Summary: A continuation to New Year's Eve at the Toya's. Hikaru and Akira begin their relationship, running into both foreseen and unexpected hardships along the way. Will they be able to maintain their love for each other in the wake of adversity?

Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go is written by Yumi Hotta and the animated series was created by Studio Pierrot. Please do not construe the writing of this fanfiction as a claim to ownership in any way.


A New Year, A New Life

7 – A Matter of Patience

After he left Hikaru's side that night, Akira put on a brave face and went along with the charade that his father had weaved for him. When he was left alone with Marume, he explained to her that he liked her as a friend. He was still not interested in dating, but that if she wanted to spend time with him as friends, then that would be fine.

And so, in the weeks that followed, Akira obliged Marume whenever she decided to take him up on the offer and the further along they became in their relationship, the more freedom Koyo began to allow Akira, just as Akira had hoped. And with this new freedom, Akira found it easier to advance his independence. Instead of meeting with Hikaru, he would secretly meet with Isumi when Hikaru was attending some public function so that if Akira's whereabouts were questioned, no one could link him to Hikaru.

Isumi began to teach Akira everything he needed to know about living on his own, and he helped him search for a place to stay. The first few apartments that Akira had seen were so cramped and tiny that he was beginning to lose hope. However, it was April 5th now and with spring came new hope. Akira had two apartment viewings lined up for his morning, and if they went well, he would go to Hikaru's home to celebrate.


On the morning of April 5th, Hikaru woke up feeling hung-over, though he wasn't a drinker. His head felt swollen to twice its size, he was nauseous and he was sensitive to light. Mitani was sprawled out on the floor next to him and Waya was on the other side of Mitani snoring so loudly, it forced Hikaru to get up and leave the room. He sought refuge in the bathroom where he sat on the toilet and rubbed his head. The taste in his mouth was what was making him so nauseous. He brushed his teeth and took a steaming hot shower to help clear his head.

Afterward, he moved on to the bedroom where he borrowed a pair of Waya's jeans and a t-shirt, making sure to dress quietly as Isumi was asleep in the bed. He debated over what he should do now that he was up. It wasn't like him to rise and shine so early, and he wanted to just relax on the couch, but Waya's snoring wouldn't let him. His next strongest urge was to eat, and the next was to play GO. He returned to the living room, and made off with a banana, a store-bought muffin and a few aspirin.

Thankfully, by the time he arrived at the closest salon, his hunger and headache had subsided. The room was dotted with old men, each with cigarettes and coffee. It was like any other shop in the morning hours, overrun by old folks who woke up before sunrise with nothing else better to do. Hikaru chose a corner away from the patrons and played two games with Sai, who had been quiet for just about the whole morning. Waking up so early, feeling as miserable as he did, and Sai's quietness were all out of the ordinary. It made him feel as if he was up against an odd day, and it was something he wasn't looking forward to.


The first meeting went just as the others had for Akira. The landlord didn't seem to have much faith in Akira, though he was an ideal candidate. He had a clear credit record, a steady, lucrative job and references with equally great standing. However, he could understand the hesitance because he was very young. He had hope because Waya, who was younger and looked younger at the time that he moved out, hadn't had much trouble finding his first apartment. Keeping his fingers crossed as he boarded the train to go down a few stops to the next neighborhood over, Akira willed it to go well with positive energy.

The building itself was in an ideal neighborhood, one of the safer spots in the prefecture. It was ten stories tall with a brick façade and iron accents, unusual for Japanese apartments. There were window boxes that had probably only just been put back into use, and an artificially green patch of lawn alongside the concrete walkway. Akira was very happy with its appearance. He just hoped that the inside would be just as nice.

The manager on staff met him in the entry hall. She shook his hand with a firm grip, and introduced herself as Helen. She was an older European woman whose Japanese was passable. She had a slight hunch to her back and wore glasses connected to a strap around her neck.

"I'm Toya Akira, and I'm here to see apartment 502…" Akira said slowly. The woman nodded. "I believe I was supposed to meet a Mr. Kostac here."

"Is building owner," Helen said. "I'm the manager. I work in building. I show you apartment."

"All right, thank you," Akira said. Helen was holding an application on a clipboard, and as she led Akira to the elevator, she held it to her chest as if meaning to block him from being able to see it. Akira stood a few inches away from her and kept his eyes averted as they rode up to the 5th floor. The door opened and Akira followed her closely as she walked to the first door on the right. 502. He was glad that it was so close to the elevator.

"Here we go," Helen said. She took out a key ring with just three keys and unlocked the apartment door. She opened it and led Akira inside.

The apartment was more spacious than the others had been, though it was still plenty compact. It was a one bedroom and it was thankfully empty, which hadn't been the case with several apartments in the past. Those had been the worst experiences. It was really hard to imagine himself living in a space so full of someone else's belongings. And odd smells. The front door opened up into the living room, Akira immediately noticing the hardwood flooring and casement windows. Helen walked him further inside and showed him the kitchen.

The walls throughout the apartment were a standard white, but the kitchen was framed off as an alcove within which the walls were a bright, sunny yellow. No doubt Hikaru would like that, as his favorite color was indeed yellow, the brighter the better. Akira liked the setup of the kitchen. It had a full-sized refrigerator instead of a minibar, the tile (which had a bluish hint that matched well with the yellow walls) on the floor matched the tile on the countertops, and the stove not only had four burners instead of two, but it also contained an oven. The sink was a single, but that was the only setback. So far, the apartment was calling his name.

Helen moved on towards the bathroom and it was there that Akira became hooked. It was pristine white with glistening tile and a fresh coat of paint. The bathtub was long enough to accommodate resting comfortably, and it had a back ledge for all of Akira's products. The sink had a cabinet underneath, a deep bowl and silver hardware that matched the hardware of the tub's faucet. The mirror had two small sconces on either side, and the toilet was clean. Akira noticed that moisture had gathered in his mouth. Ashamed, he hid his face as he swallowed it. He was sold. He didn't have to see anything else. This was the place he wanted to call home.

Helen continued on with the tour, showing him the ample closet space and the bedroom, and then on the first floor of the building, the mailroom and the laundry room. She led him into the management office where he gushed about how excited he was.

"I just can't believe a place this perfect is available," he told her. She then proceeded to tell him why. It wasn't the best choice for most people because Kostac, the building's owner, demanded that his tenants prepay first and last month's rent, and put up one month's rent as security before the move-in date. Also, it was all due before the start of the month and that they must move in on the first day of the next month instead of being able to move in a few days before. The lease must last for at least one year, but each lease ended on the 31st of December, which meant that Akira would be stuck with the apartment for a year and a half. It was a lot of money to put down, and there was more risk involved than Akira felt comfortable with, but if it meant that he would be free of his father's overbearing hand, then so be it. He filled out the application and paid the fee to hold the apartment while his request was processed.


When Hikaru left the salon a few hours later, he turned his cell phone back on to check and see if anyone had tried to contact him. Waya had sent him a message calling him a Crum-Bum, Mitani had asked him where he he'd gone and Isumi had asked him if he ate his blueberry muffin. Smirking as he reached his car, Hikaru slipped into the driver's seat. Sai appeared in the back seat and didn't say anything as Hikaru continued to read his messages with the car running. Hikaru wasn't sure where he wanted to go next. His growling stomach answered for him before long. He started home in hopes to grab whatever his mother might have whipped up for lunch.

"Hikaru?" Sai asked quietly.

"What?"

"Do you…ever get the feeling that something terrible is about to happen?" Sai asked, his tone paced and serious. Hikaru glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

"What are you going on about now?"

"I just have this…awful feeling. A feeling that something bad will happen soon."

"What, to me?"

"I…I don't know… It's scary, Hikaru. What do you think it means?"

"I dunno, Sai," Hikaru said with a shrug. "I mean, everybody feels that way sometimes. It's best to just let it go. Don't worry about it. Worrying'll probably make it come true."

"I sincerely hope not," Sai said. "It is…scaring me." Hikaru shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to think about Sai being sad about things. Sai was always so excitable and happy—he didn't need for his ghostly companion to start predicting horrible things. In fact, that was the last thing he needed.

At home, Hikaru heated up a bowl of meat and vegetable stew and took it up to his bedroom. His mother hated it when he ate in his room, but the quietness of the house told him that he was home alone. He ate while watching an old black and white samurai movie and then, feeling full, warm and bored, he conked out on his bed.

After what seemed like only a few moments later, his phone rang.

Kimi ga ima boku wo sasaete… It was Akira's ring tone. Sleepily, he dug into his pants pocket and pulled the phone out. He looked at the screen out of habit and flipped the phone opened. He set it on speakerphone to avoid having to hold it to his ear.

"Hello?" he murmured.

"Hikaru? Hikaru are you there? I have the best news! Can I come to see you? Are you home?"

"Yeah, babe. Come on over. You sure it'll be okay?"

"It doesn't matter. I simply can't hold this in any longer. I will be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too. And please wake up so that you'll hear the bell."

"I'm up." Hikaru pressed end on the phone and sat up. He looked over to Sai, who was avoiding his eyes with that same serious expression. "What?" Hikaru asked.

"I can't say…" Sai said, shaking his head. "Please, don't ask."

"Don't be pouting like that when 'Kira gets here. It's distracting. Plus, he said he had good news, so cheer up already." Sai nodded, but it didn't look as though he was going to take Hikaru's words to heart.

Hikaru got up and went into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and changed out of Waya's clothes and into his own: a yellow long sleeved shirt under a gray t-shirt with a FIVE logo and a flared pair of jeans. He took his cell phone and stuffed it into the pocket of the jeans. He changed his socks because the others were well worn and shuffled down to the front door to wait for Akira. He didn't want to miss a second of being able to hang out with him unsupervised.

After a few moments, Hikaru went into the kitchen to grab a handful of cookies from the jar on the counter. As he returned to the door, his phone went off in his pocket. He took it out and maneuvered it open and to his ear while juggling a hold on the cookies.

"Hey, sugar plum."

"I'm coming up now. I'm so excited!" Hikaru chuckled at him as he balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder to unlock the door. Indeed, Akira was huffing up to the door with bright red cheeks and a fist balled in excitement. Hikaru took his phone, closed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Hey, hottie," he said as Akira hurried inside. Before Hikaru could close the door, Akira threw his arms around him.

"Oh, you!" he said. "I just can't contain myself!"

"Well, what is it?" Hikaru asked. Akira moved his face in front of Hikaru's and stole a quick kiss. Then he backed away, chuckling uncontrollably.

"I can't tell you," he said. "I can't tell you yet. But I'm so excited that we have to celebrate. I…I want to be with you, Hikaru." Hikaru raised his other hand to hold Akira, unaware that he'd dropped his cookies and that Akira had dropped his cell phone.

"What?" he gulped.

"I want to be with you, Hikaru." Hikaru's arms tentatively hovered about Akira's body. He wanted to…what? Hikaru swallowed hard, thinking about the situation he found himself in suddenly. It wouldn't do to stay there in the entry hall.

"You…wanna go upstairs?" he asked carefully. Smiling brightly, Akira nodded.

"Yes." Hikaru immediately moved him towards the stairs. "Are your parents home?" Hikaru felt a tingle in the back of his neck. It made the hairs there stand on end. He glanced at Akira, still feeling as though he needed to coax himself through whatever was going on.

"No… I'm home alone." Something within Akira's eyes fizzled unfamiliarly. He looked different suddenly, as if in telling him that they were alone, Hikaru had opened some floodgate of emotion within him. Hikaru tugged him up the stairs, vaguely aware of Sai telling him to wait. He wasn't going to wait, not with Akira on his heels wanting to be with him all of a sudden. He couldn't imagine what news Akira was holding in, or why it was making him less uptight.

When they reached the bedroom, Akira snaked his arms around him and brought him in for deep, involved session of passionate kissing. Their bodies intertwined and their tongues danced gently around each other, all the while their feet were moving them towards the bed. Hikaru lowered Akira down to the bed and buried himself between his limbs.

With his tongue, he delved further into the hot, moist cavern of Akira's mouth. With his hands, he fumbled about unbuckling their belts and unzipping their pants. Akira wasn't stopping him this time. And he wasn't going to, either. This was his idea. The very thought of the fact that Akira was ready for him caused an unwavering nervous buzzing within his limbs. How could he make this happen? He had no idea where to start.


Akira reached down and helped Hikaru in undoing their pants. He turned Hikaru over on his back, and then slipped off his dress jacket. He went to rub his foot along Hikaru's leg when he realized he was still wearing his shoes. He quickly rid himself of them and set to work caressing Hikaru's legs with his foot and his thighs with his hand.

Hikaru's face was enflamed with heat and his lips were swollen and red. The reflection of light in his eyes was swimming. His eyebrows were unsure. Akira leaned down and kissed him gently on the mouth. Hikaru reached up and tugged Akira's shirt from inside of his dress pants.

"Why…are you all dressed up?" he asked.

"I had a few appointments today," Akira said.

"Oh?" Hikaru asked. He allowed Akira to kiss him again. "You look so good…"

"Thank you…"

"Will you tell me now…?" Hikaru murmured. He took in a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Hmmm…" Hikaru's body was tense as Akira continued to feel along his limbs.

"It's a surprise," Akira whispered. "I don't want to ruin it. I just want to have this moment with you. It will make this…all the more real for me. For us."

"Can you at least…tell me what it's about?" Hikaru asked. He opened his eyes to look into Akira's. Akira kissed him again, and trailed pecks along his chin as he spoke.

"It is…a victory for us…and our relationship. Another…step towards freedom…Hikaru."

"For real…?"

"Yes…" Akira didn't want to stall anymore. He didn't want to talk. He wanted to experience Hikaru in a way that he knew that no one else had. With his hand, he cupped his fingers along Hikaru's groin; he was already erect. Hikaru stiffened and shifted towards him, a harsh, stifled moan erupted from his full red lips. Akira watched him closely, drinking in this brand new view of Hikaru. It was his own, personal view of him. He looked so different. He was so beautiful.

"Oh…" he gasped. He closed his eyes as he tightly gripped Akira's arms. Akira continued to touch him experimentally, caressing him at the most sensitive spots on the body, smiling as he realized that he had Hikaru in a trance. His desire to pleasure him and to be pleasured by him grew exponentially. He had to reign in his lust. He wouldn't let them go all the way just yet, but he planned to go as far with Hikaru as not reaching home would allow. He wasn't going to stop until he left Hikaru panting and begging for more from him. He wouldn't stop until Hikaru knew that this was for real, not until he solidified in both of their minds that this was it. They were meant for each other and Akira would never let him go.