Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I just play with the characters.
Akaya was waiting when Yanagi returned home. The first time Akaya had broken in, he'd nearly killed the younger man accidentally. But Akaya had continued breaking in, despite the dangers, and so he'd set his security instead to recognize Akaya, trusted that Akaya wouldn't do anything. To allow the wandering man a place to call home, merely being a little more cautious as he entered his apartment wasn't much. It wasn't as though he kept anything of value there, nor lived much there. It was just a place he stopped in on occasion.
"You're here again. It's about your tattoo?" He laughed a little when Akaya started, brushed off the way green eyes bore into him. Here, there was always a ready pot of hot water, and he began to prepare the tea.
Akaya continued watching him sullenly, nonetheless. "How'd you know?"
"I know." Akaya waited expectantly for something more. But tea came first. With a steady hand, Yanagi set the tea down, pouring Akaya a cup. Akaya grimaced, not fond of the bitter drink, but time after time he served it to Akaya anyway. It was good to swallow a little bitterness, he believed, to pre-empt harsher tastes later. "You're having trouble creating a design?"
"I don't know what to put. Stuff that represents me, Yukimura said, but." Akaya shrugged. "Like I'm good at that kinda stuff. Symbols, icons, that's your mess. And he said it was important, anyway."
"Well, it does represent your maturity and your status as a full-fledged member in the family, after all. For you..." he stood, motioning Akaya to follow. "I have some books you might want to look at." He didn't mention that he'd prepared them days ago, and had been waiting.
"You can't just choose something for me?"
"You think I know you that well? Your secrets, your goals, your background, your self?" He prided himself on knowing things, on his data. He was the Master, Yanagi Renji, but people were not just facts but dreams, desires, chaos. He was smart enough to know that data did not make a person. And there were always things a person thought but never told.
Akaya flopped onto the floor, silent in consideration. After a long while, the wild-haired man answered. "Yes."
It surprised Yanagi, more than he would have been willing to admit. But then Akaya was speaking again, "Those books you set out - it's on stuff you thought might interest me, right?" Akaya's grin was wide, laughing, and he realized the younger man was elated at having beaten him at his own game. "So tell me, already."
So he thought, and chose one of the beasts of mythology. "All right then. There's a creature called Kerberos that guards the gates of the dead..."