fic: proper introductions, for daisy_chan, HnG

title: proper introductions

author: trixie

disclaimer: nope, not me

summary: Hikaru takes Akira 'home' to meet the family.

notes: for daisy_chan, for her request on fic on demand.

~*~

If he would just stop smirking, Hikaru could maybe relax a bit. Actually, he wasn't even smirking. Hikaru wasn't sure that Akira could smirk. Well, maybe he could. After a particularly good hand, especially against a really hated opponent. Though, Akira wasn't smart enough to hate any of his opponents.

And he smirked the most when playing Hikaru…

Damn it! "Look, don't embarrass me, ok?"

He sighed. Sighed. "I won't, Hikaru."

"Call me Shindou when we're there!" he demanded unreasonably. That was rather mean, and he regretted the moment he said it, but he wasn't about to take it back. "And don't be so humble all the time. It makes people nervous. And don't brag, either! I'm in the Meijin league, now, too, so it's nothing to boast about."

Akira was rolling his eyes. Hikaru hated that. "Maybe I should start writing this down."

Biting his lip, Hikaru held open the door to the building. "We're getting ramen after this. Ramen. Don't offer to play a teaching match with anyone. You can accept a request if you want to, but don't go around acting like you're all that important."

"Hikaru, if you don't want me to go in, I won't." His eyes were hard, like when they were playing.

Sighing, Hikaru opened his mouth, but…

"I mean, you come over to father's salon all the time. And, you always cause a disturbance. But I don't mind."

That was a good hand, but Hikaru was ready for it. "I don't cause the disturbance; you do, because you're such an arrogant prick. And we're here, aren't we? It's just." He turned and started up the stairs. "This place is… important to me, these people are important. Just don't want…" He sighed.

He didn't want Akira taking these people away from him. He didn't want to see their eyes widen and their mouths gape with excitement upon seeing Akira. He didn't want…

"You have no idea how hard it is to stand by your side, sometimes," Hikaru muttered.

"What was that?" Akira caught up to him, tugging on his arm.

Hikaru let Akira turn him around, and he faced Akira. The firm line of his lips relented a bit upon seeing the worried crease between Akira's eyes.

"Hikaru. What do you think is going to happen if I go in there?"

That was a reasonable question, so it required a reasonable answer. "I guess nothing will happen. I mean. We'll play Go. It's just." He bit his lips, looking down at his feet. "This place… was important to me, at a time when I really needed it. And. It's hard to explain, ok!? I just…" He looked into Akira's eyes.

Damn it. He was smiling.

"Don't be cute," Hikaru warned. "You know what happens when you're cute. And. Let's… let's mess up your hair a bit, so you don't look so perfect." He put both of his hands in Akira's hair, mussing it up. Akira protested, but…

As soon as Hikaru took his hands away from Akira's hair, it went back to being exactly as it had before.

"Hey! How does your hair do that?" He mussed it up again, but to the same result.

Akira was blushing slightly. "Stop it! My hair is fine." He grabbed Hikaru's wrists, but he wasn't using enough strength to push them away.

"Your hair is so funny. Look at this." He savagely mussed Akira's hair, but to no avail. "Were you born with this hairstyle?"

Laughing, Akira tried to push Hikaru back. "Shut up, you idiot. Of course I wasn't!"

"Well, you could have been! I've never seen it change. And look!" He liked mussing up Akira's hair. It was soft, and nice, and… Akira would look really good if he grew it out a bit…

Someone brushed past them, snickering. Hikaru looked up… "K-K-Kawai-san!"

"Don't mind me, just passing through, keep up the good work!" he rushed by, his head down as he laughed.

Hikaru frowned. What was that…?

"Who was that?" Akira asked, his nose wrinkled.

"Never mind. Let's just go in. And. Akira?" He looked Akira in the eye, and reached down to squeeze his hand once. "I… Let's have fun, ok?"

Akira smiled, and Hikaru's chest expanded a bit. "We always do."

Hikaru was prepared for gasps of delight. He was prepared for requests for autographs. He was prepared for nervous gushing about how 'I saw your father play in '83…'

They both stood, side by side, while everyone in the Go salon stared down at their stones, most of them biting their lips.

"Eh? What's going on?" He looked to the owner, but he was giving Go Weekly a bit more attention than normal.

The matron huffed, and plopped down two bowls of stones in front of them. "No making out in the salon! Honestly, kids these days. In a stairwell! This is still a respectable Go salon! Don't forget!"

"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-what?!" Hikaru backed up, his arms flailing up defensively. "KAWAI-SAN! WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?!"

Hikaru took off after Kawai, who hooted, and started pushing chairs in front of him to ward Hikaru off. Somewhere in his periphery, he could see Akira apologizing to the owner, and the owner just laughing, but since he nearly had Kawai cornered, he let Akira introduce himself.

~*~

end