Title:  His Eyes

Author: Cheska

Rating: PG

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything!  So quit asking!

Author's Notes:  Just a short one-shot. Aki-Hika pairing!! ^_^ Very light shounen ai.

~.~.~.~

  *pa-chi*

  The sound echoed off the Goban, sending chills up his spine.  And as he looked across the board to his rival, he could see the look that he had always wanted ever since he had discovered the true spirit of Go. 

  That gaze he held for a true and worthy opponent, one reserved only for him.  And he wanted nothing better than to have his green eyes to focus on him and him alone.  Sure, he had other challengers…many in fact, but none of them held the same intense glare that he had reserved for him. 

  Right?

  He hopes so…

  Frowning a bit, he bit the bottom part of his lip as he stared hard at the many white and black stones that were set in an intricate pattern upon the semi-expensive Goban.  Its sleek, polished board was soft in texture but from what he had learned of the various Gobans, he knew that this was nothing compared to kaya or even neo-kaya.

  Taking his eyes and mind off the origins of wood, he focused his attention on the Go stones.  From his calculations, he could still have a chance in winning if he focused hard enough.  If his first plan by cutting off the right hand side and moving downwards towards the center wouldn't work, he could always try the new move he had created and had still to show his rival. 

  *pa-chi*

  His rival didn't move from his spot as of yet, staring hard and studying the sudden move for a moment.  Closing his eyes, he knew that his move appeared to be a bad hand from all the angles that only an amateur and maybe even a Class 2 Insei would see.  However…as he would guess, his eternal rival and friend wouldn't see it that way.  After only a few more moves, it would turn the whole game around.  At least, that is what he was pushing for.

  A few seconds later, the dark green haired boy looked up from studying the board and glared hard at him. Fixing his green eyes in a hard glare that was sent straight into his.  It made him shiver inside; this was what he always came here for.  Not only to play his favorite game with him, but also to see that mind-numbing stare that was reserved only for him. 

  Those eyes were only meant for him…

  Only him…

  30 hands later, the game came to an end, as was expected.  Unfortunately, he had lost once more against his rival as he had in their last game.  However…

  He grinned inwardly in memory. 

  The game before that, he had won by a moku and a half.

  Staring up from the board, he noticed his mistake.  If he had cut off at the right hand corner by only one hand before…he probably would have the favor of the board in the end.  If that wasn't enough, he could have paid more attention in his opponent's second hand right after his by three moves back by cutting off.  Instead, he had ignored it and kept on with his plan.  Seeing that pained him, however, he hid that within himself, because he knew that his rival would eventually bring that subject up.

  "Your plan was brilliant," he started; his eyes calm and focused as always.

  "Yours too," he immediately responded.

  Inside, he was beaming in joy at having heard his compliment.  But he let that slide for now, knowing that soon this dignified and formal acknowledgements and trade for words will dissipate and turn into a shouting match.

  "But…right here," the boy pointed at a spot, one higher than the placement of his stone was situated in, "…was where you should've moved to."

  Grimacing, he already knew that when he was looking at the game just a few seconds before.  However, he wouldn't admit that, seeing the possibility right at that moment.

  "Yeah, but you would've been captured right there and two moves later, it wouldn't be such a great move!"

  "Shindo!  Look over here, clearly that would've been the best move to have!"

  "No it wouldn't!"

  "Yes it would!"

  "No!"

  "Yes!"

  The two had left all matters of the dignified manner that pros should have aside.  The two 16 year olds were now standing up; their heads extremely close to one another as they rose up.  Their chairs were pushed back and their palms facing downwards on the table.

  Their eyes…were focused on one another, trying to see who had the willpower to stand against the other.

  'This is what I have longed to see…his eyes to see into his soul.  The passion of his Go...and…his…'  

  "Touya…"

  "Shindo…"

  Sparks were flying between the two at that moment but Touya finally relented as he usually did and backed away as he set to putting away the Go stones.  Frowning, Shindo Hikaru also let go of his anger and put away his side of the stones.  He didn't really want it to end so soon, he enjoyed the staring matches they had.  It let him study his rival's eyes and for a moment, maybe see into his soul.

  'I don't see why I'm like this all of a sudden.  At this point, I would've made a retort right about now and gloat at the fact I won the argument.  But I didn't.'

  He pulled back his bangs only to have them fall back over the side of his eyes and continued to stare at the reserved and quiet Touya Akira who fell into straightening the Go-ke.  Something was off about him, but he couldn't quite tell on just what it was.  It was as if…as if…

  "Hey Touya,"

  Immediately he saw the boy tense up before calming himself down to stare at him.  He could see uneasiness within the young boy's façade.

  "What do you think?" Hikaru asked, watching everything that he can from his facial expression down to the way he held himself.  He tried to go for the easy way and just read his eyes; he loved gazing at them but for some reason the young Go Pro wouldn't let him look into his eyes.

  'Just a moment ago, I could stare at them but now…now you won't let me.  Why?'

  "About what?"

  "I got better, didn't I?  After all I did beat you," Hikaru said with confidence.

  "Hmf, that was two games ago Shindo," Touya retorted.

  "A win is a win…and I won against you.  So there!" Hikaru stuck his tongue at the boy and for some reason he lightly blushed and quickly turned his head away.

  "Man Touya, something wrong?" Hikaru asked seeing the boy's weird reaction and closed the gap between them as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder despite the fact that Touya was taller than him by 3 inches.

  "N-no," Akira shook his head before stepping away, trying to slightly distance himself without making it seem obvious.

  The young boy only puckered up his brow before letting go of his hold, but for some odd reason it made him feel at a loss.  As if the moment he let go it seemed like it would be an eternity before he had a chance of touching the boy again.

  'Why is that? It's not like I…think intimately about him, do I?  Oh my God!  Am I blushing?!'

  Shindo took a step back and his eyes widened at his realization, indeed feeling warmth against his cheek and quickly identified it as a blush.  But why was he?

  "Ano…are you sure you're okay?" Hikaru softly asked, surprised at his tone of voice.

  "Aa…"

  "I'll see you tomorrow then, okay?"

  The boy could only nod in response, still incapable of looking directly at him in the face.

  "Ja ne…"

 'What was going on?  First I started focusing totally on his eyes…and the next thing I knew…I felt like it'd be the end of the world if I didn't have the chance to touch him?! What's wrong with me?!'

  Shindo Hikaru grimaced, his face sour at he pulled his hands into a tight fist while staring hard at the ground beneath his feet as he journeyed onwards toward the nearest train that would take him back home.

  'And tomorrow…I'll be facing him again.  I promised him right before our game that we'd play again.  Late at night so we wouldn't be disturbed by any of the customers…'

  "That's just great…" Hikaru muttered under his breath and for a moment imagined his rival's face against the darkness.

  He unconsciously blushed, only making his attitude even more sour.

  'What's wrong with me… ?'

~.~.~.~

  *swish*

  Hikaru nervously stepped into the Go Salon and looked around; it took awhile before he spotted Touya Akira in the corner.  How could he have been so stupid not to notice that earlier?  After all, it was their usual spot but for some reason that tidbit of information was lost to him.

  'For some reason, ever since yesterday and maybe even more than that I keep finding myself forgetting some things.  And yet, when it comes to him I can remember every detail.'

  Hikaru sighed as he fully stepped into the salon and waved at Ichikawa-san who was wiping the tables in the corner and putting away empty glass cups.  After the greeting he'd give, he took a deep breath and dived into the next room.  It was dark, as usual, but he didn't have any trouble seeing Touya Akira who was sitting with his back to him on an open table in the empty room.  From where he stood, it appeared that he was recreating their game from last night.

  "You know, you're right…" Shindo Hikaru admitted from behind him, causing the slender boy to freeze up.

  "I did make a mistake, but I figured that my mistake was earlier than you thought it would be…if I…" Hikaru was halted in his tracks when Touya whipped around and stood up.

  His green eyes were now blazing with an unknown strength and Hikaru couldn't help but take a step back and had now bumped into a nearby clear table. 

  "T-Touya…" Hikaru was flabbergasted at his sudden change in emotion but he couldn't contain his inward self from feeling a bit of excitement and…what was this…he felt flattered?

  'My heart…it's beating so fast…'

  "Shindo…I…" Touya began, breaking their eye contact for only a brief second.

  'His eyes…intense.  Never had he stared at me like this, it's beautiful…a pool of green sea.  The greenest leaf…I could lose myself in them…kami…' Hikaru found himself beginning blush hard.

  "I…" Touya began but stopped when he was nearly touching Hikaru's form.

  His eyes still fixated on Hikaru's own sea green eyes and his cheeks were flushed from the proximity between the two of them.  One wrong move would send either the other to fall back or instead, to fall toward one another and over the tabletop.

  "I've been feeling…" Hikaru started, startling the boy before him, "I can't explain it though."
  Touya was silent, contemplating over his words but never once had he broken the contact they shared: not that the bleached haired boy would want him to.

  "What are you feeling, Shindo?"

  'His eyes…I can see myself in them.  I haven't really noticed that until now… and the glare in them, he feels…the same way I do?'

  "…probably the same way you feel for me." Hikaru responded softly, but he couldn't help but let a sly grin enter his face.

  His response caused the boy to blush; inwardly Hikaru was delighted with his reaction making him even more confused over his emotions.

  "Shindo…"

  He could tell that Touya broke their eye contact and without a second's hesitation, Hikaru reached out and grabbed the boy by the shoulder to swing him around and face him, wanting to stare straight at his eyes.

  "Don't…I like…your eyes," Hikaru blurted out and blushed himself, reddening in the face but not daring to back out from his eyes.

  "I've always been…fascinated at them as far back as I can remember.  Their seriousness…its intensity…it's what made me…not give up…on chasing you," Hikaru confessed.

  "I know I'm pretty bad at school…but these feelings that I have…I know they're there…and I can't ignore them or pass them off," Hikaru continued on.

  'I think I know what they are now…'

  "And what are they, Shindo?"

  "The answer…I can see it…in your eyes after all this time.  And I can feel it…here," Hikaru took Akira's hand in his and placed it over his heart.

  "Can you feel it?" Hikaru asked, "Akira-kun?"

  "H-hai…" Touya blushed at the change of names and blushed even more at his daring words, "Hikaru…"

  Hikaru only smiled in response.

  "Then you know how I feel," Hikaru said before he caught Akira in his arms and closed the gap between them.

  This would be their first kiss.

The End.

~.~.~.~.~

  Kawaii!! ^_^ Although I personally feel that I rushed into it. Gomen nasai if I did.