Chapter 2:

It's the Heart

afraid of breaking

that never learns to dance

They'd been playing go at his new apartment. Half of his stuff was still unpacked, including his goban. But that hadn't really affected them. They had found his magnetic go set in one of the more accessible boxes and had settled into the normal pattern. It had been a good game with Akira taking a win. They were defending their own moves to the other when Hikaru decided that he couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"There you go again." Hikaru muttered interrupting Akira's flow of words. He ignored the dark look he was given and continued. "Whenever you get annoyed or angry with me, you always go back to calling me Shindo."

"I do?"

"Yes." He smiled at Akira's tone. "It's kinda cute." His smile got wider as he continued to play with a stone, rolling it between his fingers. He refrained from adding that the cute aspect usually took away the bite of Akira's angry words.

"Cute?" Akira repeated again. "Cute?!" He looked at their game as if it could offer an explanation as to why this conversation was even taking place. "What? How?... Are you trying to distract me from telling you how horrendously stupid your last move was? Because if you are…" Hikaru held up his hand in silent protest.

"I wasn't. Honest. But if it works, I'll make sure to remember it for next time." And that got him a response that he never, ever would have believed could happen.

Akira threw the go stone at him. Inwardly he winced at the thought that he'd do such an immature thing but at the same time… it was rewarding to hear to surprised yelp that escaped Hikaru's mouth. He apologized silently for his rude behavior to the game of go and looked at Hikaru with an arched eyebrow, daring him to retaliate. Because he was after all, Hikaru's rival.

Hikaru gaped like a fish that had jumped out of the water and could no longer breathe.

"You threw a go stone at me." He finally muttered, eyes wide. His hand was rubbing almost absently his upper arm where Akira had hit him. The man had impeccable aim. "You threw…a go stone…" He repeated it a second time as if it would make the situation a bit easier to comprehend. "I…" He bit his lip and shook his head. "Isn't that sacrilegious or something?"

Akira snorted before grumbling. "It would be if it was a true goban and stones…" He paused. "And if you weren't such an idiot, than yes. It would be sacrilegious." Hikaru blinked.

"Oh." He muttered before his brain could catch up with everything. "Hey!"

It's the Dream

afraid of waking

that never takes the chance

"I'll show you who's stupid, Stupid!" He shouted in his rival's face, his hands coming to curl around a pile of the small go stones. He pegged them at Akira, not too hard of course. And he refrained from aiming that mocking face. Akira yelped from his sitting position, arms coming up to protect himself.

"Shindo!"

"Hi-ka-ru! My name is Hi-ka-ru!" The young man muttered, emphasizing each syllable of his first name. He grabbed more stones and couldn't help feeling quite satisfied at the little undignified sounds that were coming from his rival.

"Enough already!" The other exclaimed, grabbing his own stones after having decided that defending himself was not an acceptable solution. He would have to go back onto the offensive. Damn it if he would bow out of this one.

"No!" Hikaru yelled back, laughing as he did. He wasn't too surprised when go stones started flying in his direction. He ducked a few and then groaned as one pegged him quite hard on the cheek. "Not the face!"

"Then stop moving! Declare your defeat!"

"Defeat?!" Hikaru jumped to his feet. "Never!" He originally had grabbed the pillow as a shield. However, he found it more useful to use it as a weapon. Akira's eyes hadn't even widened at the new attack. Instead they'd started scanning the room for a pillow that he could use as his own weapon.

"Shindo…" He started to growl out only to be promptly smacked on top of the head by the fluffy pillow. It made his teeth click together. "Damn it, Hikaru!" He pushed the other boy away and leaped to the couch. His rival's laughter followed him. His hand closed in on a corner of a pillow. The laughter behind him stopped as he turned around slowly. "Now…let's begin again."

And that is how what had started out as a simple post game discussion ended as a pillow fight. Several minutes of friendly competitiveness and fighting, the two of them lay on the floor. Akira winced and moved slightly over so a go stone wouldn't be sticking in his back. He couldn't believe how out of breath he was. Actually…he could. What he couldn't believe was what they'd been doing. He glanced at Hikaru from the corner of his eye. The other was just an arm length away, sprawled out and heaving in great big gulps of air. His eyes were light and there was a huge smile that was tugging at his lips. Hikaru's cheeks were flushed as well. The sight of his rival like this made Akira's heart jump just a bit. He tore his eyes away and looked at the white ceiling. They lay in companionable silence for a bit until Hikaru groaned.

"I can't believe you won…" He pulled himself into a sitting position, hand coming to brush away his blond bangs. He grinned at Akira who simply looked at him. Normally, the look that clearly stated—me win, of course. How could you believe anything else?—would make him bristle but today it just made him want to laugh. "Next time," He started to threaten which was probably not very convincing with the smile that wouldn't leave his face. "Prepare to be beaten."

"Hmm, whatever you say Hikaru." Akira muttered, a lazy smile coming to his own face. Slowly he sat up as well. He was dismayed to find that his shoulder length hair was all over the place and horribly tangled as his fingers remained caught in their knots. He made a face, trying to brush his hair back into some semblance of order with his hands. After a couple of minutes of watching this, Hikaru poked Akira's cheek. "Eh?"

"I have a brush you could borrow, you know." He stood up in one fluid motion and reached down to pull his rival up as well. Akira took the offered help.

"That would make it easier. Thank you." Ah. The formal Akira was back, Hikaru thought as he heard the polite words. His smile didn't fade at the acknowledgement. He liked that side of Akira as well.

It's the One

who won't be taken

who cannot seem to give

"You and Touya seem…" Waya paused in his wording here, giving Hikaru enough time to tense and feel defensive despite the fact that he didn't know where this was going. "…closer." The young man continued, ignoring the frown that cast a sudden shadow on his friend's face. Isumi tensed behind the two of them as well. Yet the three of them continued walking down the street.

"And?" The lightness of Hikaru's tone was deceptive.

"And nothing." Waya admitted. "Just curious."

"Curious?" Hikaru was puzzled at the word. He paused in his footing and looked backwards at Isumi for help in deciphering its meaning. The taller man shrugged a bit helplessly. He had no idea where Waya was going with this either and felt more than a little nervous at the topic. Though Waya had grown and matured, his temper was still quick to burn especially when it involved his protégé. Hikaru had no knowledge of the streak of protectiveness that Waya had for him. Had no idea that he'd been in fact a protégé that had long ago surpassed his protector.

"A bit jealous too." Waya admitted finally, breaking the long stretch of silence that had built between the three. Hikaru's eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent what? Isumi too felt taken off guard at the announcement. He stared at his childhood friend and realized all of a sudden that the three of them had long ago ceased to be children. "We hardly see you." The redhead was looking straight ahead. "Apart from work, of course." Hikaru's mouth was still open. It shut at last with a definite click that made Isumi wince. That must have hurt the teeth.

"I'm sorry." The words were awkward. "I…" Hikaru shook his head. "I didn't realize. I…" He looked a bit lost. "Why didn't you say anything?" He reached out, his fingers taking hold of Waya's sleeve. The older boy stopped, looking back at his friend with a sad smile.

"Because you look so happy." The words escaped Waya's lips. He winced at their sound and their visible effect on Hikaru. He chuckled, hoping that it would ease the atmosphere. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a bit selfish." Waya tugged his sleeve loose and started to walk again. "You should invite Touya out with us sometime…if you want that is." Hikaru smiled. And it was like the ray of light that he was named for. He ran a few steps to catch up with the redhead. He shoved the other a little and was shoved back. Muttered curses and laughter started to fill the air making the scene that had just passed seem dream-like.

Isumi watched the two walk further away from him, glued to the street corner. Selfish was the last word that was in his mind as he thought of Waya right then. Instead, the sad smile that Waya had had was burned in his mind and reminded him almost painfully of the look any parent wears when they finally realize that their child has finally grown up.

"Hey Isumi!"

"You coming?" The two voices called after him, beckoning him to rejoin their presence.

And the Soul

afraid of dying

that never learns to live…

To be continued…