Rating: PG.
Warnings: None.
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Part twelve of the "Impatience" arc... which will, unfortunately, not go on forever. Enjoy! (Find previous parts at a href"http/www.txq.nu/jumpyboys"Jumpy Boys/a)
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Akira looked at his schedule and sighed. It was nothing but mornings again. And while he preferred to work the mornings, it did mean that he very rarely saw his... boyfriend... who preferred to work the evenings. They both knew that their schedules had been set up based on those particular hours in which they were known to work better, but it still seemed like someone's hand was in the mix as they usually ended up on different sides of the city on the few weekends that they were both scheduled at the same time. Since their first game after moving in together, they had yet to be seen in the same building other than their apartment building, the local convenience and grocery stores, and the laundromat. And rumors, as always, have a way of making their way around.
"So, Akira... Have you and Shindou been having any problems lately?" Ashiwara looked at Akira over his coffee mug.
Setting down his glass of iced tea, Akira shook his head. "No, we're perfectly happy. Why, do I have a strange look on my face or something?"
"Oh, no! It's just... people are talking. I wondered if they even knew what they were talking about."
Akira stirred his iced tea with his straw. "What are they saying?"
Ashiwara picked up his spoon, toying with it as he spoke. "Well, it's just that you and Shindou haven't been seen anywhere together lately, so everyone thinks that you hate each other. Even Ogata-san was wondering whether things were a little rough, and he knows."
"Ashiwara, it isn't some big secret. But, we play at different times. I would go to his games, but I always seem to have something going on at the same time, and the same with Hikaru. And there's no point in going to a go parlor when we have three boards at home. And Hikaru just put a magnetic go set on the refrigerator, as well. We're hardly away from each other when we're both home."
"Where is he now?"
Akira made a face. "He's at the train station, buying tickets to Nagoya." He smiled. "I was going to go with him, but he was coming through that station anyway on the way back from a go event. You know it takes forever to buy tickets in advance, but we have to take an early train, and I know Hikaru too well to think he'll actually be awake and ready on time."
Ashiwara laughed. "He does seem the type." He took a sip of coffee. "So, he's going to Nagoya with you?"
"Yes. When I got my game card, he called down to the Go Association and said that he would need those three days off. I... I wondered what for at first, and then I see him lugging his suitcase down out of the closet the next day and realized that, somehow, we were going on vacation together."
"Are you going to an onsen or anything?"
Akira took the lemon off of his glass and bit into it, enjoying the sour liquid that seeped from the fruit. "No, just a regular hotel. But... we're only going to have one bed."
"Was that planned?" Ashiwara looked skeptical.
"Uh... yes, actually. I made the reservations for the hotel. Hikaru doesn't know yet."
Ashiwara motioned for the waitress to bring him more coffee. "And you're leaving tomorrow?"
Akira nodded. "Probably around seven or eight. We'll be back on Sunday evening. I'll probably give you a call on Monday?"
"Monday would be great. I have the day off and Nase is coming over to see my apartment."
"You're seeing her?" Akira put his lemon down.
Ashiwara blushed. "She's a pretty girl wanting to give me attention. Who am I to say no?"
Akira laughed and took the bill when the waitress came with more coffee for Ashiwara.
That evening, Akira checked his suitcase, and Hikaru's, making sure that they had everything they could possibly need. There were certain things in Hikaru's suitcase that he thought probably wouldn't see the light of day, or, rather, the dark of night. But, as he thought about his own actions as of late, that tube of lubricant and the condoms might get used sooner than he was really expecting. Just in case, he left them in Hikaru's suitcase.
Hikaru made instant ramen and sandwiches for dinner, claiming that he was tired from fighting back and forth with the ticket agents at the station. He had been sent back and forth between two windows until one of the supervisors recognized him as a go player and straightened everything out. They'd even gotten a free upgrade on compartments when Hikaru had mentioned who his traveling partner was. Hikaru joked that he needed to start carrying Akira's picture in his wallet to use as a discount card with old men. Akira stole a bite of his sandwich.
They played a game, went to bed, and slept back to back until the alarm clock went off. Akira was quick to throw back the covers and start getting ready. Hikaru curled up into a ball, ducking further into the futon and groaning. "Why're we getting up so early, 'gain?"
Akira laughed; his voice scratchy with sleep. "Because we have a train to catch in an hour and a half, and we want to get there early to make sure that everything is going to go fine."
"Mmm." Hikaru attempted to cover his head even more, but Akira pulled him out of the futon and left him sprawled on the cool tatami floor. "That wasn't nice."
"Neither is trying to make us late."
"When d'you get strong enough to do that?"
Akira smiled. "It was your cooking. And maybe the cleaning." He threw a clean towel at Hikaru's head, hitting him in the jaw.
Hikaru picked up the towel and pulled himself to his feet. "Mean Akira. Makin' me get up," he muttered as he walked toward the bathroom.
"You're the one who decided to come," Akira reminded him.
"I know." Hikaru yawned and rubbed his eyes. "And I won't regret it once I'm actually awake."
Akira smiled and began to get his clothes ready.
When Hikaru came back into the room, dripping water from his hair, with his sleep clothes balled up and under his arm and a towel draped loosely around his waist, Akira was quick to take his own towel and exit the room.
Akira hated taking the second shower because he didn't like when the water ran cold and when he was stepping into cool water and when the mirror was already fogged up with handprints on it. But Hikaru had, for once, actually cleaned up. And, this way, he would more than likely be awake when Akira went back to the room. Had he taken the first shower, that probably wouldn't be the case.
Making the shower quick so that he didn't have to deal with the cold water, Akira toweled himself off a bit and tied the towel around his waist and went back to the room. He noticed Hikaru, but not enough to realize that the other man was there. Akira pulled off his towel and began getting dressed.
"Damn, Akira," Hikaru said, his hands clutched on his towel in the process of putting it in the hamper.
Akira yelped and held his pants in front of himself. "Sorry! I..." He laughed at himself. "I guess I figured you'd be making breakfast already."
Hikaru grinned. "I'll get a start on that. But, first?" He approached Akira and gave him a steamy kiss. "I thought the parts were nice by themselves, but all together they're even better."
Blushing and clutching ineffectually to his pants, Akira cleared his throat. "Breakfast?"
"Right. Breakfast." Hikaru looked at Akira again, from head to toe, and left the room. Akira dressed quickly.
They were ready more quickly than either Hikaru or Akira had imagined was possible, so Hikaru made pancakes. They were from a mix, and the first few were a little, well, burnt... but, on a whole, they turned out rather well. However, Hikaru managed to pour copious amounts of syrup on his shirt and had to go change before they left. Akira fretted that it might stain and made sure to scrub it in the sink before putting it in the hamper, muttering that it was going to get mildewy in the two nights that they would be gone. Hikaru kissed him and he had no further complaints.
At the train station, they were nearly separated by the crowds rushing though, but Hikaru finally grabbed Akira's hand and tugged him through the building. They were fifteen minutes early and had to sit on a bench for a while before they could get on.
But when then took their seats, they were comfortable. They had a compartment to themselves, plush seats, a magnetic go set to keep them occupied, and each other. Other than that, there wasn't anything pressing that they would need until they were safely in Nagoya. Until then, they would talk, and play go, and do the very same things that they did at home with, perhaps, one relatively new exception.
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Owari.