Ch 4

Go Games and Children Don't Mix Shindo!

Akira shifted the bundle of energy in his arms carefully as he climbed up the stairs of the Go Institute. He felt the small hands playing with his hair and tried to keep a composed, calm, and serious look on his face. He really didn't want people knowing how frazzled he really felt at the moment. The looks they were giving him were quite…unnerving. He sighed.

So much for saying over and over to his parents and Ogata-sensei that he was fine and truly over the event in which the media and public opinion had taken over his private life. His and Hikaru's. At the thought of his other half, he paused, looking back. Hikaru had been stopped by an acquaintance and was talking. Akira regarded the man's stance and finding it relaxed, he continued to make his way in. Hikaru had gotten the worst brunt of it. People were afraid of Touya, Akira… while Shindo, Hikaru seemed more human and much more approachable. He frowned. With one hand he opened the door and came face to face with Ogata-sensei.

For once the man looked shell shocked. It made Akira blink and look behind him. What was it? Was someone…A little girl's giggle echoed in his ear and he felt his hair being moved and played with. Oh. Yes. He was holding a child. And looking, he was almost distraught at this fact, like he'd been doing it since the day Yoko had been born instead of looking like he'd first truly held a child yesterday. Hikaru couldn't get over how easy Akira made it look. Akira shifted the weight in his arms again. It wasn't easy. It hurt his arms and his back and he was constantly worried that Yoko would make a move that would take him off guard and that he would drop her. At the thought, he tightened his hold and Yoko chirped in surprise.

"Yours?" Ogata-sensei asked finally. "It seems you've been keeping secrets from your parents and I…" Akira glared. Of all the stupid comments! He blushed.

"Not mine." Obviously. "Shindo's…" Ogata-sensei arched an eyebrow.

"Shindo's?" To the older man, something of Shindo's was equal to it being something of Akira's.

"…goddaughter." He gritted out.

"I see." No he did not damn see anything. "Ah Shindo." Ogata smiled.

Akira heard the sound of the door opening and closing behind him. And then Hikaru was at his side, hand ruffling most likely Yoko's head before coming to tug at Akira's silky black strands. He refrained from jumping at the touch and glaring at the man. "I never quite thought you would manage in domesticating Touya further." Domesticating? DOMESTICATING? What the hell was the man implying? The smile on the older man's face should have been a warning. "I remember…" Oh god. What did he remember? "Touya swearing to never fall in love and to never having children. Dangerous and distracting he said to both." Ogata's smile widened. "And now…" He waved a hand at the scene before him. "Here he is…"

"She's not my child." Akira repeated. When the hell had he said those things? And why the hell had he said it in front of that man? "And she's not Shindo's either." Ogata smiled that smile that said he'd won, he'd gotten the upper hand.

"I'm well aware of the mechanics involved in making a child, Touya-kun." More like a smirk than anything else really. "And that both of you together are ill-equipped for it…" Hikaru coughed. "I do hope, Akira, that bringing her here was not a ploy to soften me up in regards to our match." Hikaru physically moved away from Akira at this point, feeling the intensity of the glare he was giving Ogata-sensei. He winced and hoped that Yoko would be oblivious of its dangerous and cold nature.

"I don't need such tactics." The coldness of Yoko's beloved "Aki" startled the little girl. She looked up, hands fisted in his hair.

"Aki?" She asked innocently. "Happy Aki? Happy?"

"I believe that is my cue to leave the happy family alone. I'll see you in the game room in a few minutes." And with a nod of his head, the older man was gone. Akira sighed angrily. The man… was impossible. He was like a 2nd father or incredibly annoying older brother to Akira. One, he thought dryly, that he didn't want or need.

Later, when the day was over, he would realize belatedly that Ogata had managed to get Akira's mind off the people that had been looking at him so oddly before and he would be grateful. But in the here and now, all he could truly focus on was removing that awful smirk off that man's face. Oh how that man could get him riled up.

When Ogata was truly gone and Akira's glare had lowered considerably, Hikaru came back to the other man's side. Hikaru looked at Akira with something in his eyes that the taller Go player couldn't quite recognize. "You… you really said those things?" Hikaru wanted to ask why and found himself feel a bit scared at the prospect. Which was silly.

"What things?" Akira asked, still fuming at Ogata's last remark.

"About…love and children." Hikaru fiddled with his sleeves rather than look up and show the new vulnerability that had settled within his grey green eyes.

"Probably when I was ten." Akira snorted. "Damn the man for his unforgivable memory of all the stupid things I said or did." At that grumble, the look vanished and Hikaru smiled.

"So… you didn't want to fall in love?" The tone was now plain teasing, hiding the anxious note that had been present last time. Akira groaned and handed Yoko to her godfather praying that it would cause the distraction needed. The smile grew. "I must have come as a surprise, huh?" Akira sighed.

"Hikaru…" He shook his head. "When are you not?" Hikaru ducked his head at that comment, probably trying to hide the pleased yet embarrassed look he now sported.

"Uhm. Well. Yoko…wish Uncle Aki good luck. He has to go and work now… kinda like Daddy Mitani, ne?" The little girl squirmed in Hikaru's arms. Her wide eyes looked at Akira sadly.

"…good luck." She stated solemnly. It made Akira smile.

"Thank you." He bowed to her and then waved a goodbye before starting to make his way into the room where he would be battling Ogata for the man's title.

The faces in the other room where Hikaru took Yoko lit up in surprise as they found themselves in the presence of a two year old.

"You brought her here?"

"Grumpy bear!" Yoko's face cheered up considerably at the discovery of her friend from the park. "'Sumi?" She looked around as she was let down.

"I'm right here, kiddo." Isumi offered the little girl a friendlier greeting than the redhead that still looked like he was in shock at the sight of the child and wondering where the nearest escape route was.

"What is going on Shindo?" That was Ochi. Ashiwara though seemed curious as well.

"Did Akira-kun and you adopt without telling anyone? You're both a bit too young you know…" Waya choked at the conclusion Ashiwara had made in such short time. Hikaru blushed.

"Jesus no!" God! Even if Akira and him had been together for nearly three years now… it wasn't… "She's my goddaughter. I'm babysitting her for the week." Ashiwara looked relieved, Ochi's scowl deepened.

"'Sumi, up? Up?" Isumi laughed.

"You do realize that this is no place for children, right?" Ochi asked dryly as he regarded Isumi and the little girl who were now twirling around the room.

"Shut up and relax." Waya snapped, his shackles up and ready to defend Hikaru from anyone and anything. Even if he silently agreed with Ochi's assessment. This truly was no place for a little girl.

Other professionals interested in Touya's and Ogata's game showed up just then, interrupting the potential argument between Waya and Ochi. They hardly blinked at the sight of Isumi pointing to Akira's face on the tv screen. No doubt as the older generation they'd seen wives of their rivals come in with their own brood to see their fathers playing and so on. Nothing hardly disturbed them anymore unless it was the new generation being too cocky for their own good and trying to grab titles from them. Hikaru barely spared them a glance and joined Isumi.

"See Uncle Akira?" The taller go player asked softly.

"Aki!" The young girl chattered excitedly. That was for the first handful of minutes. Too soon she got bored with watching her 'Uncle' working. Isumi and Hikaru tried to get her to play quietly with her own toys as they kept a watchful eye as to how the game was progressing. Ogata-sensei wasn't pulling any punches today. But then again, Akira wasn't either. Early on, surprising everyone except Hikaru, the two had started battling out for territory.

Yoko tugged on his sleeve, pouting. She was rubbing her eyes with the other hand. "Want…" She started. "…want…"

"Another toy, sweetie?" He asked not really paying attention. Was Akira really going to attack there? The room seemed to vibrate with the "pachi" resonating from the speakers. Yes. Yes he was.

"noooooo…" The little girl wailed.

"Shindo." Ochi hissed. "If you cannot keep her occupied quietly,"

"Don't get your underwear in a knot." Waya hissed back, interrupting the younger man. "And shut up! You're making more noise than she is with your constant bitching."

"Wa-ya!" Isumi joined the fray as Hikaru was distracted by his goddaughter. He was quite clueless to what the two year old wanted this time. "Don't be rude."

"I'm not." The redhead grumbled. "I'm being honest. It's a virtue." Isumi groaned and Ochi huffed. Yoko's whining started to rise again. An older, retired pro sighed and looked behind him.

"Son," He muttered with a hint of exasperation coloring his voice. "Just give the girl a go stone for god's sake."

"Oh." Hikaru blinked. He handed her the whole go ke and watched as the crocodile tears dried in a second and a bright smile replaced them. The little girl hummed quietly to herself and suddenly there was more than the constant battling sound of "patchi" filling the room.

"How do you feel about the game so far?" Hikaru asked, watching Akira a bit anxiously. His lover was relaxing on the bench outside, Yoko sleeping in his arms.

They'd barely left the small restaurant near the go institute where they had all but run to when the game had been closed for the day. The next move had been sealed—Ogata-sensei's—until the next meeting. Akira had barely eaten which was usual after a title game but still… Hikaru hated it when he did that. Yoko had been famished, hence the running to the restaurant, and cranky to boot. Yet looking at her peaceful expression now, no one could envision the holy terror she had become. She'd even managed to scare Isumi away. Waya had been gone so fast that he'd left no one to doubt what his feelings were.

Hikaru took another look at Akira and frowned unhappily at how tired the other man looked. "And I can take her, if you're tired." Akira shook his head with a smile.

"It's fine. It's actually quite relaxing." He stopped to yawn and shook his head slightly. "I was going to add—that I'm not that tired but I have a feeling you wouldn't listen to me." Hikaru sighed.

"You're right. I wouldn't." He sniffed. "Early bedtime for all of us tonight." Akira hummed in agreement and the silence that settled around them was comfortable. It didn't last long however.

"Speaking of which," Akira started. "Why were you in our bed last night? You were supposed to be on the couch."

Hikaru could only groan in response. He'd hoped that the other had completely forgotten about that little fact. The day was nearly over and now he brings it up?!

"I missed you!" He moaned. "It was lonely out on the couch. I'm not used to not sleeping without you anymore." Akira rolled his eyes at the theatrics, cheeks blushing at the words.

"Shut up, you idiot."

"Idiot yourself." Hikaru grinned at him before settling his head on Akira's shoulder carefully. "You know you love me, despite not having the guts to properly confess yet." Akira sighed.

"Yes. Yes." He muttered. "Whatever you say." He smiled though, resting his cheek on the top of Hikaru's head. His eyes felt heavy. He was tired. And this…this was more comfortable than he had ever imagined it could be.

He only hoped Ogata-sensei never caught sight of them like this. Or this whole talk about Hikaru domesticating him would never end. Oh god… He suppressed a shudder at the thought. "Hey Hikaru…" He whispered carefully.

"Yeah?" The other muttered, refusing to lift his head.

"Maybe we should go home."

"Mmm."

The three stayed where they were for another hour.

To be continued... Sorry for the long wait. I couldn't believe that I hadn't updated this story since 2005! Hangs head sheepishly. I'm trying to get caught up on all my stories! So please hang in there with me and thank you to everyone who has continued to support my stories. :) Its greatly appreciated and keeps me going. On a side note-- I can't stand how this site always changes my formatting on me... growls...