spending more time with him since he needed quite a bit of work. "So, we're going to have to work around your schedule since I pretty much practice all days of the week after my household chores."

"My afternoons are generally free and so are my weekends."

"That should work if you come on the days you don't do a patrol through town so give yourself a larger block of time."

"… How do you know I take an afternoon patrol through town?" Yagyuu inquired suspiciously. "I have never seen you before on my route."

"My mother," Niou said with a small grin. "She tells me that you like to help out the villagers and I guess you've helped her out a few times here and there."

'I'm such a liar,' Niou thought to himself. 'Well, a partial liar…' It was true that his mother was the first one to introduce Yagyuu to Niou, if only by description, and he had helped her out before with some outdoor work. However, he was very guilty of making sure he was awake on the days that Yagyuu passed through, lounging on the tree branch above the road and watching his every action.

"Please tell your mother that I thank her for her appreciation," he said humbly and Niou nodded. "Well, I need to get back to the castle for the night. We have an very early practice tomorrow and some rigorous training is in store."

"When is training not rigorous?" Niou pointed out as he started to head in the direction of the house. "Don't worry about the arrows. I'll get them tomorrow."

"Well, it is normally," Yagyuu started off as he followed Niou's footsteps. "But our commander and our strategist were able to invent a new level of training recently of an intensity I didn't know was possible."

"Oh, really?" Niou asked interestedly as nonchalantly flipped his own bow around. "May I ask why?"

"I'm not permitted to say as of this moment," he responded respectfully and Niou had to bite his lip not to let all of his thoughts about control, rules, obedience, and freedom escape his mind and potentially insult Yagyuu.

"It's okay. Uh, good luck with your training," Niou said as they reached the edge of the forest where Yagyuu's horse was waiting patiently, munching on some grass.

"Thank you, Niou," he replied as he climbed onto his horse easily and grabbed the reins with one hand and extended his other towards Niou. "And thank you again for agreeing to teach me. It means a lot to me."

Niou smiled and shook his hand firmly before letting go so he could head back to the castle. As he watched his retreating back, he couldn't help but thank the gods for all of the good fortune that had just came his way. Now he just needed to start plotting out how he was going to get Yagyuu to notice him in a certain way without revealing the fact that he was head-over-heels in love with him.

Their first couple of practices were very rough. Niou, by no means, was a natural teacher since he was used to being by himself and doing what he knew worked for him. He found himself frustrated at the fact that he had a hard time explaining with words what Yagyuu needed to do to improve, but Yagyuu reassured him that it was fine even if he words came out in non-sensible gibberish. Niou was definitely better at modeling the correct posture and technique for holding the arrow and releasing it so they went with the approach of Niou demonstrating what was correct and what Yagyuu was doing that was incorrect.

He also knew that Yagyuu was getting worked up over how seemingly slow he was progressing. Yagyuu was a talented man that was able to grasp things quickly through how hard he worked. This was most likely his first experience not having that happen, which was a hinderance to his self-esteem. Niou knew that his words of comfort were not having much of an effect on him, so he came up with another solution.

On the practice that was so dreadful that Niou felt like they took a step backwards, he called him to have a break with him. As they sat down and drank some water out of the bottles they had brought with them, he proposed his plan, which caused Yagyuu's eyes to widen in surprise. Niou had said he wanted to learn how to use a lance in exchange, telling Yagyuu that it would help with his self-confidence. Yagyuu would be able to share something he was adept at and Niou hoped that that positive energy would carry into dealing with the trials and tribulations of archery.

Things definitely picked up some speed after that day for the two of them. Yagyuu was able to hit somewhere on the canvas most of the time, which brought out a bright smile that turned Niou's insides into melted happiness. They were able to move to a target that was further away and let him try his hand at that. The first attempt wasn't too shabby so he used it as a foundation to create more momentum in their practices.

Niou, on the other hand, almost gave up the first time he picked up a lance. The weapon felt so foreign in his hands - it was taller than he was standing up and it was a bit heavy. They started off with simple thrusts and swipes, which Niou managed to make look clumsy and awkward. However, a promise was a promise, and he told himself that he would make Yagyuu quite proud as a teacher if he somehow managed to succeed.

As their practices got better and better, Niou found that he was experiencing the sensation of having fun. He took pride in how far Yagyuu had come along and felt elated when Yagyuu would smile at his results. Once he got used to how to move a lance correctly, he was able to pick up more complex maneuvers without much trouble. His mind never stopped anticipating the next time they would meet and what new things lay in store for them.

One practice, as they sat on tree stumps and drank their water, their conversation turned to something they were the most proud of when it came to their weapon skills. Niou said his was being able to complete his made-up course of ten ring shots extremely quickly and accurately no matter what kind of weather he was in, which caused Yagyuu to praise him in absolute awe. Yagyuu said his was being able to use a regular lance as a projectile, and after Niou demanded that he needed to show him, he found himself struck in awe at the sight of a lance hurtling straight and true, deeply embedding itself in a tree. He knew that he needed to learn that move - it was unique to Yagyuu and Niou wanted as much of him as he could get.

"Tell me Niou," Yagyuu started as they were walking along the river during the evening. They had finished practice early and had some time to kill before Yagyuu had to go back to the castle.

"Hmm, what is it?" Niou replied as he kicked a few rocks and watched them roll across the ground noisily.

"Why did you choose not to join the military?" Yagyuu asked as he observed the slow, steady river current flowing the other direction than they were walking. "You would have made it very far with your skills."

'I knew he was going to ask that eventually,' Niou thought glumly to himself. 'Hope I don't push him away with my answer.'

"It's not that I don't like this country or anything. It's more of the fact that I don't like being in situations where I can't make my own decision."

"Really?" Yagyuu said curiously as he found a boulder near the edge and sat down on it. "Even if it's to help protect your family and friends?"

"You wouldn't understand," Niou said seriously as he found a spot on the ground and leaned against the boulder Yagyuu was on.

"Try me, Niou," Yagyuu encouraged and Niou gave him a doubtful look before turning away from him.

"I like knowing that I have the freedom to do what I want and when I want. So if somebody's army makes it here, which would be very impressive for them to do so, I want to defend my family to the best of my abilities. I don't want to be under the order of a superior that decides what I do and has my life in their hands. I'm not the pawn to anybody - I refuse to be changed into someone who is expected to be dutiful without question." He paused to take a deep breath as buried feelings of annoyance threatened to explode.

"Plus I think war and battle are stupid concepts. What's the point of hurting other people for land, for resources, for glory, and possibly for the heck of it? There are better things to do with your time than disrupt the lives of others…"

"You're right, Niou," Yagyuu said in response and Niou imagined that he was staring off into the river, preoccupied with thought. "I don't understand, but that's only because we come from different worlds. I know of honor and valor, obedience and perfection. I knew that the moment that I decided to join the military, at the age of fourteen, to follow in my parents' footsteps that I had given my life away to my country. Do I sometimes wonder what my life could have been if I chose different? Yes I do. Do I regret my decision? Not in the slightest."

"Would you be content just living the aristocratic life? Where you always have to do the 'proper' thing and look like you have everything under control?"

"Yes, I am indeed an aristocrat, but I saw myself helping out the people regardless of whether or not I joined the military. I did not plan on lazying about the house all day long… perhaps managing a shop or working as a servant in the castle."

"You're… kind of strange Yagyuu," Niou said as he listened to Yagyuu reveal more about himself. "You're different than what I had always imagined people in your world to be or the people I've ran into."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all. It's… more of a pleasant surprise actually. It's opening my mind up a little bit to understand that there are always exceptions to every group. Hearing you say that you would want to be a servant when you have the title to have your own servants really discloses the fact that you have such a warm heart."

"You flatter me, Niou," Yagyuu indicated, sounding a bit self-conscious. Niou inwardly smiled at how he was able to praise Yagyuu without him asking any questions.

"It's the truth. So I guess you think I'm just a rebel, huh? Since I don't play by the rules and want to the liberty to do as I please."

"Certainly not. I don't expect everyone to be in the military… Otherwise we'd have nothing to defend but ourselves and that's not as meaningful of a purpose."

"So… tell me this," Niou said, weighing his words carefully. "What is your reason for being in the military? Other than your parents."

"Hmm…" Yagyuu pondered out loud and Niou found himself impatiently waiting for an answer. "The fact that I can make the largest possible sacrifice of myself so that my country can be safe from harm. I may only be one person, but that might just make all the difference, and I can rest easy knowing that I am an inspiration to somebody somewhere."

"…"

"Niou?"

"Yagyuu… that was very moving."

"I was just being honest."

"Then your honesty was very moving."

"I was afraid you were going to react differently because I clash so much against your beliefs."

"I'll make an exception for you," Niou said, reaching up and playfully tapping Yagyuu's leg, causing him to look down at him. "Since you are the most genuine man I've ever met."

"That's very kind of you."

"Besides, just because we're so different doesn't mean we suddenly have to stop being friends. I look at it like we compliment each other perfectly," Niou said, flashing the most dashing smile he could muster and he swore he saw a pink tinge lightly dust Yagyuu's face.

"Niou… I don't know what to say."

"It's all good," Niou reassured as he stood up and stretched his arms gingerly. "We should head back before it gets too dark to traverse the forest."

"It is getting late, isn't it?" Yagyuu observed as he saw how low the sun was in the sky. "I guess I wasn't really paying attention to what I was looking at."

"Happens. I do it all the time," Niou said as he watched Yagyuu stand up from his spot on the bolder. "Race you back? Or are you afraid that you're at a disadvantage because you're wearing armor?"

"You are going to regret those words, Niou," Yagyuu said, promptly taking off at a sprint with Niou reacting a half a second later, fuming at Yagyuu's impromptu behavior.

"No fair! You had a head start!" Niou yelled as he struggled to catch up to Yagyuu, who was surpassingly agile even with armor. "I take back everything I said about you having a warm heart and being a nice guy!" He couldn't help but grin when he heard the sound of Yagyuu's laughter drift into his ears despite the fact that he was enraged.

"If it means anything, I'm glad that you accept me for who I am," Yagyuu said sincerely and Niou paused from being stunned by his sudden comment. "It makes me happy to know we fit each other so well."

Niou was frozen speechless, overwhelmed by Yagyuu's caring words. "… What? No fair, you cheated again!" he hollered when he realized that Yagyuu had already reached the area where their bows and arrows were resting.

"It isn't my fault that you reacted the way you did," Yagyuu noted as he picked up his own equipment casually.

"Why are you… fun?" Niou asked skeptically and Yagyuu shrugged. "Go back to being that serious, emotionally unrevealing, proper gentleman that I first met! The one that has to be fair and chivalrous." He looked at Yagyuu who smiled another one of those brilliant smiles that made Niou's heart pound so hard that it felt like it was going to explode out of his chest.

"It's refreshing to be with someone who brings out a side of me that I didn't think I had," Yagyuu said and Niou's jaw dropped to the floor. "Let's walk together the rest of the way back like we always do."

"You're just afraid of losing this time," Niou said, grabbing his own things before taking his place at Yagyuu's side to walk back.

"I probably would since you are technically a bit faster. And you don't get tricked more than once."

"Hey Yagyuu."

"What is it?"

"You're the first to have ever tricked me," Niou mentioned quietly, watching out of the corner of his eye to see Yagyuu's face change slightly from pale to barely pink. He loved the subliminal reactions he got out of Yagyuu - it was almost an addiction to see how much he could compliment Yagyuu without arousing suspicion.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I take pride on being able to fool people and to not react to things so consider it an achievement that you were able to throw me off of my ability to stay cool and in control," he said and Yagyuu couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Thank you, but I fear that I will rue the day that I trick you again," Yagyuu said honestly and Niou laughed.

"What's there to be afraid of? General Sanada digging you out of your grave and having Sage Yanagi cast some kind of magic to bring you back to life because Lord Yukimura doesn't want to lose the Silver Knight of his army?" Niou jokingly guessed, eliciting another laugh out of Yagyuu, and Niou felt his heart swell with the joy that comes with knowing that they were both growing closer and closer together.