Title: Home Life

Author: Raykushi

Disclaimer: Rights to Hikaru no Go belong to Yumi Hotta and others. This is a fan piece only and no monetary gain comes from its publication.

Prompt: Kaga and Tsutsui, "running hot and cold"

Summary: Tsutsui gets a glimpse of Kaga's home life one night; awkwardness ensues

Warnings: Some language. Hints of shonan-ai. Maybe. If you squint.

Pairings: Kaga/Tsutsui

Word count: 595

Home Life

"Yer a loser and you'll always be a loser! Do yerself a favor and jump off a bridge tonight instead a' comin' home!"

"Yeah, yeah! Damn drunk!" A door swung shut and clattered loudly against its frame overhead; footsteps stomped down the metal stairs of the apartment complex. Tsutsui froze like a deer. His startled eyes darted left and right looking for a place to hide, but he couldn't move.

The lanky form of Kaga Tetsuo stopped at the bottom of the stairs, surprised to see the person standing there on the street in front of his apartment building. "Tsutsui?" he grunted, eyes narrowing to hide any shock. "What're you doing here?"

"Um, ah, um. . . ." Tsutsui looked around again for an escape. The uncomfortable moment stretched out as he tried to act like he hadn't heard the loud conversation that had just transpired. "Um, g-good evening, Kaga. I apologize for stopping by without calling ahead. A-are you on your way out. . . ?"

"Whatever, come on," grumbled Kaga, starting to walk away.

Tsutsui hesitated, looked up at the apartment building. Then turned and trotted after Kaga. Awkwardly he tried to get up the nerve to explain why he dropped by, but everything he planned to scold Kaga about just seemed in poor taste now.

"Even you're not usually this quiet," Kaga said, glancing sideways at Tsutsui. "What's up?"

"Um, no, nothing."

The redhead wasn't one to avoid a subject because of awkwardness. "You heard my old man going off?" Tsutsui blushed and found the sidewalk needed close scrutiny, which Kaga took for a 'yes.' "It's no big deal. He's been worse since my mom took off."

"I-I'm sorry," stammered the shorter young male, who couldn't think of anything else to say.

Kaga snickered. Tsutsui frowned sharply. What, did Kaga find the apology or Tsutsui's embarrassment amusing? It wasn't his fault he overheard Kaga's home situation and now he felt bad for the guy! He didn't need to be laughed at!

"I brought you notes," he snapped, digging into his backpack and taking out a slim black notebook. He thrust it at Kaga's chest. "I'd appreciate it if you stop skipping last period, I have better things to do than come over here after cram school and give you copies of my notes."

Kaga took the notebook to keep it from falling to the ground. "No one said you had to," he retorted, tucking it under his arm without looking at it.

"I know you won't ask anyone else for them," Tsutsui shot back. "Exams are coming up. I put a lot of effort into dragging you along behind me in class, so don't put it to waste by not passing."

The taller male didn't have a smart comeback right away, which surprised Tsutsui. He chanced a glance upward and found Kaga's expression was quiet and contemplative. Tsutsui blinked twice behind his heavy lenses, wondering what an expression like that on Kaga's face meant.

The moment didn't last of course. "Heh, we'll see," chuckled the redhead, reaching up and ruffling Tsutsui's hair. "Maybe I'll come over to your place, you can tutor me." When he grinned like that it always reminded Tsutsui of a shark.

Tsutsui coughed. He wasn't about to let his old schoolmate walk all over him now. "Maybe. If you ask me nicely."

Kaga laughed loudly, and the two boys continued on down the sidewalk in the dark, leaving the apartment behind them. Tsutsui thought to ask where exactly they were going but then decided it didn't really matter. He'd find out soon enough.

For some reason this feels like the start of a much longer fic. . . .