Title: Lucky Penny

Part: Two

Author: Bonsai Sheep

Rating: Still not worth anything -_-

Series: Prince of Tennis

School: Yamabuki

Major Players (so far): Taichi, Akutsu, Sengoku

Note: To answer a question.. Akutsu doesn't smoke during the anime, though he does in the manga.

"Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you."

"I'm not ignoring you, sempai, I'm just walking."

Akutsu glowered at the back of Taichi's head.  Little bastard was walking alright.. fast pace, back straight, never looking anywhere but forward.  True he wasn't quite ignoring him.  He was being polite, replying when spoken to.  But he was quite obviously doing that just to annoy him.

"Then stop walking"

"Sorry, sempai but I'm in a hurry."

He bristled; he'd been doing this since practice.  Bland smiles, keeping to the point.  Not at all like the bubbly annoyance he usually was.  Hell, Akutsu had expected some kind of reaction for actually showing up at practice.  But not even a blink in his direction.  All over a stupid useless book.  With one long stride Akutsu caught up, taking a hold on the smaller boys' arm so he turned to face him.

He almost regretted it.  Not that he was bothered by that look.  Not much.  Damned big eyes like a fucking kicked puppy.  A really really pitiful kicked puppy.  Even worse, a puppy who was quite aware that it looked pitiful and would use that to its advantage.  Akutsu was convinced by now that Taichi knew just how effective he could be pulling the cute kid routine.  Still, the look wasn't quite the usual one.  It was mixed with something else, that stubborn streak that was making him ignore him.

"Sempai, I need to get home, I'm already late.  So if you don't mind letting go.."

"I do mind"

"Let go anyway."

No please?  No added 'sempai'?   Akutsu frowned but he wasn't going to back down, not to a half-pint in need of a haircut, "You either stop now or I keep following you until you do."

Taichi pulled his arm out of Akutsu's grip.  "Do whatever you like, sempai. But I'm going home." He turned and started walking again but Akutsu was pretty sure he heard a quiet, muttered 'you do whatever you like anyway'.

His frown turned itself into a full-fledged scowl.  Fine..if he was going to be stubborn then he'd get the same back.  He fell into step next to Taichi, slowing his pace so that his long strides kept in with the others' shorter ones.  He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his uniform noting the coin that remained there.  He snorted, at this rate he'd need more than a lousy lucky penny.  Maybe a sledgehammer.

They continued in silence.  When Akutsu glanced down at him Taichi was still pointedly ignoring him.  Little shit.

They stopped some 15 minutes later at an average sized house.  Akutsu watched as Taichi fumbled in his bag for a key and unlocked the door.  He turned around as he stepped inside as if unsure whether or not to just shut the door in the older boys face.  After a moment he just stepped fully inside dropping his bag down in the corner before bending to untie his shoelaces.

Akutsu followed despite the lack of invitation and closed the door behind himself.

"Taichi, is that you?" A voice rang out from the kitchen down the hall

"Yes, mama.. "

"ah," A small woman appeared, drying her hands on a dishcloth as she walked towards them.  As she came to a halt she looked up at Akutsu with a smile, " A friend of yours Taichi?"

"Sort of" Taichi put his shoes away in the rack

Despite the lack of enthusiasm in her sons' response she continued cheerfully, "So nice to meet you, he never usually brings people home, you know." She took Akutsu's bag as she continued, "It makes us worry sometimes, so it's such a welcome surprise to have a visitor.  Will you be staying for dinner?  It's really no bother to set another place.  Would you need to ring home? The phones just down the hall.."

Akutsu just blinked as she continued talking, moving into re-telling a phone conversation she'd had that day with one of her friends, pausing to say again how nice it was that he was visiting, before heading back into the kitchen.  Still talking.  At least that explained where Taichi got his babbling streak from.

The tingle of a small bell caused him to look up just in time to see a pale coloured streak hurtle down the stairs and launched itself into Taichi's arms.

"Aw, Munchie..did you miss me?" Taichi looked more like his usual beaming self as he cradled the small Siamese cat.

"Munchie?"

Taichi glanced at him, "It's his name"

"What kind of a name is Munchie?"

"His kind of name."

"Right.."

"It suits you, doesn't it, Munchie?" Taichi rubbed the top of his cats' head "Because you eat anything.." Munchie just purred in response not looking the slightest bit phased as Taichi bent sideways to grab the handle of his bag.  "Take your shoes off if you're staying, sempai"

Akutsu glowered at Taichi's retreating back but toed off his shoes regardless, he was ready to leave them laying around but some annoying poking voice told him to put them away properly and so put them away he did.  He glanced around a little as he followed the younger boy up the stairs.  There was really anything special about the house.. kitchen, living room-dining room downstairs.  Upstairs a bedroom, then bathroom, study and a door at the end of the hall.  Even if he couldn't have figured out that that was Taichi's bedroom through process of elimination the small cat sticker just above the door handle kind of gave it away.

He pulled the door open without knocking which caused the cat to glare at him from his cushion on the bed.  Prissy animal. 

Taichi gave him a look from the corner where he was putting his uniform onto a hanger, being dressed now in an oversized blue t-shirt and..really long shorts.. or were those cropped regular pants?  Who could really tell? 

Done with his clothes Taichi rifled around in his bag, bringing out a couple of books before sitting himself at the desk by the window.

"I suppose this isn't classed as ignoring me either?" Akutsu perched himself on the edge of the bed opposite the desk which earnt him another glare from the cat.

"Just doing homework, sempai." Taichi thumbed through one book until he got to the page he was looking for.

Ok he'd had it, Akutsu had never been one for patience and what little he had was close to snapping.  All the brat had to do was pay him attention for one damn minute.  Leaning over the small distance between himself and Taichi's back he snagged hold of the top of the wheeled chair and pulled, swivelling him back round to face him.  "Your homework can wait until I'm through talking to you."

Taichi quickly covered up his surprise with the fiercest pout he could muster.  Fierce pouts weren't that easy when Akutsus glaring face was that close though.  "Sempai..I have a lot to do tonight and I don't really have much time because Munchie still needs feeding and then I have to walk the dog for the lady down the road and.."

"I'm sorry about your fucking book"

"..and..uh.." Taichi blinked, all attempts at keeping the pout up gone.  That was unexpected.  To say the least. "oh." was all he could think of to say. 

"Oh?" Akutsu looked ready to pop, "You're not getting anything else out of me, you little git, I don't care how much you try and milk it."

Taichis expression melted into a bright grin and he got up to sit next to Akutsu, scooping the cat up and pooling him in his lap as he did so.  Munchie didn't seem to mind much.   "See, Munchie.. Sengoku-sempai was right after all.."

Akutsu's frown turned suspicious along with his tone, "Sengoku?"

Taichi nodded, pleased with himself.  "He followed me home the other day too.."

A raised eyebrow, "Your mother said you never bring anyone home."

"Mm but she always says that, though she's mostly right.  Two in a week must have her throwing happy bubble fits." He nudged his chair back across the floor with his foot. 

Akutsu was quite disturbed that he could actually picture a happy bubble fit and quickly pushed that thought away.  "You're going to be normal now." Not a question.

Munchie rolled over and sprawled across Taichi's lap belly up.  "As normal as ever."

Good enough.  He nodded and stood up.

Taichi's face fell a fraction, "You're not staying?" 

That's right, he wasn't staying, he was walking out the door, grabbing his stuff and leaving.  He was also getting the feeling that the stupid cat was giving him the evil eye for daring to even think along those lines.  The longer he stood without replying the more pitiful Taichi looked.  Of all the stupid.. "Ch', fine.." he sat back down again.  Manipulative little bastard.

Taichi's smile was back almost immediately and he picked up his limp cat holding him up to Akutsu.  "Munchie, say hello"

Munchie didn't seem to be much different, just being floppy and looking like he was quite used to all this.  After a few moments he reached up a paw and bopped Akutsu's cheek before going back to flopping.  This seemed to satisfy Taichi as he settled the cat back in his lap. 

Akutsu shook his head, even the animals in this house were stupid. 

--

Akutsu let out a long smoke filled sigh, briefly thanking whoever invented nicotine for his sanity.  Never again.  He was not going to get conned by that kid again.  No matter what.

Throughout dinner all he managed to focus on was the thought that if those people talked so much how in hell were they finding time to actually eat anything?  Granted if they talked that much it meant he only had to grunt something in reply to a question to set them off again. 

As he turned a corner it was only his quick reaction times that prevented him bashing right into another person.

A redheaded person.

One that was looking far too pleased with himself

"What are you doing here?"

"Out for a nice evening stroll."

Akutsu snorted, "A nice stroll that takes you across 4 bus stops.."

Sengoku grinned, "I'm flattered you'd notice something like that."

"Bastard, quit stalking me"

"Whoever said I was stalking you..? Maybe I'm after the chibi."

There was something in that tone that Akutsu didn't quite like but that would involve more thinking than he had patience for at the moment.  Not to mention this damned headache.  He chose to ignore Sengoku, sidestepping around him and carrying on down the street and wondering why his cigarette was suddenly not enough.  Footsteps behind him told him he was being followed, and it was confirmed as the other boy came alongside him.

"So, things are fixed now I take it?"

Inhale.  Exhale.  "Hn"

"See that wasn't so hard was it?  And you even stayed for dinner."

"Don't remind me."

"Oh?" Sengoku chuckled, "They're a talkative bunch aren't they?"

"I said don't remind me."  Another chuckle, irritating bastard.  He fished in his pocket handing the penny to Sengoku without looking at him.

"uhuh" Sengoku pushed his hand back, "you keep it."

"Things are fixed.  I didn't want your stupid coin in the first place and I certainly don't want to keep it now."

Sengoku stepped in front of Akutsu effectively blocking his path, something between a playful grin and a challenge on his face.  "Maybe, but then you might still need it yet, Akutsu-kun."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

A bright smile, "You'll see.."