hello hello! ^-^ it's been quite awhile since i've started a new fanfic, huh?
this is for an old time (it ran in shonen jump 1998-2002 i believe) manga/anime series that isn't very popular but I just love it to bits.
I'll be going off the events of the manga, and everything else of the manga, in the making of this story, so you might be confused if you only watched the anime!

I would've liked to completely finished the story before I put up the first chapter, but I guess I just didn't have the patience for that, haha. Rated M because I'm still not sure how I'm going to play out the remainder chapters, but we're going to play it safe.

If anyone of you haven't read/watch Hikaru no go, I recommend you do! Only 23 volumes. Im not sure about the anime; I haven't seen it. ^-^"

that's enough of me rambling, huh? Let's go on with the story

Akira stared at me with a concentration that seemed to never waver. I swallowed hard as it started to make me feel uneasy.

"Why," he said, asking, but in a tone that said it was more of a command to answer him.

"Because..." I scratched my head. "Why not?"

"They hate me," He quickly rebutted.

I frowned. "They do not!"

"Do too."

"Nuh uh!"

"Mhmm,"

"You're supposed to say 'yeah huh!'"

He shrugged and sat back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Doesn't mean I'm not right. They hate me. They think I'm a self centered asshole, and that I think I'm too good for anyone but myself." He said tiredly, which gave me the impression that he already knew this conversation was futile, because he knew he was right.

"You've barley ever talked to them, 'Kira," I said, all too familiar with his name, accidentally turning "bright" into "killer." Oops. "How would you know what they thought?"

Akira turned his head and looked me straight on. "Because," he formulated an answer, keeping the same fatigued look on his face. "I can tell. I can always tell." He tapped the side of his head. "Also, you see these things? They're called ears. It's pretty cool since they help me hear things."

I almost got pissed at the amount of sarcasm moving through his voice. "What does ears have to do with anything?"

He was starting to get impatient, I could tell, and instead of blowing up and pushing me across the room in anger he just sighed and put his chin in his hand, almost.. What? Sadly? "Because they talk about me behind my back, Hikaru." He said my name with such a roll off the tongue it gave me goosebumps. "And they've talked about me with you. So you already know they think that."

"But you're Akira Toya. You're not supposed to care what other's think."

He sighed and straightened his posture again, as if trying to prove something, cracking his nimble fingers aimlessly. "I don't. But they won't want to be around me."

I tried not to get distracted by his fingers and attempted to come up with another reason he should come. Waya, Isumi and I were going out for lunch tomorrow, and I thought I'd invite Akira. It'd be like a double date! But Waya and Isumi wouldn't know that, and even though Akira and I totally ship those two they're not going out. So to them it's like four single guys, and for us like 2 gay couples. Amazing.

"But Akirrrrrrraaa," I whined. "For me? I'll blow you," I came up with incentive. He just rolled his eyes.

After a bit of consideration he sighed. "Fine. But not because of that. You don't have to do that," he looked up at me.

I shook my head. "I wanna!"

Akira snorted. "Fine, if you say so. It's always that with you, isn't it?" He started to heighten his voice into a higher pitched whine, imitating me. "'Akiiiirrraa, let's go see a movie! Akiiira, I want Chinese food. C'mon, I'll give you head!'" He laughed a bit at his joke. I laughed a bit back because it was pretty much true. "Anyway," he continued. "It's starting to feel like you just like giving them."

"Are you gonna come or not, Akira?" I cut in, stopping the talk about blow jobs.

"I said yes, Hikaru," he said sternly.

"You're the best" I grinned at him. He rolled his eyes and then shrieked in surprise, turning around in his chair. "Damnit, Tsusaki," He grumbled, picking up his black cat.

"He scratch you again?" I asked. He nodded, setting the feline on his lap. With that, I yawned and looked around. "How long are you parents staying in China?" I asked.

"Another two weeks, I think." He answered, playing with the Tsusaki's paws.

"Cool," I stretched. "Can I spend the night?"

Akira looked up at me. "Sure. Just to sleep, or...?"

I thought. "How early's our next pro game?"

"Ah... About ten?"

"Okay, then more than just sleeping," I grinned. He rolled his eyes, though he smiled this time, sorta like, What are we gonna do with you?

The next day I sat waiting at the diner with Isumi and Waya. Akira was nowhere to be seen. Although we left together and I saw him up until we left the tournament place, I lost track of him. A part of me was thinking he was just gonna ditch me, even after last night. But after only about 3 minutes of suffering worry, Akira came walking in casually, adjusting his tie under his sweater. He looked so prim and proper, which I always liked about him, but Waya grimaced in disgust.

"And here I thought he wouldn't come," he grumbled.

"He's not that bad," I countered, sounding pretty defensive, which I hope he and Isumi didn't catch. Luckily they did not, and Akira came scrolling toward the table right after Waya mumbled, "Bullshit," under his breath.

He sat in the booth next to me, across from Isumi. As usual, he looked fatigued, but not like tired fatigue. He had that look a lot, though it was hard to explain, and hard to figure out what he was thinking. He leaned forward and put his elbow against the table, putting his cheek in his hand. This was one of the moments you would see Akira relax his go-whipped posture of the gods. Seriously, I used to wonder how he managed that all the time, until I spent more time with him and learned, he didn't. He was really laid back and funny when you got to know him, really. Also, extremely, inexcusably gay. Yashiro told me he asked upfront if he gay and Akira didn't even try to deny it.

I smiled at him. "Hey, Akira,"

I glared at me intensely. "That's Akira The Almighty to you,"

I laughed. So did Isumi, a little. Waya just kinda rolled his eyes and snorted. Akira's expression softened as he glanced at Waya and Isumi, who probably thought they were going to hate him even more after that. Even though he didn't let it affect him, I could tell he cared what people thought about him, even if it was just a little. Especially if those people are his boyfriend's friends.

As everyone boiled down, pretty much just me, they grabbed menus and started looking through them, as did I. But of course. Akira didn't. For a minute I thought I saw a glint of conflict in his eyes; He never ate lunch, mostly on go playing days, and usually doesn't even leave his game board during break. But he didn't wanna stick out more by not eating, so would he eat just to seem less distinguishable from us? I would probably just get some ramen anyway.

Isumi was the first one to take notice of Akira's laziness in picking up and looking at a menu, though. "Not eating, Toya-senpai?"

He shook his head slightly and leaned back of the bench. "Not hungry," he said simply. Then in examining the tiled floor, he added, "You don't have to call me senpai, you know."

Isumi knit his eyebrows thoughtfully at Akira. "But you're a higher dan than me," He said softly.

"But you're older than me," Akira replied back. He was looking at the table seriously, like he was determined.

Eventually Isumi nodded and backed out. "Good point. I'm sorry," I didn't really know what he was apologizing for, but for Isumi he felt it was a needed gesture.

"It's alright," Akira said softly, and I could almost feel him fighting the urge to tell him it wasn't necessary to apologize either.

There was some stray conversation until the waitress came and asked us for our orders. I just took ramen, Waya had some sushi and Isumi had curry. Akira just took coffee. Way to fit in, baby. We mostly talked about go until the waitress came back. Akira stayed silent through most of the conversations, offering a laughed or an amused scoff as verification that he was listening. He put a specific amount of sugar and cream in his coffee, looking like he was thankful to have something to do with his hands. Again, I've always liked his hands. His fingers were long and nimble, but also callused from excessive go playing. I tried to snap out of it and get back focused into talking about the match I was having with some 4 dan.

Then Waya looked at me and sorta blurted out, "Okay, so, no offense, but why'd you invite Toya anyway?" The lack of a suffix showed either familiarity or lack of caring. I'm pretty sure it was the latter.

Akira didn't look up, focused on his coffee, refusing to egg Waya on. I frowned. "He's my friend."

Akira glanced up at me without moving his head, dark locks falling over his face, and a small smirk cracking on his face, like, You forgot the 'boy' part.

Waya scowled. "Why would you wanna be friends with Akira? I thought you hated each other," he tried.

I pouted, "We're rivals, not enemies! I don't hate him."

"Actually," Akira cut it, after stirring his coffee and bringing the mug to his lips. "We're not friends."

I tried not to but I gapped stupidly at him. I felt really offended and a bit, hurt, to be honest. Isumi and Waya looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Um," Isumi's voice shrunk. "What are you, then?"

And I watched as Akira sipped his coffee and said with the most serious face ever, which I noticed was his face while playing go against me, "We're lovers," I almost choked to death on my ramen.

"W-What?!" I coughed, setting my ramen down and trying to whip the remaining noodles off of my face.

Isumi and Waya had similar reactions. Isumi just raised his eyebrows in extreme surprise while Waya's jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

Akira just broke out laughing. That apparently was the cue that made Waya and Isumi think it was a joke. Though I was still blushing uncontrollably.

"You're gay?" Isumi asked.

Akira nodded and sipped his coffee. "Insanely." See? He was completely open with his sexuality. Probably another reason he tried not to care what people thought. I secretly wished I could do that, to be so incredibly okay with myself that everyone else's opinions didn't phase me. Even before I had romantic feelings for Akira, I've always noticed that about him, and wondered how he could do it. Before I just thought it was self centered pride, but it's more about self acceptance. He's really amazing.... I found myself thinking, even now, after confessing our relationship. They never did buy it, not from this situation, so I didn't have to worry about them being disapproving of us.

Waya looked at me, then at Akira. "So you're single, then?"

Akira raised his eyebrows in surprise, and looked at me, as if asking what he should respond. I somehow conveyed a look of saying to keep it secret, which was probably just from my lack of response. Akira closed his eyes with his mug pressed against his chin, then responded, "In a way," taking another small sip. "You could say that," he answered vague as possible.

Waya just rolled his eyes, not responding. He probably just didn't know how. Or didn't care enough to ask what he meant by that. Either way, I was safe, we were safe, and Akira threw a slight smile at me from behind the mug. My cheeks warmed and I smiled back.

Once Akira was done with his cup of joe, he nodded a goodbye, and said he was going back to study his game. I could tell he was profusely fighting the urge not to kiss my cheek or show some other form of affection as he left. He pulled out his part of the bill out of his wallet and set it on the table, then stood, stretching as he walked away, and returned to his perfect posture. These were one of the moments I tended to notice how tall and lanky he was, even with wearing a dress shirt and sweater on top he still was skinny. Not anything like the short twelve year old I met him as.

It was silent for a bit, and I sighed, looking up at Isumi and Waya. "See, he's not that bad. He's actually really nice." I concluded. Isumi nodded and Waya looked intently at the table in front of him, in thought, then he nodded as well. I felt a wave of triumph run over me. I'd tell Akira everything went well and he'd be happy. It was awesome when he was happy.

"He kinda acts like he likes you," Waya said, scratching his head. "Like more than a friend."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, incapable of response. "No way dude," I bluffed. Waya looked back at the table, in deep thought. I was worried he found us out.

"Well then," Waya said, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Then he put on his wicked grin he had when he had an idea. "I think I'll ask him out!"