Second chapter! Signed, sealed and delivered. Well, almost. Two more days till Valentine's Day, so I am working hard to meet my set deadline. I am glad some people enjoy this fic. I shall continue with the next couple. Please review! Send me your love! (haha)

WARNING: This chapter is OOC. I did not intend that precisely when I wrote it, but I do not like the constant vein-ness that Nakao ALWAYS shows. I wanted him to act slightly different when he was approached with an oppurtunity to be with his beloved RA. Please don't bite me...!

Disclaimer: -same as first chapter; no repeats-

NakaoxNanba

It was Valentine's Day; a Friday. As Nanba Minami made his way down the hallway to his locker, he was expecting to be bombarded with letters and chocolates as soon as he opened the door. The year before, he had gotten a large variety: raspberry chocolate, Lindt chocolate, orange flavored chocolate, even some Paris-made chocolát and many letters containing addresses, phone numbers and secret affections. Some of them were from guys around the school who had secret feelings for him. Most, however, came from the overwhelming amount of outside girls who snuck into the school buidling and delivered the tokens of affection. So when Nanba opened the door to his locker that day, he was hoping to be swimming in all his gifts.

Yet nothing fell out. Not one chocolate box was left in his locker, no bag of letters came to topple him to the ground. Frowning with disappointment, Minami reached in to grab a book that was needed for that night's homework assignment. Before his hand reached the text, Nanba felt his fingers embrace a small envelope. Curiousity got the better of him as he pulled the envelope out and slit it open. Looking all around, he surveyed his surroundings in case the person who had left the letter was hiding somewhere nearby, waiting to see his reaction. Smiling a little to himself, Nanba unfolded the paper and read.

Dearest Nanba-

I am sure you have seen me before, but have never paid much attention. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I felt the deepest affection and love for you. I have watched you from afar for so long that I feel trapped in this casing of unrequited love. I was hoping that, perhaps this year, I would have the oppurtunity to change that. Please meet me in the courtyard of Osaka High at 6:05 p.m tonight. I will be waiting.

Love always, your adoring admirer

Smiling to himself, Nanba took the letter and slid it into his pocket. Looking around once more in the hopes that he would spot his 'adoring admirer' hiding behind a pillar in the locker room, Nanba saw no one. "I will be there." He said to the empty room. Then, business complete, he turned around and left the room; his echoing footsteps following him as he faded out of sight.

Several minutes after Nanba had disappeared, more footsteps were heard inside the locker room; yet no one had entered or showed their presence while Minami had been there. Sighing with relief, calm finally washed over the bishounen as he stepped out of one of the larger lockers on the other side of that vast area. Unable to contain his smile, Nakao beamed as he relaxed his body against the door of the locker. "He's coming." He whispered to the air within the inclosure. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Nakao had to restrain himself from screaming his excitement to the world. Nanba had agreed to meet him! To see him on that special Valentine's Day where anything was possible. And, perhaps, if Nakao was lucky enough, he could finally make Nanba his! Spinning around, Nakao started laughing; allowing himself to feel the pure joy that was being in love.

(Later)

"And I'll take seven roses."

"Seven of them?" The flourist looked at Nakao in surprised appreciation. "Your girl must be very lucky to have such a kind man on Valentine's Day. Roses, lillies, tulips and carnations? She is indeed a very lucky girl." Smiling politely, Nakao thanked her before paying for the extraordinary bouquet. From there, Nakao made his way back to the school campus. It was nearly six, and he did not want to make Nanba think he had chickened out. As Nakao got closer and closer, the pounding of his heart became louder and louder within his ears; as if someone was banging their fists on his eardrums. Swallowing, Nakao found that his throat was dry and his hands were starting to become sweaty. Never before had such a confident man become so overwhelmed with anxiety. Twenty feet from the school entrance, Nakao forced himself to stop and lean against a nearby telephone pole. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply.

"Get ahold of yourself, Nakao. It's not the first time you have ever met him; you do not need to be nervous." Yet as he spoke these words aloud, he could not help but feel they were hollow. He knew he had every reason to be nervous. He had showed his affection to Minami many times before, but was always shut down in the end. After all, he had a reputation for being a lady's man, and no high school junior was going to make him "change teams" and love him. For the first time in his life, Nakao lowered his head in shame. He was not sure he had the guts to go ahead and face the man he had been in love with for three years. On such a day, he was not sure he could even face him in fear he would be ultimately rejected. Looking up again, tears began to blossom at the base of his eyes. Giving one last hurt glance at the high school ahead, Nakao turned his back and started walking back home.

"Hey."

Heart jumping into his throat, Nakao froze in mid-step. A sweatdrop slid from his right temple down the beautiful curvature of his face. Afraid to even turn around, Nakao found he no longer had a voice in which to speak. Luckily, the person who wanted to speak to him walked up closer. "You're Nakao, right?" Daring to look up as the tall Nanba Minami stood at his side, Nakao wordlessly nodded his head. Smiling sweetly, Nanba said: "Hi. I take it you're the one who left that letter in my locker."

"Yo...you knew?" He choked.

Minami laughed. "I had my feeling. I did not hear any of the teachers bitching about the onslaught of girls this year, so I knew it only had to come from a guy. And it was so honest, I could not help thinking it had to be the truth; not like last year where the only ones I received from guys were cruel jokes." Snickering again, Nakao was left in awe. His admirer had known all along. And yet he still showed up. He knew it was a letter of confession from a guy and yet he still came... Nakao's head started to spin to the point where his vision became blurry. Swaying slightly, he nearly fainted on the sidewalk. Noticing this, Nanba reacted instinctively. Stepping forward, he held his arms under Nakao's slender body to keep him from falling. Once the younger one's vision became clearer, a deep blush accented his cheeks as he looked up at his senpai.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Do what?" Nanba asked, helping Nakao stand again. "Save you from falling? On the contrary: a noble prince always helps out the princess when she is in danger." Knowing his love was speaking of him, Nakao flushed once more. Chuckling, Minami continued to survey his admirer. "So, little brave one, did you have any plans for tonight?"

"Plans?"

"Yes." Nanba smiled. Nakao felt his knees grow weak as he watched that beaming grin. "Plans. Did you have anything in mind that you wanted us to do?"

"Well..." Nakao admitted. "I actually thought I would just be able to confess to you to your face and then I would go back home."

"What? Broken-hearted and ashamed of your feelings?" Wordlessly, Nakao nodded his head. Laughing once more, Minami placed his arm on his dorm mate's shoulders. "I would not do something like that. As long as we are both here and it is Valentine's Day, let's do something."

"But..." Nakao stammered. "Don't you have a date with a girl? Or someone special on Valentine's Day?" Minami smiled softly and shook his head.

"You were the one who had the courage to come face me; with the knowledge that I could reject you and you would go home miserable. No one else tried to give me any Valentine's this year with that same show of bravery. Besides: I am here, you're here, we both wouuld like to go do something for the holiday, so I say we take advantage of each other's company." Smiling, Nakao agreed. As they walked down the sidewalk together towards the smaller shops and cafés, Nakao thought to himself:

Even if I am not the date you wished for today... and even if I am not the person you hoped it would be... thank you for staying with me, Minami-kun.

(Later)

"So what is it about me that you find so fascinating?" Nanba asked as the cheese from his pizza started to slide off the dough and onto the plate. As he rushed to eact it before it fell, Nakao smiled.

"You're charming."

"Why, thank you." Nanba smiled, winking at him. Nakao laughed.

"You're fearless, you're caring and... you're beautiful." With the last comment, Nakao found his voice fading to a whisper. Blushing, Minami ran his fingers lightly through his hair.

"Thank you. But you are pretty cute, Nakao." The shorter one blushed, lowering his gaze slightly in embarrassment; even though he always liked to boast back at school about his looks. "Why don't you go after girls? Or, are you gay?"

"I'm not gay." Nakao said it with such contempt that Nanba was drawn back in surprise. Smirking, he asked,

"...you have feelings for a guy, and you still proclaim you're straight?"

"Yes. ...no. I don't know!" Nakao sighed heavily. "Maybe... but it's not that I don't like girls. I just happened..."

"To fall in love with me." Nanba concluded for him. Silence overtaking him once more, Nakao nodded his head in reply. Sighing heavily, Nanba looked over his fellow student's shoulder as he thought. "Well," he sighed heavily. "I don't know what to tell you, Nakao. You are a really nice guy. I do like you."

"But not in that way." Nakao finished, looking heartbroken as he stared at the pizza on his plate. He no longer had an appetite for it. Minami shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Nakao pretended to be happy. Looking back up, he grinned; yet his saddened eyes gave him away. "You can't help who you fall in love with, after all, right?" Thinking back to his own first love, Minami smiled nostalgically.

"I know that's the truth." Silence fell between the two of them as they sat across the table from one another. In a quiet Italian diner, hope dwindled away from Nakao as the truth was finally revealed; something he had been running from for so long and the one thing he was not willing to face: Nanba was not interested. As the RA watched Nakao's eyes cloud over with more sadness, his own heart started throbbing painfully in his chest. Reaching out across the table, he laid his fingers on Nakao's hand in order to console him. Arousing his attention, the younger one looked up. "I'm sorry. If I were a different person, I would definitely date you. ...if that makes you feel better." Shaking his head, a small smile arose on Nakao's sad face.

"No, it doesn't help. But thank you." Pulling his hand away, Nakao stood up from the table. "I should go. I am not hungry anymore and I don't want to ruin more of your Valentine's Day. What do I owe you for the food?" Reaching for his wallet, Nanba laughed and shoved aside the idea.

"I'll take care of it. It's the least I can do after you gave me these flowers." Smiling softly, Nakao nodded his head, squelching anything else he wished to say to Nanba. Like a rejected puppy, Nakao started to turn away.

As before, Nanba stood up and stopped him. Grabbing ahold of his wrist, Minami pulled him closer and kissed him. Eyes widening in shock, Nakao lost all use of his motor functions. Hands falling limp to his sides, all he could do was stand in an irreversable dumbfounded state and taste his crush's sweet aroma through his spontaneous show of affection. Raising his hand to the small of the younger one's back, Nanba pulled Nakao closer to kiss him. Slowly, Nakao was able to close his eyes and savor the moment; savor the second of pure pleasure when his love slid his tongue across his front teeth.

Upon drawing away, Nanba was able to view a flustered, blushing version of Nakao that put the depressed image to shame. Hormones zipping through his mind and bloodstream, Nakao gazed up at the man he was in love with. Smiling sweetly, Nanba winked at him. "So, I guess even I can't resist a man sometimes." Chuckling, he took out his wallet and left money on the table in order to pay for the meal and tip. Walking past Nakao, he held his gaze as he walked towards the door, only to wink and smile slyly before departing.

Nakao felt his legs give way from under him as soon as the RA was out of sight. Collapsing into the chair he had been sitting in, Nakao's face grew redder in order to release the heat his body was beginning to experience. Heart pounding feverently in his chest, Nakao laid his head down on his arms on the table's surface. Breathing heavier, he could not get the image of Nanba kissing him out of his mind. Biting his lip, Nakao supressed the need to scream out in joy.

A half an hour later, the younger boy started walking back home. Hands swinging triumphantly at his sides, he hummed a little tune to himself after each passing step. Even if Nanba did not like guys and even if he did not like him, perhaps... maybe... there was still a chance that Nakao could get what he wanted. "After all," Nakao smiled to himself. "I am one gorgeous guy."

Owari.

To be perfectly honest, I am not so much into the Nanba/Nakao relationship... I do not know much about Nakao (because he is not in the story very much; at leats less than Minami), so I did have to make a few OOC adjustements; to Nanba's character, as well. I hoped you liked it! Next up is Umeda and his love! Yay!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!