Touya wore his best suit. Well, technically it was his only suit, but he had it cleaned and pressed and bought a new tie to go with it.

"You don't have to come with me," he said to Hikaru, who was standing next to him on the subway, fiddling with his own tie.

"Yes I do," he said. "You have allies. Everyone should know that."

"I'm not a child," he grumbled, but he appreciated Hikaru's presence all the same. He had never heard of a go player coming out of retirement. He wasn't sure what the protocol was.

The lobby of the Kiin slowly fell silent as they entered. It was a bit surreal. Every eye was on him, and he heard someone drop something. Touya held his head high and made his way into the office.

The reaction in the office was eerily similar to the one in the lobby.

"Touya-sensei!" Sakamaki was the first to find his voice. "Where on earth have you been?"

"Nowhere," Touya said, and it felt like it was true. "I would humbly like to request to come out of retirement." That got everyone's attention.

"Coming out of retirement? Can people do that?"

"I think someone in the Kansai Kiin did it twenty years ago."

"It's the middle of the season, we can't just..."

"Maybe he should take the pro exam."

"You are not making Touya Akira Meijin take the pro exam!" That was Hikaru, growling at Touya's side. Everyone looked at each other nervously, knowing he was right, but still unsure of what to do.

"So you're alive." Touya started at the voice and turned around to see Ogata, leaning on the door frame, cigarette in hand, clearly fighting to keep his face cool and impassive. Touya could tell because Ogata's eye was twitching, but he doubted anyone else would notice.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Ogata said. "You just run away and leave me to deal with all your affairs. You owe me big time." Hikaru clenched his fists and set his jaw, but didn't say anything. He seemed to understand that this was Ogata's way of being kind, even if it was royally pissing him off. Touya actually found Hikaru's reaction adorable, but he would never tell him that.

"Anyway, the Houinbou is right," Ogata said, pushing himself off the door frame to come stand at Touya's other side. "You're not making a title holder take the pro exam." Sakamaki blanched. Between the three of them (if Touya could actually include himself), they held five titles. They made a rather formidable group.

"But…the Meijin title…" Sakamaki stammered.

"Belongs to Touya," Hikaru said, at the exact same time as Ogata said, "Belongs to Akira-kun." Touya did take a moment to appreciate that this may be the only time in his entire life when Hikaru and Ogata would agree on something.

"He won the title last year, and the matches haven't been played yet this year," Ogata said. "You're not taking the title away from someone else. The challenger hasn't even been decided yet." He looked sideways at Hikaru. "Although, the favorite is here in the room with us."

Touya didn't know that. He didn't even know that Hikaru was in the Meijin league, let alone that he was the favorite for the challenger's seat. What else had he missed?

"Let Touya play to defend his title," Hikaru said. "You can worry about rank matches and other tournaments after that." The force of Ogata and Hikaru's arguments and clout seemed to sway the room, and they began to discuss the details of Touya's return. Ogata clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's good to have you back," he said, squeezing his shoulder harder than necessary, the only sign of affection he was going to get from the man. But it was enough.

Ashiwara on the other hand, threw himself into Touya's arms, sobbing and crying out and generally making an utter spectacle of himself. Ichikawa hugged him too, but she at least didn't make Touya want to die of embarrassment.

Hikaru's friends clapped him on the back and told him they were glad to see him, and although Touya wondered how much of that was actually true, they seemed genuine enough.

"So is Touya your secret girlfriend?" Waya whispered in Hikaru's ear, loud enough for everyone to hear. Touya felt himself blushing, but he did not expect to see Hikaru flush as well.

"Shut up," he said pushing Waya off and elbowing him in the ribs. It was stubborn and playful, but not exactly a denial, and Touya felt a strange rush of hope.

Going home was the hardest. Hikaru had offered to come with him, but he wanted to do this alone. He thought the place would be dusty and stale, but it wasn't. It felt clean and fresh. Touya wondered who exactly had been taking care of it, and he felt strangely loved.

Walking through the empty house, the lack of his parents was palpable, and Touya felt it like a blade to the heart. He went into the salon and sat down in front of his father's goban, scratched and worn from use but remarkably dust free. Touya tried to remember the thousands of times his father had sat at this board, his stern face focused on the stones, and had to will himself not to burst into tears. He had something to say first.

"I'm home," he said to the empty space across from him. He supposed he should be having this conversation at a gravesite, but this felt more personal, and therefore more meaningful.

"Father, I'm…sorry. I'm sorry my selfish request got you and mother killed. I will never forgive myself for that. I will carry it with me always. But I'm also sorry that I gave up go. It was your treasure, your gift, and I snubbed it, and I'll forever regret that too. But I won't run anymore. I'll face my feelings head on and live with the consequences. I'll play go every day and study harder than anyone, and one day, I'll play the hand of god and make you proud of me. I love you both. And I'm sorry." Touya felt a tear travel slowly down his face.

ooooooooooooooooo

Touya returned to his studies with a vengeance. He was sluggish and rusty and needed to polish his game and bring it back up to a level worthy of a Meijin. It was the hardest thing he had ever done.

He played Hikaru every day, either at the go salon, or at one of their houses, playing and arguing late into the night. He played Ogata, Ashiwara, and the rest of the members of the study group that Ogata had taken over from his father a few years back. He even went with Hikaru to Waya's apartment for their weekly study group. He had done that a few times before, but now he shamelessly made himself a regular and no one really complained about it.

A month later, Hikaru won the challenger spot for the Meijin title.

"Look at this move!" Hikaru shouted at him the next day, pointing at one of Touya's stones. "Would a title holder really make that move?"

"What's wrong with that move?" Touya shouted back. He was only vaguely aware of the other players in the salon beating a hasty retreat, and he wondered why they even bothered to sit so close to them anymore.

"You're completely ignoring the nozoki! If I attach here, you won't be able to…"

"Why are you helping me?" The question blindsided Hikaru so badly that he actually looked like he lost his train of thought.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, in a month you'll be playing me for the Meijin title. Wouldn't it be better for you if I'm still a little weak?" Hikaru crossed his arms.

"That is the single dumbest thing I've ever heard you say. You're my rival! I want to play earth-shattering games with you, and I don't care if they're in a title match or right here in this salon. So the sooner you buck up and stop playing idiotic moves like this one, we can get back to doing that." Touya was floored. He knew that. Of course he knew that. But somewhere, along the way, he had forgotten it.

I guess I have more to remember than just how to play.

But that didn't make him want to pull Hikaru into the hallway and kiss him until he couldn't see straight any less.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

He lost the first two games. He wasn't entirely surprised. Hikaru was as sharp as he had ever been, and Touya still felt like he was playing in a fog. But the fog was lifting rapidly, and he managed to win the third game. Hikaru won the fourth, but it was close, and Touya felt like he had finally hit his stride. He carried that stride to two consecutive wins. And somehow, Touya and Hikaru found themselves, on the eve of the seventh match, back in that garden they had stood in a year ago the day Touya's world had imploded.

"Feels weird to be back here, doesn't it?" Hikaru said. Touya could only nod. He had made a decision. Win or lose, it didn't matter anymore. After the match was over, Touya was going to tell Hikaru something he had wanted to tell him a year ago. He had waited long enough.

"Touya," Hikaru said, and as Touya turned towards him, he couldn't help but notice that the moonlight was reflecting off Hikaru's bleached bangs, and that his skin looked soft and warm. There was a furtive smile on his lips, like he was hiding something, but a playful look in his eyes that said he couldn't wait to tell someone about it. He was beautiful, and Touya's breath hitched. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you. I was going to wait until after the match, but I feel like that doesn't matter anymore. Actually, I was going to tell you after the match last year but…well…you know." Hikaru took a deep breath, steeled himself, and took both of Touya's hands in his.

"Touya Akira, I'm in love with you." Touya thought he might faint, but it was a good feeling. His heart rammed against his ribcage and his stomach was doing somersaults.

"You…what?" he asked, still too stunned to reply properly. Hikaru smiled at him, and it made the somersaults in Touya's stomach turn into backflips.

"I love you. I think I've loved you since I was twelve years old, and, unless I'm totally misreading this game, you have too." Touya thought his heart would burst.

"Shindou, I…I love you too. God, I've loved you for so long." Hikaru gave him that smile again, and then his hand was in Touya's hair. Touya closed his eyes, so he didn't see Hikaru lean in, but he felt his breath on his face only moments before he felt his lips on his, and then he was kissing Hikaru! Touya wrapped his arms around Hikaru's back and clung to his shirt as Hikaru's tongue began to explore Touya's mouth. Touya's entire body felt like it was on fire and he kissed back with a fervor and passion that he had long dreamed about. Hikaru's hand slipped into Touya's shirt, as he moved away from his lips to nibble on his throat, and Touya thought he would just die of the sensation of Hikaru's skin on his. He wanted more of Hikaru's skin on him. Like, right now!

"We should take this inside," he managed to gasp, and was a bit shocked to hear how desperate and winded his voice sounded. Hikaru seemed to like the sound, if his tongue on Touya's neck was any indication, and Touya felt faint again.

"Even though we have a title match in the morning?" Touya could hear the seductive teasing in Hikaru's voice and it made him shiver a little.

"You're the one who decided to do this now," he said, trying desperately not to make a completely obscene sound as Hikaru began to suck on his earlobe. With more self-control than Touya realized he had, he pulled away and grabbed Hikaru's hand. "Besides, it's our match. We can prep for it however we want." And with that, he dragged Hikaru towards the ryokan and his waiting futon.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Touya wasn't sure why he was doing this, but some small, vindictive part of him felt like he needed to. Hikaru had, surprisingly, been fully supportive of the idea.

"Give him hell," Hikaru said, before rolling over and going back to sleep, his bare arm and chest just visible where the blanket had slipped. Touya chuckled, kissed him, and headed out.

The look on Ito's face when Touya waltzed into the convenience store, head held high, flashing the cocky smile he had learned from Hikaru, and wearing a suit that would have cost Ito five months' salary was one that Touya would treasure for a long time.

"Touya?" he said, although it sounded like a question. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Here." Touya slapped the most recent issue of Weekly Go down on the counter.

Ito looked at the paper. There was a picture of Touya and Hikaru, both resplendent in their best kimono. The headline read, "Touya Akira defends Meijin Title Against Eternal Rival, Shindou Hikaru Houinbou in Spectacular Seventh Game Death Match." By the time Ito looked back up, flabbergasted, Touya was already gone.

The End

Thank you for reading. I know this fandom is really old and obscure, so I appreciate those of you who stuck with me :)