Secret Love in Hidden Darkness

Summary: Life is good for Hayate and Himeno. Their troubles are over and life had never been sweeter. Two years together, probably going to be married soon, in love... What could go wrong, right?... A love unspoken and one impulsive action on it, causing a chain of events that could possibly wake the Princess of Darkness once more is what.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be. This plot is mine, and all made up characters which may or may not be seen are mine. Nothing else is mine. Nothing. Because I have nothing at all... Poor, poor me.

A/N: Yay! Two reviews! Thanks VampKitten and Kat. Not much to say otherwise except I may not be able to update tomorrow, best friend coming over and going to the fair, I will try that night if I can though. Thanks! As always, read and review.

Chapter 2:
// Dinner Surprises and Cold Sunsets //

The evening was uneventful, as evenings go. After the morning of snuggling on the roof, Hayate saw Himeno off to school with a kiss, her school friend, Yayoi, fawning over how cute the two were. Hayate had given his ever more common smile to the girl, and had left to head back and get things ready.

The whole house was in an uproar, readying everything for tonight. The night Hayate intended to ask for Himeno\'s hand in marriage. He was nervous, yes, but he knew she would say yes. They had talked about this some in the last year or so, and he had decided. He would ask her now, and even if she wanted to wait till she was done with school, he would have her answer and tell her in the only way he knew how that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. The dining hall was being made into something romantic, Takako and Mawata wanting to help with every aspect of the night.

Since that incident two long years ago, Mawata had really opened up. She smiled often, and her laugh was even more common. She was a happy girl, and though she had never found a love of her own, or at least not yet, she, Himeno, and Takako were the best of friends. They had both promised the place would look like a dream, and he trusted them both.

So, as instructed, he went back to the house, avoiding the dining room, and made his way to one of the art rooms. Maybe he could help Himeno\'s father.

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In another part of the house, two of the Leafe Knights entered the hall. Long blonde hair, bound to fall to the side of his head and a indifferent look, arms crossed over his chest. That was Kei alright. Just behind him was Go, his hair still gently spiked, eyes sparkling as he looked around. He came forward, one arm gently wrapping around his lover\'s waist and kissing at his ear. The blonde man waved him off, \"We\'re here to see the others, not start anything in the main hall. We could have stayed in Leafenia for that.\" He said flatly, to Go\'s pout. \"Alright, alright. I\'ll be good.\" Kei smirked as he entered further, \"Hello?\"

A few moments later, he was promptly swept into a hug by a flurry of long black hair and pale skin. \"Kei! It\'s been a long time! You should visit more often.\" A wide smile showed as the feminine voice alerted him to his friend, and once Pretear, Takako. \"I know, but it\'s only been a few months. Go has been to lazy to get off of his ass and come with me.\"

Go lightly chuckled, hand behind his head as he looked sheepishly at her. Go and Kei had been lovers almost since things with the Princess of Disaster had been over. They had loved one another before, and told the others as much, yet with all the danger... Well, concentrating on a love life was out of the question for the two. So, when all was said and done, they were eventually together and despite the personality conflicts, they were happy together most of the time.

\"Well, good news! Hayate has finally got up the nerve to ask Himeno to marry him! Isn\'t it exciting?\" She said, grinning. Kei\'s brow creased lightly, though he nodded. Another thing that was bothering him, there was something... Off. It would seem the leafe of this world should be balanced, now that the Princess of Disaster was gone... But, something was wrong. That is why he had finally pushed that they go, he had to see first hand what felt so wrong... Yet, all he found was happiness and it confused him...

\"Kei, you alright?\" He was startled from his daze by Takako\'s higher voice, her face concerned. \"Fine.\" A light smile came to his features, and Go came forward to gently lace the fingers of their hands. Despite his tough acts, Go was a sucker for simple shows of affection like holding hands. \"Anyway, that is good. I will have to congratulate him when I see him.\" She nodded, then looked around. \"I think Hayate is in one of the art rooms, if you want to find him.\" She waved her hand in the direction, and Go nodded and headed off in the direction, Kei in tow. \"See you later, Takako!\" Go called over his shoulder, and she waved at the retreating Knights.

Along the way, Go turned to Kei in an empty hall. He used the hand he held to gently put the other between his body and the wall, the blonde being pressed against the wall. \"What are you--\" Kei\'s voice was cut off by a heated kiss that the other pressed to his lips, ravaging the mouth of the man against the wall, the same man giving a frustrated sigh and pushing him away. \"In the hall of our friend\'s mansion is not the time, Go.\" He chided, to Go pouting again.

\"Go, find the river and cool yourself off, or go help with the decorations. I will go catch up with my friends that someone\'s laziness kept me from seeing.\" Go leaned in to kiss the speaking male again, only to be pushed away. \"Go.\" A warning tone, that could have been his name, and it could have been a command. At any rate, he sighed, disappearing gently with a small sound.

Kei shook his head at his boyfriend\'s antics, and walked down the hall all the same. He walked till he saw a white flash ahead of him, and his eyes focused on the form of another fellow Knight, Sasame. His head was turned down, eyes on the floor... And also something else \"Ah, Sasame, how have you been?\" The white haired man\'s head snapped up, eyes wide with panic for a moment before they fell to their normal size. \"Oh, Kei. Welcome back.\" He said, but the less than warm welcome was enough to start Kei\'s suspicion. \"Are you alright?\" He asked, to which Sasame blinked. \"Yes, I\'m fine, why ask?\" ... \"I don\'t know, nothing, I guess.\" Kei looked at him intently for a moment. Something was wrong, he knew it. Something was... Off. He shook his head, or he was imagining things.

\"Well, I am going to go say hello to everyone, and congratulate Hayate.\" He stated, to which Sasame merely nodded, brushing past. It was not odd for the other Knight to withdraw when he was being thoughtful, so he thought nothing of it as he continued on.

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The deep reds of late afternoon crept over the pale flooring of the dim room. It was a sight. The table was set with lovely food, candles on the table being the only light, sending flitting light across the table and over two pale faces. Himeno and Hayate sat there, Himeno smiling widely. She had gasped in shock when she had first seen the place, the red light from the window and the candles causing the sheer material hanging from the table and the chairs to sparkle. She had afterwards hugged him tightly as they sat down to dinner.

They talked slowly, over small things. Hayate\'s hair gently flowed around his shoulders, unbound as it caressed his pale face, falling to hide his now expressive eyes every time he happened to look down at his plate. A white shirt covered his lean form, sleeves falling around his hands as he ate. His pants were black, of unknown material, but something that seemed to gently seem to shimmer as well in the dim light. Himeno was wearing a soft pink dress, tight to her waist where it loosened into a proper dress, that fell just above her knees, a bit shorter in the back.

After a while of pleasant talk, he looked up into her eyes. Now or never... Now or never. \"Himeno...\" He said softly, taking a deep breath. He could do this. \"Himeno, it has been two years. Two wonderful years together. You know I love you, and you know I would do anything for you... But, today it\'s not a question for my heart.\" She blinked at him, large eyes showing that she didn\'t understand, a gentle tilting of her hair shifting her soft pink hair. \"What I mean to say is... I have decided. Himeno, I want to be with you forever, as long as we can be. Not just as a Pretear and her Knight... But as a wife and her husband.\" He gently stood, and Himeno\'s eyes widened as she realized what was happening, what she had been waiting to happen for two years. He fell to one knee, then a breathed sentence came, \"Will you marry me?\"

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Pain laced up and down his spine, stabbed at his heart, made him close his eyes as the pain engulfed him and the tears welled. \"Will you marry me?\" What was Hayate thinking? Dear, sweet, beautiful Hayate. Eyes that could drive gods to sin and break him completely. The face so acutely feminine that it made him beautiful, not exactly handsome. That was too harsh a word for the gentle beauty that was the man. Even looking nervous, kneeling on the ground in front of Himeno... He was still beautiful.

Even as his heart shattered to see the tears slide down Himeno\'s cheeks, even as his own tears welled and fell softly down his cheeks. He fought the shivers that racked his body, long arms wrapping around his thin body as he silently sobbed, the broken shards of his heart pressing into his chest as it contracted in his breathing. It felt worse than anything, then the pain of having leafe drained from you in battle, then taking the blows for the very Pretear that stood before his love at this very moment, staring at the silver ring of interlinking places of shining silver and dulled, softer silver.

\"Yes! Yes! Yes, I love you, Hayate!\" The words sliced through him, and he closed his eyes tightly, this non deterring the tears or sobs that tried to force their way through. Teeth gently bit into the flesh of his lips, the pain adding to the symphony of pain already thrumming through his body. The pain began to drum in every inch of his body, as crimson liquid slowly trickled down his chin and down into the pale hollow of his throat. He released his bleeding lip, blood flowing freely into his mouth and over his skin, drenching his shirt slowly. \"Hayate...\" A broken sob came from his lips, as he turned, eyes still screwed closed and began to blindly run. He didn\'t know where, he just had to leave.

Oh, Hayate... \'Be happy... Just be happy, My Love.\' The thought ran absently through his pain fogged brain, and he never stopped running till he reached his room. Thank whatever cruel gods there were Takako was not there, and he was inside and locking the door.

His body shook with restrained sobs as he let them fill the empty room, sounds of depression and desperation, unending sadness. He dropped to his bed, against the far wall and hugged his knees, back against the headboard and head on the wall. He was all of a sudden so small in a huge world that cared nothing for him, and this drove further home the fact he would never be together.

And even as the pale, fading red light of the sun passed over his skin, he felt no warmth... Because he was the moon to Hayate\'s sun. The moon wallowed in it\'s radiating light, yet it could have no heat from it\'s giver of light.... It was too far away, too impossible... And always would be.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up, but it is longer! Yay! I bet you know who the mystery guy is now, maybe not. Anyway, Hayate will getting some Yaoi action pretty soon, no worries. What do you think, Seme or Uke Hayate? Or both? Let me know, and as always, Read and Review! The more reviews, the faster I shall continue. No more reviews and I might not.