Thanks for all the reviews.

This one is a bit shorter, but they are all different lengths... One of my wonderful reviewers asked for Akaba next, so this is it (was going to post Shin, but if I have something someone requests, I'll post it). I'm not extremely happy with this one... For the bishies with fics written in this series, see the notes at the end.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own ES21, unless I can get my hands on Hiruma's little book and blackmail Riichiro Inagaki...

Akaba: Melody of Life

Mamori smiled as Suzuna skated up to her, waving an arm in the air as she approached. Both of them had planned to spend the day in the park, people watching - particularly for boys, as both of them were single, though Suzuna insisted that Sena would notice her feelings and return them soon enough, but until then, she was as free to look as anyone else.

They sat down under the shade of a tree, with a bush on one side that ensured anyone else who decided to partake of the tree's shade would be separated from them, to enjoy the picnic that Mamori had made for them that day. Enjoying the shade from the overbearing heat, they laid back on the hill, giggling together at the several cute boys that passed them, though none more than glanced their way.

It was almost two in the afternoon when someone they recognised walked along the path below them, in knee length shorts and a tight t-shirt with sunglasses and headphones on, with his guitar in a case on his back: he barely noticed and seemed not to recognise them, though appeared to spot whomever he was meeting as he smiled and began heading up the hill to the other side of the tree and bush they sat beside. Super curious about who he was meeting, but not daring to move incase they were spotted, the two of them stayed frozen, silently, as Akaba reached the top of the hill and, from what they could hear, greeted whomever he was meeting with a kiss (and hum of approval afterwards).

Not wanting to appear suspicious to anyone passing them by, Mamori and Suzuna relaxed slightly, though remained silent to listen in on what was being said and try to figure out the mysterious companion's identity. They could barely pick up anything said, only hearing a word or two every sentence, but it seemed like they were making plans for a holiday together – the two girls guessed that meant they must have been together or at least known each other for a while, so limited their guesses on who it could be: Suzuna was sure it was Juri – the Spider's manager – being the only female companion of Akaba that they knew, but Mamori wasn't so sure, every now and then, she was sure she could recognise the voice, but the words she managed to pick up were too quiet and few in number for her to place it, with the identity hanging on the edge of her mind.

Not long after that the pair on the other side of the tree fell silent, before the gentle strumming of a guitar sounded across the silent hill. It was so relaxing, the two girls found themselves listening to the seemingly endless melody, barely noticing the next hour passing before it ended as the sky was turning orange, then pink.

"Wake up."

Akaba's voice from the other side of the tree brought them back to full awareness, having not noticed when they fell into a half-sleep.

There was a faint mumble from the unknown companion, followed by Akaba's chuckle.

"Mum and Dad have asked you round for tea anyway, so please?" the voice had cleared slightly, and Mamori was close to tearing her hair out: she knew that voice, but who was it?

There was a sigh, but it was put on, Akaba wasn't as irritated as he tried to seem. "Fine, get on my back."

A few seconds later, the former MVP headed down to the path again, the figure hanging onto their back barely visible due to the guitar strapped to their back. When the two were out of sight, Mamori and Suzuna began to gather the containers and blanket they had been sitting on.

"We could come back next week and see if they appear again, I really want to know who that was: Akaba's so handsome! Whoever it is, is super lucky!" Suzuna declared.

"Sure, if it's nice next week we should come again, it was so relaxing after all that football work through the week."

Suzuna smirked, "Maybe we shouldn't bring so much food next time... what are you going to do with all this?" She motioned to all the things they hadn't managed to eat.

"Put half in a separate container, and I'll pop by and give it to Sena. He always appreciates my cooking."

And that's how Mamori ended up staring in shock at the sight behind Sena's mother: of Akaba sitting eating dinner with the Kobayakawa's that night, his guitar propped in the entrance hall and one handed threaded into Sena's.

The realisation she had been evesdropping on Sena's conversation with his boyfriend the entire afternoon hit her like Gao.

Her last thought before she fainted from shock was: "I knew I recognised that voice!"

Don't like this one very much either, not enough yaoi probably. For some reason, I just can't seem to write Akaba fics very well...

For those who read this, I'll let you know who I have written fics for so far in this series: Agon, Akaba, Hiruma, Juumonji, Kakei, Marco, Sakuraba and Shin. Of those, I don't really like Akaba, Marco and Sakuraba's, but I'm not changing any of them.