Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Konomi Takeshi does. I'm merely playing with them for the moment.

A/N: This was originally written for Akutsu Jin's birthday this April. Because I am convinced that once Dan grows out of the starry-eyed adoration phase he'll make a damn fine seme.

Turning the Tables

As it finally arrived, the realization took Akutsu quite by surprise, much like a fridge falling on his head in the middle of a street might have. Not that such a thing had ever happened to him, mind you, but he was fairly convinced it couldn't have surprised him any more. After all, there were always windows and idiots strong enough to toss a fridge out of the window. It could happen.

But this… this could not. His mind refused to process the new information offered to it. Granted, he should have seen it much sooner – should have seen the signs at the very least – but in the end it was one single moment when this new fact decided to finally pick up a hammer and pound him over the head. This moment came as he was passing by the tennis courts on the second day of the new school year, turning around to look as he heard someone calling his name. As he saw the figure hurrying towards him, Akutsu's mind went blank save for one sudden realization.

Somewhere between the first year of middle school and first year of high school, Dan Taichi had grown up.

Of course, he still had plenty of growing to do before he'd reach Akutsu – chances were, that would be never. However, he was no more a scrawny kid who could pass for a girl if he batted his lashes just like that. Now he was a fine young boy – young man – who perhaps was still shorter than Akutsu but made up for that small flaw with the sleek muscles lining his body, the skin tanned from countless hours spent outdoors pulled taut over arms and legs that no more looked like Akutsu could break them if he breathed too hard towards the boy. The big brown eyes were still just as large but now seemed better set in his face that had lost the last of its baby fat somewhere along the way, the perpetually messy hair sticking to every which direction as it had been cut shorter somewhat haphazardly, a few longer strands falling over one chocolate eye no matter how often Dan pushed them back. His voice had changed, too, gone from the high-pitched girl's whine into something deeper and louder that made Akutsu freeze when he first heard it echoing over the tennis court, strange and new yet oddly familiar enough that he knew immediately who it was.

Not that it had any effect on Akutsu, of course. It merely surprised him because he couldn't connect such a voice to Dan. Not that voice which seemed quite used to handing out instructions and even orders judging by the way it echoed down Akutsu's spine as Dan called for him to wait, the only command he was authorized to voice anymore now that he was again a mere freshman. Akutsu didn't wait, of course he didn't, and if his pace got a tad slower as he glanced back to ascertain it indeed had been Dan who had dared shout his name it was only because he knew the brat would just keep chasing him if he kept striding on.

Dan started running to catch up with him, the kid was obviously faster than before, and just a moment later he stood before Akutsu, grinning up at him as though this was still middle school with Banji smiling his infuriating saint-like smile while harbouring who knew what perverted thoughts about the boys he kept running around in small white shorts. The shorts Dan now wore were, well, short, short and pulled tight over a pair of thighs that most certainly didn't belong to a small boy anymore, the strong firm thighs of a hard-working tennis player and no Akutsu most certainly wasn't looking.

"I'm glad you slowed down, Akutsu-senpai," Dan said with that annoying smile and Akutsu didn't even bother to correct him because he just knew the brat wouldn't have believed him anyway even if he had told his slower pace had absolutely nothing to do with Dan. "It's so great to be in the same school with you again!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, kid." Akutsu rolled his eyes as he continued striding on, reaching into his bag to find his cigarettes. "It's only for a year, though, so don't get too excited."

"That's still a year more than nothing," Dan pointed out cheekily. "Where are you going?"

"Home," Akutsu replied simply. "Where else? School's over, brat. You should go get changed and get going too." He eyed Dan's tennis clothes and suddenly noticed something familiar. There was a strip of green fabric wrapped around the brat's left wrist. "…Don't tell me that's the headband I gave you."

"Of course desu!" Dan chuckled. "It's still too big for me to wear properly without being blinded every now and then, but that doesn't mean I should discard it entirely, ne? And I'm not going to change," he added cheerfully, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. "I thought I'd drop by at the middle school to see how the new captain's doing."

"It's none of your responsibility anymore, brat," Akutsu pointed out, rolling his eyes. "You gave him the team. It's his now. Whether he screws it up or not is no business of yours."

"That's a bad attitude, Akutsu-senpai," Dan chided him. The kid always did have a habit for nagging, the suicidal little freak. "It's my duty as a senpai and his former buchou to help him however I can!" Then, however, his expression brightened again. "But hey! Why don't you come with me? I mean, it's really nice of you to head home right after school, but I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind if you made a little detour. Please?" The kid grinned up at him. "I know how much you enjoy yelling at bad players…"

Finally finding his pack of smokes, Akutsu took one out and pinned it between his lips as he fished for the lighter, not answering yet. Damn, the brat made it sound like he was some stupid little saint who ran home to help his mommy the first chance he got. "It's not like she'll even be home if I go there right now," he growled from the corner of his mouth when he finally got the cigarette lit, tucking the lighter back into his pocket. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Anything to see ickle little first years pissing themselves with fear."

For some reason Dan didn't even scold him for that, just grinned and continued walking quickly to keep up with Akutsu's long strides. At least he wasn't skipping. That would have looked just wrong now that he wasn't quite as much of a brat anymore.

Of course, Dan, being Dan, couldn't stay silent for too long. Soon enough Akutsu's ears were filled with the all too familiar carefree chatter, somewhat childish bits of gossip easily mixed with surprisingly insightful analysis on the tennis skills of various members of the high school team. Akutsu didn't comment much aside from some non-committal grunts; he certainly hadn't paid much attention to the tennis team and could only wonder exactly how Dan had managed to gain such an amount of data in the two days he had actually been in high school. The kid had probably spent half of his break just spying on his future team. Typical, really. Akutsu would certainly never understand the appeal of something as messy as data. What was the point, anyway, if you were just good enough to beat everyone?

Though he indeed had no interest for data, he did notice something interesting as they approached their old middle school. Suddenly Dan seemed to be just a bit taller. Akutsu might have wondered at the sudden change if not for the fact that he noticed how Dan was holding his head a touch higher, the rather airheaded smile on his face turning into something almost closer to a smirk. Finally, as they stood just within sight of the tennis courts at the edge of the school grounds, the brat grinned up at him in a manner that reminded Akutsu more of a predator than the cheerful kid he was used to.

"Shall we then, Akutsu-senpai?" And, before he could even think of protesting, Dan was already striding towards the courts where the current club members were apparently practising hard.

"Oi! Those swings are at least 17 percent too slow!" Okay. Definitely a voice used to command. Suddenly every pair of eyes was on Dan as he walked right towards the person Akutsu assumed was the current captain. As they got close enough, Dan's voice softened just about enough to be a teasing reprimand rather than a serious scolding. "Really, now, Takumi-kun. Do you think I left the team to you for you to start slacking off the moment I turn my eyes away for a moment?"

"Ah, Dan-buchou!" The younger brat blinked. He really looked like such a kid, Akutsu noted. Now what the Hell was Banji smoking when he picked the captain each year? It had to be some pretty good stuff. "Ano, we're working hard, I promise! I wouldn't let the team get worse after you left it into my hands."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." And here was again the smile, that happy go lucky smile that annoyed the Hell out of Akutsu. "Your new little first years certainly seem eager this year~ And of course the older students, too. I'm sure you'll have no problem leading this team into the Nationals once again desu~"

"I'll try not to disappoint you, Dan-buchou!" And the exact same kind of smile back. Great, just great. And here he'd been thinking nobody could be enough of an idiot to rival the brat, yet he seemed to have been wrong.

Dan continued observing the practice for a while, saying a word here and there to comment on the proceedings. Nobody seemed to dare to question Akutsu, not that it surprised him much. Back when he'd been a third year in middle school, the only ones who'd dared to approach him aside from the creepy coach had been the brat and Sengoku. Now he was a third year in high school, with even more height and muscle added to his frame, and he was fairly certain there wasn't anyone in the current middle school club he couldn't have sent off crying with one well-aimed glare.

They just couldn't come even close to compare, he noticed to his annoyance. There wasn't another Sengoku, certainly not another himself. He couldn't even spot any doubles pairs that would be as badly joined at the hip as the insufferable Jimmies had been. And of course, there was no Dan. There couldn't be another Dan. Even the Takumi kid, with that smile of his and all, didn't have the same eyes Dan used to have when he had first chased Akutsu down and told him off for not coming to practice. None of then would have the spunk to confront a known violent thug just because he wasn't doing his part for the team. None of them could possibly care enough.

They weren't going to go to the Nationals. Akutsu saw it already. Not if they couldn't find someone like that, someone who wasn't scared of yelling at anyone who slacked off regardless of whether it even worked or not. The moment Dan left middle school, they'd lost their chance.

He would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't happy when Dan finally chose to leave. Not like he couldn't have left at any time, of course, but he knew the brat would have just caused a scene and that was the last thing he wanted. He'd come along to scare first years, not give them a show of himself getting nagged at by yet another brat.

"They're not getting anywhere," he grunted as they walked away from the school towards the direction they both lived at, for all Akutsu knew, anyway. Dan had certainly walked that way with him often enough, but he wasn't exactly sure if the brat actually lived there or if it was just another stalker habit of his. "Got no damn spirit. One loss and they'll be goners."

Dan sighed. "I guess desu." What, not even protesting? Now this was new. "I know Takumi-kun tries his best, but… it's not easy. Not with that team. He doesn't have a spectacular talent like you, or a Senbatsu level player like Sengoku-senpai. All the best players of last year's team graduated along with myself, and I really don't think they have the people to fill up the void desu."

"That's rare, coming from you," Akutsu noted, drawing a cigarette from his pocked. Damn, he needed a smoke, and badly. "I thought you were the one who never gave up and some shit."

"Only because I promised you not to desu." Well, he certainly remembered no such promise, but if the brat had deluded himself so… "That team… it just won't work. The chances of them making it to the nationals are only 12 percent or so." He glanced at Akutsu, who was looking for his lighter. "Cigarettes are bad for you."

"I know that damn well," Akutsu huffed. "So if I want to commit a fucking slow suicide, who's to stop me?" Holding the cigarette between his teeth, he lit it while adding, "If I'm not listening to the hag, I'm damn well not going to let you nag at me either."

"We'll see about that." Suddenly Akutsu found himself pushed against the high stone wall right next to the sidewalk. Stunned as he was at the sudden action, he didn't even thing to protest before he'd already had the cigarette snatched from his mouth. "You won't be needing this." And then, the cigarette was replaced by a pair of lips.

Dan's hands were clutching onto his shoulders, just a bit, pushing him back against the wall, the rough surface of the stone digging into his back. The kid's mouth was covering his, seeking, demanding even, and the moment Akutsu opened his mouth, to protest or gasp, he wasn't entirely sure, he found a tongue slipping into his mouth, instantly starting to map the inside of it. Dan's body drew closer to his, holding him even more securely against the wall, and though he was sure he could have pushed the kid away if he wanted to he somehow couldn't bring himself to do it. The mouth over his was just too tempting, too hot, and for some reason he found himself starting to respond to the kiss.

A leg worked its way between his. At the same time, a hand slid down along his arm, down to the waistband of his pants, and tugged at his shirt to free it. Upon accomplishing that, the hand took this newfound opportunity to slide under the shirt, to touch the bare skin there. This was Dan, he reminded himself, yet it wasn't, it most certainly wasn't the little brat with wide eyes he'd first met three years ago, this was another brat from the here and now with muscles and height and a captain's voice and a tongue in Akutsu's mouth.

Suddenly Akutsu realized he was not the one in control here.