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Learning to Play by Suteishichic	By : Suteishichic Category: Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Ohjisama > General Views: 5629 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis (Tennis no Ohjisama), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Learning to Play by Suteishichic. Chapter Six ~ Niou Masaharu
Warnings: Yaoi, Love, Angst, Fluff, and Lots of Sex. Some kink. You've been warned ;)
Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Still in my dreams. ;)
Niou Masaharu snapped open his eyes, startled wide awake.
Wide awake and completely and utterly...aware.
When Niou was a little boy, he was in a constant state of awareness of everything around him to such a deep extent, it took over his life and held him hostage. Niou's earliest days, as far back as he can recall, were an endlessly dark, scary and horrible prison of chaos, confusion, and constant pain. He remembers being alone, afraid, and unseen constantly until slowly, miraculously, he began to be freed from the confines of his own mind and the awareness that held him prisoner.
Now that he was older and had been working through his treatments, being aware became something no longer overwhelming that he had to fight through just to do little things like smile at a friend or hold a conversation. Niou's freedom was a daily victory of light over the darkness. It was no small accomplishment for Niou to have come so far and to continue improving. His doctors and his family were all pleased with his one in a million progress, even if they didn't completely understand how difficult his fight to be free really was.
It was something that Niou was rightfully proud of, even if he never wanted to talk about it. Ever. With anyone.
And one of the reasons he most didn't want to talk about it is because what his parents and the doctors did now know was he didn't completely vanquish being aware. That was impossible.
Instead Niou only learned how to manage it in order to function so that he seemed just like any other “normal” person. He worked at it all the time, every moment of every day. His grasp over the darkness was not a mastery, instead he only held it at bay, but hold it he did. So far he was doing okay, but he knew it always loomed over him, always threatened to take him over if he let his guard down for even just a moment. His control and strength were the reasons he was so proud even if no one else ever really understood his struggle.
Niou had learned to handle it, and after much practice he could even to do it with such seeming ease that no one ever knew. He would appear relaxed and confident instead of constantly at battle with his unseen enemy all while trying to act as “normal” as possible. It was his unseen enemy and yet, there were times when being in a state of awareness, even a slight amount was a huge advantage over other “normal” people.
Now almost like everyone else, Niou had to reach to achieve any state of awareness and when he did, his struggle wasn't to achieve it like everyone else, but instead to just hold on to a little manageable portion. He would just take in a very small, controlled sip instead of what felt like being helplessly drowned by the rushing tides of all the water in the world all at once.
So it was rare and scary that Niou would become aware with no effort, but what was even more incredible was that he woke up in this state.
It was unheard of. Unprecedented. It did not bode well.
Something was not right.
Niou sat up. He felt like he was running on a strange combination of instinct and training--like a soldier trained for battle roused from a sound sleep seconds before a bomb went off. Niou was awake and he felt like he had to do something....
But what?
Okay. Breathe. Hold yourself together. He first had to figure out what was wrong. Niou felt out in the darkness to his surroundings and wrestled to stay in control of himself, his fears, and the awareness. He couldn't shake the feeling that something very bad was going to happen and also, maybe importantly, Niou sensed he was close.
In his still dark room, Niou softly called out his name. It felt like he was so nearby. Niou licked dry lips, said his name slightly louder, and waited for an answer. It really felt like he was right there beside Niou and yet as always, he was so far away. There was, of course, no reply. He wasn't there. He would never be.
All that answered back to Niou was the constant lingering ache of heartbreak like an echo....
And Niou had to put his heartache aside because something else out there was terribly dreadfully, horrifically, wrong. It prickled and annoyed. It made Niou squirm in his skin. It crawled along the back of Niou's neck in a million sharp sparks of pure adrenaline.
Move.
Niou glanced at his alarm clock as he threw off his towelket. He was wide awake, wide aware, and even if it was unbearably early, there was no way feeling this stressed he would fall back asleep.
As was his habit every morning, no matter that he'd barely slept or was fighting off the adrenaline coursing through his system, Niou clicked on his light and opened up his latest book of folktales. The world outside might be falling apart, but he learned that if he kept all his little habits in check, his habits would hold him together and keep him from flying apart into a million shards.
Trying to live in a million splinters while awareness automatically engulfs you was like trying to persist in a waking nightmare. Niou had to keep himself together no matter what.
As a result, Niou was very superstitious. His habits and their meanings were so serious, so vial to his being that they became nearly a religion. A religion created out of fear with daily rituals to hold back the darkness that was always menacing.
Niou's superstitions and rituals were things most people who were not close to him really ever knew or understood. Most people generally thought he was a flighty, quirky guy who sailed through life without any cares or concerns. They were wrong.
Habits were vitally important. Rituals mattered. Focusing on the world around him and being centered in the now was urgent--and above all, to win the fight every day, you had to keep order.
Even more than all the years of intensive behavioral therapy, Niou learned from Sanada that keeping order could enable anyone to see their way out of chaos.
So despite Niou wanting to crawl out of his own skin to escape the wrong things he was feeling, and even though he felt so close, Niou forced himself to sit and read his story for the day. It was important. The tone of the story he read each morning on some trickster or another would usually determine the kind of day Niou would have. It set the tone and gave him a direction. He used to do the I Ching, but Niou discovered over time, that it was not as personal or as reliable as his daily tale.
He wished he didn't have to read the story halfway through, but he knew he had to finish it. Each word made Niou feel more anxious. More unsettled. The story today was so shocking, so terrible it confirmed Niou's worst suspicions.
Something bad was going to happen today.
Niou believed it with his entire being. All signs confirmed it. Now, knowing that, there was a chance Niou could stop or influence or change it.
After several long talks with their Captain, Niou knew what he was now. Niou was a catalyst or an enzyme. Exactly which one he was, he wasn't sure (he hadn't decided if he himself was changeable or not yet) but what Niou did know for certain was that he made things change.
Sometimes his simply being present in a situation would alter the entire outcome. Niou reasoned out that he basically shouldn't be walking and talking and living his life, but he was, so now the universe just had to find ways to deal with him. When you looked at the big picture, Niou really was not supposed to be around at all, but because he was, his mere presence caused the universe to open alternative realities to cope which made him the variable that changed all previous equations.
It made Niou quite a wild card before he even acted or reacted to any situation. When you add in Niou's actions and reactions to an event plus his capricious nature, you ended up with multiple possible universes of unprecedented and unpredictable possibilities. He was the ultimate trickster. He had learned to be present in life and this is what Niou's presence caused. Or made happen. Or altered.
He changed things. Niou guessed it was sort of why he was born and why he was born the way he was--if such things could ever be completely explained.
And today, Niou felt strongly he needed to change whatever this bad thing was. Whatever this wrongness, this disturbance that Niou felt was, no matter what it might be, Niou knew he needed to be out there in the middle of it.
Without even considering the early hour, Niou reached for his cellphone before he put his book down in its proper place. He hit redial before even putting his thoughts in order. A rare thing for him, because usually Niou practiced several times before he spoke to anyone. Especially before a phone call where he couldn't read the other person's expressions or reactions to know if he'd gone too far or not far enough.
Niou especially always needed to have some joke, or story, or opening line ready when he talked to someone. And he worked even harder to be completely prepared with these things in place most of all with the people he respected and cared most about.
Not today. Today he felt like he was somewhere between bouncing off the walls with his need to be out there in the middle of things and having a full-on panic attack at not knowing where the middle of things were. Luckily for him, this person knew him. This person saw him. This person alone understood him, what he could do, who he was, and how he worked like no one else ever had.
“Niou-kun.” Just the gentle voice sent a shiver of calm running through Niou's jittery brain. It was like a warm hand easing away the worst of the panicked chills shivering down his spine.
That placid voice. Those perfect tones. So certain. So sure. Even though it was barely 4 in the morning.....Niou realized the time and mentally cursed himself. He should not have called this early.
Then Niou realized that he was still on the phone, not saying anything, and the person on the other end probably thought he was a daft idiot or that he'd hit redial in his sleep. Niou struggled for something sensible and silly to say. Something wry and brilliant and as bright as this person's light....
“Niou-kun?” The voice sounded both entertained and ever-patient. Consistent and steady, but still amused.
Oh great. Now he was being laughed at. Say something, you big stupid....”Good...good morning.” Niou tried to sound cool and as collected as the person he'd called. Tried and failed. He sounded to himself as worried and alone and as stressed out as he was feeling.
“What's wrong?” Pure concern and unwavering attention came from the other end. Niou thought it truly was beautiful how he never had to go out of his way for this person to see him. If only the rest of the world could be as aware and centered and sure.
“I....” He tried to focus and put all he was feeling into words, but he couldn't, “I don't know. I woke up and it felt like he was close. Like he was here. Right here. Next to me. And it...it feels like something is wrong. All wrong. Like something bad is going to happen...or is just about to and I need to be there. And then I....I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.” Niou's heart was hammering in his chest. He swallowed and tried to take a deep breath to stay centered. To stay himself and not get lost. He felt near tears in his frustration and his throat was as parched as when he ran a lot and forgot to drink enough before.
Niou worried suddenly about why this person was awake so early and realized even if the answer scared him, this person always liked when he was bold enough to ask, “How are you?”
The others were often too afraid to ask. Or to talk about it. But he alone was brave because this person always saw him. Always understood him. Even if the others thought he was being too callous, or too brash asking such delicate things, Niou knew Yukimura was always pleased when he asked.
“I'm well. I feel good today. Strong.” He heard the smile return to that centered voice, “What was the story today?”
Yukimura knew his habits and rituals better than anyone else ever. Generally, they weren't the kinds of thing Niou talked about with other people, and still, Niou was slow to trust even the others he was close to with the keys to unlock his true self. He liked being an enigma that had to be slowly unraveled. Niou even enjoyed it most when he was able to show people a peek of what was inside him without ever actually revealing anything concrete at all. If anything, when he revealed little glimpses into himself, it just threw even those he was close to off his trail. In the end, even with showing a little bit here and there like a peep show to the others, really only Yukimura and one other person were able to put most of it together.
And in the end, it didn't matter because that other person closer to him than even Yukimura for a moment, was in the span of a heartbeat forever gone. It was Niou's fault.
Niou had several nightmarish dreams about it. He would dream he was on stage performing a burlesque stripping dance while wearing a mask and feathered costume. One by one he removed each feather until he was standing naked on the stage. The only person watching him was that person. That person got closer and closer until sitting right in front of Niou.
The music stopped and since Niou had nothing left to remove, he untied his mask and let it fall to the ground. Before it even clattered to the stage floor and shattered into shards, that person stood up, gave him a long look of disgust, and walked out leaving Niou standing there. He still felt naked, ashamed, and bitterly hurt whenever he thought about the dream, even though Niou knew this person walking away from him was really Niou's own fault. Truly it was, but even if he had done everything right and taken off his mask first, he can't help but wonder if that person would have even stayed around long enough to watch him remove all his feathers. He figured he would never know.
His morning story ritual though was no longer a secret. Nothing was a secret once you told Bunta. Curious to see what would happen, Niou shared his story ritual with Bunta the first time he'd slept over Bunta's house. At first Niou was nervous to say anything, but he quickly realized that unless he carried his book with him to the toilet, his gregarious friend wasn't going to give him a moment's space to read in peace. So Niou confessed and waited to see what would happen.
Bunta shrugged and seemed to think it was just another mysterious thing Niou did. Later Bunta seemed to come to the conclusion that Niou read these books for daily inspiration or as if it was some weird way to pray to the prankster gods that would lead to an eventual escapade. And that's what Bunta told everyone, that it was some kinda prayer/inspirational thing. Bunta was wrong, but Niou was pleased to allow him to spread his incorrect Niou theories.
When Bunta told everyone important in the locker room the next day, Niou waited to see how each individual responded. He tried to be his own fly on a wall and note each person's reactions.
Jackal shrugged and smiled at Niou before walking out to practice first. It was his way of telling Niou that he accepted Niou's beliefs even if he didn't share them. Religion was something that was intensely personal to Jackal and not something he ever debated or discussed.
Yanagi furrowed his brow and intensely listened while Bunta talked. After a few moments, Yanagi muttered that it was “fascinating” before turning to his electric data pad and typing it in for posterity. It was more satisfying than Bunta finding it just something quirky.
Certainly Yanagi's response was more interesting than Sanada's barely audible chuffing sound of dismissal and derision at yet another stupid thing Niou did.
Sanada was always more satisfied with one swift and powerful blow slicing through all the mire at once than solving riddles. After many long conversations with Yukimura and even occasionally the others trying to figure out why Sanada seemed to hate him so much, Niou lately believed that he was more than just a thorn in Sanada's side.
Yukimura believed and pointed out to Niou that most likely he reminded Sanada of a time when their vice-Captain was not in control. When he was weak and helpless and that what Yukimura called Niou's special gift really represented many things that Sanada most feared. Niou's presence and his condition brought out the worst in Sanada on many levels. It happened with some people. Niou was usually okay with it because he understood people not accepting him really had nothing to do with him as a person. Again, he was an enzyme making things react and change—even Sanada.
While Bunta told the story ritual, Yukimura looked intrigued. Soon after he took Niou aside and asked questions. Their Captain's famous intense inquisitiveness was aroused in a most delicious way. When Yukimura concentrated so completely on you, you felt like the only person in the universe. Yukimura, Niou decided right then and there, was the most cat-like human Niou had ever met.
Niou explained his story ritual in exhaustive details, feeling delighted to really get to tell the heart of what his ritual really meant and why it was important. At the end of their conversation, there was no judgment or any feeling of embarrassment, instead the Captain thanked Niou and now Yukimura only mentioned it when appropriate. Out of respect. Complete acceptance. So perfect.
But Yagyuu? Now Yagyuu was truly special. Yagyuu was utterly unlike Yanagi, or Yukimura, or Sanada—utterly unlike anyone Niou had ever known. Yagyuu had no fear of Niou or what Niou might do. Instead Yagyuu seemed to really enjoy nothing more than working out the mystery of Niou. He seemed to take pleasure in taking the time to untie the Gordian knots of little hints Niou casually dropped behind his wake. Niou was thrilled to leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind him for Yagyuu to puzzle over like a path of clues in a forest.
Yagyuu apparently was moved when he found out about Niou's story habit, and at some point it inspired him to purchase a rare book of stories from overseas. Then to top it off, Yagyuu personally translated the whole thing, typeset his translations, and had the book bound. Even though Yagyuu was not speaking to Niou anymore, Yagyuu took the time to personally present it to Niou for his birthday. It was still the most incredibly amazing thing even if when given it, Yagyuu simply stated he had no use for it and Niou could either throw it away, burn it, or do whatever he wanted with it.
Oh, how that had hurt worse than the most perfectly penetrating slice of Sanada's blade through tissue and bone cleaving Niou in two. It was such a brilliant gift and given with such a casually dismissive delivery, it was beautiful. Beautifully brutal.
It still could bring Niou to his knees just thinking about it. The expense, the countless hours of work, and then that presentation heartlessly offered in front of everyone just to twist the knife. As if Yagyuu was Niou's second all too ready with his own blade when Niou hesitated at his own seppuku.
Yagyuu devastated him. And Niou had only himself to blame.
The trickster was tricked and fell into a trap of his own making. Niou didn't know what was worse, the pain he was feeling from being heartbroken, or the fact that he knew he brought all this upon himself.
Niou treasured the book as it promised by it's very existence everything in the universe Niou had ever wanted. It was a stunning vestige of everything that almost was, but never would be.
He heard Yukimura on the other end stir slightly. Patiently waiting for Niou to fixate on the now. Because of the ever-looming awareness, Niou's hold on the present was different from other “normal” people. If he lost focus for even just a moment he easily could see and be distracted by the past as well as potential futures along with his present all at once as if there were ten thousand televisions playing with sound blasting away right in front of him. It was often overwhelming to concentrate on just one. Especially when he was as aware and as stressed as he was now.
Niou took a breath in and slowly released it. He knew without listening too hard that Yukimura probably would be matching his breathing on the other end. It calmed him. Centered him. Yukimura's bright light anchored him even in his current state of flux.
“I'm sorry.” Niou said feeling calmer. He tried to explain, “I woke up aware today, and the story? It was bad.”
He heard nothing from Yukimura's end. His Captain would patiently wait for him to proceed no matter how long it took. Yukimura did not ask twice. Ever.
“The book right now is Native American folk tales.” Niou paused because even thinking of this book hurt. It always did. Niou knew Yukimura would know which book he meant and would understand the significance of it. Yukimura would understand the importance.
After his overly dramatic pause, Niou continued, “Their trickster is a coyote instead of a badger or a fox, but the stories are often similar to others from around the world. The coyote is often jealous of the wolf. The wolf in this one was beloved by the people and coyote was jealous. The wolf was bringing everyone back from the dead by shooting an arrow into the ground below them. No one ever died. Coyote tried to trick wolf by telling him if he kept letting everyone live, the world would become overpopulated. After many days and nights of coyote trying to convince wolf thinking it would make the people not like wolf anymore, wolf finally agreed.”
Niou took another slow breath to calm himself, “Coyote came to wolf the next day in tears. His young son was bit by a poisonous snake and dying. He begged wolf to save his son. To bring him back from the dead. He begged and pleaded, but wolf held fast. He did not help coyote or his child, and....”
“And?” Yukimura encouraged softly.
Anger felt good after being nearly smothered by so much anxiety. Niou tried to keep his voice quiet in the still, early morning, but he was sure his rage was still coming through. Sounds were important though. Making them into coherent speech was not easy, but it was worth it. Especially with this person. Niou heard himself make a small noise that started as a growl but ended in a whine, “And the people respected and revered wolf all the more because he held fast and was not persuaded.”
Niou couldn't dwell in his emotions or they would swallow him. He paced around feeling like a caged wild animal himself. He needed to move and be out there where he would change things. “I miss you. Can I come see you? Please?”
Yukimura made a small noise of negation and Niou felt his spirits sinking even lower. The darkness was seeping into his pores, his bones, his marrow. It would hold him in its grip and not let go. Yukimura said, “Not this morning. They're running some tests. And you have some serious things you need to do, but everyone will come here after practice this afternoon.”
“Okay.” Niou wasn't happy about being denied, but Yukimura would tell him what to do. Yukimura always knew what he needed. What they all needed. At the word, the command word, he snapped back to focus and attention and awareness and bound them together by his will. "I'll be serious."
“Excellent. First, you are to dress. I want you to wear all white this morning. I want you to be seen and white is good for being noticed. I want you to start dosing immediately while you dress and I want you to run to the field. Aware. Take the longest way. Keep running aware until the others meet you. Sanada will be there soon to further instruct you. Do not let me down, and I'll see you and everyone else this afternoon.”
“Thank you.” Niou breathed a sigh of relief. He was already starting to move. He put the book Yagyuu gave him back in it's proper place and folded his towelket into a perfect rectangle before putting it back to where it went. He was glad to have a destination now. He slept naked except for his wrist and ankle weights, so it was nothing to slip on white running shorts while sucking down one of the hydrogel packs. They tasted disgusting, but they worked to keep his energy and hydration up and Niou liked how they were always cold even on hot days. It was a delicate balance. Everything was.
He was sliding his white tank top on when he realized he was still holding the phone in one hand to his ear. Yukimura was still on the phone with him and hadn't said anything. It was as if the Captain was waiting for something.
Niou had no idea what. Stalling for time, he struggled to find something to ask while throwing his things and the extra weights they all carried to improve their running into his tennis backpack, “Are your tests bad today?”
Sounding powerful and brave Yukimura said dismissively, “Nothing I can't handle.”
Niou was on his third gel pack out of his morning ten when he felt that sensation wash over him again. He made a sound and decided he should explain in words, “Oh. I... Oh... It...it feels like he is so close.”
Now Yukimura sounded delighted, “He is close. If you hurry, you may run with him.”
Oh. Oh. How in the hell did Yukimura do that? Just know everything? On so many levels? And keep it all together? How in the seven hells was he able to be so aware of everything without drowning or getting smothered by the weight and the noise of the whole universe?
Niou often felt he would never be able to reach those levels. Not even when Yukimura insisted that he, out of everyone on their team was naturally so very close. Yukimura said Niou was "advantaged" where everyone else had to work so hard for it. He didn't understand, but Niou could appreciate Yukimura's skills on levels others would never know or see or comprehend. Yukimura floored him. Awed him. Humbled him. And most of all, unconditionally accepted him.
Thinking all that kind of did make up for Niou's morning starting off so bad. Especially when Niou realized he would be able to be alone, running with him, really it made everything almost bearable, “Thank you. Thank you. I....thanks. I...I'll bring you something good when I see you.”
“Niou?” Yukimura sounded amused and then didn't. “Hurry and go.”
“Okay. I....” He had no idea how Yukimura did half the things he did and they called Niou the trickster? Just because it would make Yukimura smile, even if it meant Niou would be punished later, Niou said as he locked his door, “Okay, Mother. Give them hell with those tests. Love you. Bye.”
Niou hung up the phone before he could hear Yukimura's response. Smiling he bounded downstairs, and as he turned around, he went to throw his keys and phone into one of the side pockets on his backpack before starting to run. At that exact moment, Yagyuu Hiroshi ran past him.
For a long moment, Niou stood there in stunned silence wondering anew at Yukimura before taking off after Yagyuu.
It is never easy to run aware. Chi running is not a skill anyone can just master overnight and Niou, even with his "advantage" still found it difficult for the first twenty or so steps. Trying to start chi running while at the same time attempting to catch up with Yagyuu and stare at him was nearly impossible. Nearly. About half a block later, Niou managed to run beside Yagyuu and their steps automatically synced from so many hours of running together.
It was another level of awareness, but it was not perfect.
The flaw for once was not with Niou.
He glanced over at Yagyuu and the guy's mouth was drawn tight in that annoyed way he had whenever Niou was near. But Niou was not disheartened. Yagyuu had made space for him on the sidewalk and must have slowed his steps enough for Niou to catch up. Niou chose to take that as a good sign and not believe it was just Yagyuu being his usual kind and generous self. Niou alone knew that Yagyuu was not nearly as kind or generous as everyone thought.
He could be quite savagely cold-hearted.
Especially when it came to Niou.
Niou sighed and might have made a small sound of hurt. But it was very small. Only someone paying the closest attention to him would pick it up.
“I'm serious.” Yagyuu hissed, sounding completely annoyed and as if he was directing all his anger towards Niou. As if Niou did something wrong. Or newly wrong.
Niou didn't do anything and couldn't change the situation. Eventually he knew Yagyuu would begin to run aware again, and his anger at Niou would not matter any more. It wouldn't go away, but when you were in a state of awareness on even the lower level level Yagyuu was at, in the grand scheme of everything in the universe and your being in that moment, anger and any other feelings would just not mean anything. At least not until Yagyuu stopped running.
Not sure what to do or say, Niou grunted in agreement meaning he was aware and serious and without dropping their pace or faltering, they continued running the long way. They ran up and down every block and time passed. After a few blocks or maybe it was twenty, Niou let in more awareness. Just a touch of everything in the universe around them, but it still felt like the two of them were silent and cut off from each other. It was like running next to a blind spot. Or a black hole.
Especially appropriate because Yagyuu was wearing all black. Niou wondered if his hair under the hooded sweatshirt he was wearing was still that nightmarish purple color from the shower accident last week. It was totally intended as a joking payback for Bunta sticking Niou with the check the night before when they went out for burgers, but Yagyuu walked right into the trap as if it was supposed to happen to him.
Niou offered to fix it. He didn't even laugh that much and he offered to make it better. Hell, he offered anything to make it better—even at one point telling Yagyuu he could shave Niou's hair off if that would make him feel better, but it didn't. Yagyuu said all Niou could do to make things better was to leave Yagyuu the hell alone. Forever.
Yagyuu couldn't run aware and hold on to his emotions, but Niou could. He was at a different level. He wondered if Yagyuu knew about that. Or even cared.
Feeling like he was slipping under into deep sorrow and grief, Niou closed his eyes as they ran. He let go.
He had to. He felt the energy of the earth rising up to meet his feet when they touched the ground. He stopped trying to reach out desperately to the black hole of Yagyuu and just tried to be. They ran and ran. They could be anyone. They could be anywhere. They could be anywhen. They were timeless and spaceless. They were everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Niou kept his eyes closed and let the sounds of Yagyuu's feet and his breath guide Niou's steps. He trusted, let go even more, and continued running along, listening to the waking world moving all around them. He was just being in the moment even if Yagyuu was closed off to him. Niou completely opened himself even more than he normally ever dared. He opened himself up even if he couldn't shake the annoying feeling that something was wrong. Even if Yagyuu never forgave him and this was all he would ever have, Niou let his mind and soul be completely free and his heart wide open and he ran and lived in this moment.
And in the next, Niou tackled Yagyuu and tumbled them both down into some bushes.

A/N: Thank you SO much to everyone for your support! Your continued reading of this little story (*g*) and your comments are all greatly appreciated and I truly treasure each and every one.

More soon. I promise! (Like tomorrow, k?)

I've been really busy irl, and sickly, and sidetracked writing originals, but I have a lot of chapters here to get up too. I miss y'all and can't wait to get back on track here.

*Huuuuuuuuuuuuuugs*

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Learning to Play by Suteishichic