Hey! This was originally meant for Valentine's Day but I couldn't finish in time. School's really a killer. Everything seems to be piling up. And my test results are… It's late (very late I know…) but I'm still publishing this in commemoration of Valentine's Day! Love is in the air!

This one's going to be about Yusei x Aki.

Ok, now on with the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. If I did, there will be more love in the show in addition to the main plot.

Colour of the Roses

"Yusei, do you know what day it is today?" The raven haired signer looked down to see the youngest signer staring innocently back at him. "No," he replied simply, "is there anything special about this day?" Looking slightly disappointed, the blue-green haired girl said, "It's the 14th of February today – Valentine's Day. Aren't you going to give Aki-san something?"

"R-Ruka! There's nothing between Aki and me!" Yusei spluttered. Ruka giggled. She actually managed to break through his cool demeanor and make him feel flustered. It's so obvious that they like each other. Why won't they just admit it? And they'll make such a cute couple.

"Oh… I just thought… well since Aki-san never really felt much love when she was, you know, the Black Rose Witch… I thought maybe you could… Never mind. Sorry for bothering you Yusei." Ruka quickly apologized. "No it's ok," Yusei mumbled, his mind already elsewhere. Ruka had made a valid point. "Bye Yusei." She called before running off. Let's see if my plan works. Ruka grinned to herself.

~Back to Yusei~

Yusei went up the stairs to his room. The twins had offered each of them a room since they often stayed the night to keep an eye on the two young children. Going over to his desk, he pulled open the drawer and carefully extracted the three roses placed inside. Actually, he didn't forget about Valentine's Day at all.

~Flashback~

The wide array of flowers available baffled him. How would he know which one to pick? "Good morning. Looking for some flowers for your loved one?" A voice asked. Yusei jumped in surprise. It was the salesgirl running the flower shop.

What exactly is Aki to me? She's a friend but somehow, it feels different from Jack and Crow. "Erm… It's not for a lover, but not exactly for a friend either." He replied. The florist thought for a while, then said with a knowing smile, "Oh… You're not sure of how you feel about this girl right?" Yusei blushed; she had hit the nail on the head.

"Ok, we'll take this slowly. I'll ask you some questions and select flowers based on your answers ok?" Yusei nodded. It's better than standing around here lost. "First, what runs through your mind when you see her?" The florist asked. "Well…" He thought about the first time he saw Aki, in the Daimon Area and later, in the Fortune Cup tournament. "She… she needs friends, friends who can understand her and accept her for who she is. She's just someone who's misunderstood; shunned by people because of things out of her control." He said, lost in the memories of the times they dueled when she was the Black Rose Witch.

"Ok. "The florist selected a rose and placed in some water. "What else do you feel when she's near?" He remembered the time when she wanted to become a D-Wheeler, to experience the same things that he and the guys did. The first time he saw her in her riding suit… God… Aki is hot… With her suit hugging her body in all the right places… Wait… Yusei, get your mind out of the gutter! Aki's more than just a beautiful girl… and she's your friend. He shook his head rapidly to get the image of Aki in her riding suit out of his mind. "Thought of something you shouldn't?" The florist grinned. Yusei blushed and nodded, "Her wearing her riding suit… She looked really good."

Smiling, the florist extracted another rose and placed it with the first. "Now, one last question, just to make sure," She added. "How do you feel when that girl is threatened or missing?" Immediately, Yusei thought of the time when Aki went looking for Misty. He clenched his fists when he remembered how Divine manipulated her and released her destructive powers. He remembered how worried he was when he couldn't find her in the abandoned amusement park. He remembered how tense he was when he saw her dueling Misty and her Earthbound Immortal.

Wait… why was I so worried? He had never felt so anxious when Jack went to search for Carly or when Crow fought Bommer. I was afraid I'd lose her… He suddenly realized it. Aki meant so much more to him than a normal friend. "I love her…" He murmured, dazed. I'm in love with Aki…

The florist beamed. "There! Problem solved." She selected a third rose and wrapped it up with the other two. "The colour of these three roses represents the three different feelings you mentioned earlier. The yellow rose with a red tip represents friendship; the coral one represents desire, and the red rose… Well… I think you can guess what it means." She smiled, passing Yusei the flowers. "Good luck." "Thanks so much for your help." He replied before leaving the shop.

~End of flashback~

I already have what I need. The problem is how to give it to her… Yusei racked his brains for an idea but none came. eHe knew how to fix D-Wheels, engines, almost anything as long as it is mechanical. But confessing to a girl? He didn't have a clue. "Argh!" he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Yusei?" A voice came from the doorway, "What are you doing, standing in the dark?" His head snapped up; he knew that voice very well. No no no… Bad timing Aki… Really bad timing… "Oh hi Aki," he said, trying to act as normally as possible, "On your way out?"

"Yes," she said simply. "Don't let me keep you waiting then!" He said, fumbling with the handle of the drawer behind his back. Come on! Open already you stupid thing! "Yusei, is something wrong? You seem… fidgety…" She stepped through the doorway and came closer. "N-no… Nothing's wrong." He kept his hands behind his back and backed closer to the desk, trying to hide the roses.

Aki's sharp eyes caught the movement. "Yusei, what are you trying to hide?" He panicked, and raised his voice, "It's nothing! Honestly!" That stunned Aki. He had never raised his voice at her before. "Alright, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Filled with hurt, she turned towards the door. I can't believe that he doesn't trust me…

Yusei sighed. It was dark, but he could clearly see those golden-brown eyes fill with disappointment as she turned away. Smart move, genius… You just made things worse. "Aki, wait." His quiet voice filled the room. She stopped where she was, but did not turn around. She's clearly upset. Yusei you idiot! Sighing again, he went up to her. "Aki, I'm sorry for raising my voice at you. I wasn't sure how to tell you… something… and when you suddenly appeared, I just panicked."

She turned around and looked at him silently. He looked back into those amber eyes and said, "I'm really sorry." She just continued to stare at him without saying anything. Yusei mentally slapped himself. Genius, Yusei… She's really upset. Might as well show the cause of this now… Though this is the worst type of scenario to confess…

He held out the first rose. Aki looked at the rose, then at him, her face still expressionless. But inside, her emotions were churning. Why is he giving me a rose? Is he trying to say something? "It's for you. Take it." He said. Her hand slowly reached out and accepted the rose. "Thank you." She murmured. Yellow with a red tip… This signifies friendship… Appropriate… Considering how the bonds between friends are what Yusei values the most…

Yusei gulped. The situation doesn't seem to be improving. Aki's still upset. He brought out the next rose and handed it to her. "Thanks." She said, accepting the second rose. This one's beautiful as well. A lovely shade of coral... That represents desire… Wait… Desire? This doesn't make sense. Confusion filled her. Questions raced through her head, but her face remained expressionless, hiding the turmoil she felt within.

Does he actually know what the colour of these roses signify? Aki looked at him closely, trying to read his intentions by looking at his eyes. But like her, Yusei wasn't one to show his emotions and she could not read anything. Holding the two roses in her hand, she gently fingered the soft velvety petals, while trying to make some sense of his actions.

Yusei flinched from the sudden intensity in her gaze. Well, there's no turning back now. He silently passed her the last rose he held – a single red rose. Stroking the brilliantly coloured petals, she murmured, "Thank you, for the third time today." A single red rose… This signifies love… What exactly is Yusei trying to say? Can it be that he… he…

They stood there in silence for a while. Looking at him expectantly, Aki waited for him to say something, to give some reason for his actions. Their eyes locked; amber irises met cobalt. Yusei shuddered slightly and readied himself by taking a deep breath.

God… Come on Yusei. You've faced Dark Signers, Polar Star Gods and Machine Emperors. Surely saying three little words isn't too difficult for you.

"Aki, I… I love you." It came out of his mouth naturally. Wow… Now that wasn't too difficult… Aki just stared at him, her face expressionless. Though maybe the confession wasn't the hardest part… Still her face remained expressionless. Yusei looked back at her worriedly. Maybe I messed things up? "Aki… say something. It's alright if you don't feel the same way. I just needed you to mmph…!" His words were cut off by Aki pressing her lips against his. He stood there stunned. Aki is… Closing his eyes, he kissed her back, reveling in the feeling of her soft lips pressing against his.

All too soon, Aki pulled away. He protested inwardly as their lips parted. But before he could say anything, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, "I waited so long to hear you say that." His arms went around her waist, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her. "Sorry," he murmured.

A little blue-green haired girl stood near the doorway and peeked at the two signers. She cheered silently and patted herself on the back. Guess it really worked after all! I was right; those two really do look cute together.

Ok I'm done! Yay for Ruka the matchmaker! I know that my characters seem rather ooc and I apologise for that. But come on, if they were to be totally in character, it would be difficult to make them do any fluff scenes. (I said difficult. Not impossible) I'm trying my hardest to write them in character so please bear with me till then. Anyway, please read and review! Just press the blue button that says Review This Chapter and type away!