[craufurd]
IN LIKE A LION
by ukefied
Akira finds out about Shindou's impending move in the worst possible way.
"Are we still meeting at your house tomorrow?" he asks after a game at his father's go salon.
"Huh?" Shindou blinks, scooping up go pieces, and then shakes his head. "Oh, sorry, can't. I'm moving."
"Ah -- what?" Akira is dumbfounded. "Moving? What do you mean?"
"Well," Shindou replies, giving him a wry smile, "I'm taking my stuff out of my mom's house and putting it in another house."
"I know that!" Akira snaps -- possibly too curtly. "But since when are you moving?"
Shindou sticks his tongue out at him, then shrugs. "Since two weeks ago. Waya and I found the perfect place, but it's a hot spot in a good neighborhood, so we had to take it right away. We've been rushing to get things done." He makes a face. "We were totally fine with not painting, but Mom was all like 'the walls are yellow!' so we had to--"
"You're moving?" Akira asks again, feeling a little -- unsettled.
"Um, yeah, where have you been the last five minutes? And thanks for interrupting me, it's not like I was talking or anything."
Akira hesitates. "I just -- I just figured I'd get more notice than this."
It's Shindou's turn to look taken aback. "Oh, well... I dunno. Sorry, Touya. I didn't think it was important."
"Not important?"
A frown. "People move all the time, Touya."
This gives Akira cause for pause. "I suppose," he mutters. Embarrassed, he busies himself clearing away the game they just discussed.
Shindou watches him for a few moments. Akira can feel the worried lip and the uncertain eyes. "Touya, are you mad at me?"
"What a notion," Akira scoffs, gently dropping the stones into the goke. "Of course not. I just thought -- that you would tell me about such a change in your life."
"Sorry...."
It's one of the only times a disagreement of theirs does not escalate to a shouting match, nor culminates with one of them storming out of the salon.
On his way home later that evening, Akira figures out what's bothering him: Why Waya?
***
The second thing that bothers him is the fact that Shindou does not ask him to help with the move. This slights him, and stings sharply, because he knows Isumi and Nase and Akari and maybe even Mitani and any other friends Shindou only talks about and Akira barely knows of are over there helping.
Sometimes, Akira truly resents Shindou's friendship. Now that he's had a real taste of it, he can't help but feel deprived.
***
The third thing that bothers him is the expression on Shindou's face when he brings their housewarming gift. It's a weird combination of surprised and embarrassed, which in turn makes Akira irritated, because he doesn't know if Shindou is embarrassed of him, or for him.
"Slippers?" Waya asks from behind Shindou, almost under his breath but not quite.
Akira stiffens, indignant. "Everyone needs a good pair of house slippers," he defends himself. "And I know Shindou wouldn't think of them."
"I wouldn't," Shindou agrees, forestalling any further disagreement. "Thanks, Touya." He even slips his feet into them. "Comfy."
Waya makes a noise under his breath and Akira's face suddenly feels a little warmer, but Shindou makes a not-so-subtle gesture for his roommate to be quiet. (The gesture is an elbow in the ribs.)
"Why don't you come in, Touya?" Shindou invites.
Akira almost agrees -- almost. But he steals a quick glance at Waya, who doesn't bother to hide his annoyance. "I'd love to, Shindou, but I have a game with Ogata-san later today, and I'd like to go and get ready for it."
Shindou scratches his head. "Uh, okay then. Another time?"
Akira smiles, and makes a point to exclude Waya from its warmth. "Of course."
***
On the subway ride home, Akira privately fumes. It isn't fair. Waya has lots of friends; he could just as easily have found someone else with whom to share an apartment.
Akira only has Shindou.
It isn't fair.
***
"It isn't fair!" Hikaru pouts.
Waya makes an obscene gesture. "You lost by two moku, Shindou. That was the deal."
"I know," Hikaru pouts some more. "But I found this apartment in the paper first; I should get the bedroom with the balcony in it."
Waya shrugs. "If you want, we can break out the go board and recreate the game, and I can tell you once again how you lost and that I'll be enjoying my balcony."
Hikaru socks Waya in the arm. It turns into a good-natured tussle.
"Fine, whatever," Hikaru says a few minutes later, smoothing out his tousled hair. "I don't care about your stupid balcony."
Waya laughs. "You have a pretty big bedroom, anyway. Stop whining."
Hikaru makes a face at him, and goes back to organizing his CDs on their stacks by the stereo.
Waya heads for the DVDs. He puts an entire row in order before saying, "You know Touya has a crush on you, right?"
Hikaru almost drops Buck-Tick. "What? That's dumb."
"No, you're dumb. I swear he does. No other explanation for how jealous and possessive he is with you."
"You're jealous and possessive," Hikaru retorts. "And anyway, if he did, he would've told me, so you don't know what you're talking about." He pauses, and then adds more gently, "I am the only real friend he has at his age, you know? Cut him some slack, Waya."
Waya doesn't drop the subject, per se. He gives Hikaru a smug look before going back to the DVDs.
***
The next time Touya comes over, Waya is out. Hikaru is glad for this, because he doesn't like it when his friends are at odds with each other.
"Do you want a tour?" he asks, closing the door behind his friend. He notes with equal parts of humor and dismay that Touya Akira brought his own house slippers.
"I can... pretty much see everything, actually, Shindou," Touya points out.
"... Oh. Well," Hikaru rubs the back of his head, "want something to eat or drink?"
"No, thank you. I just wanted to see your new home, and maybe play a game." As he talks, Touya is moving around the living room. Hikaru watches him linger at the things that belong to Waya, notes how he stares at the closed door to Waya's room. "Your DVDs," he says when he reaches the entertainment center. "They're all mixed up." He points. "That one's yours, I remember. This one is not."
"Oh, we put them all together," Hikaru explains. "I mean, it makes sense that all our things get jumbled up since we live together now. We're too good friends to really care about things getting mixed up."
Touya hesitates. "I see. It does make sense."
Hikaru isn't so sure there isn't some kind of rift between the two of them here. "Touya, I gotta' know."
"Know what?"
"Are you... okay? You've been acting kind of off since I told you I was moving." And he waits. Now that he's asked, maybe the truth will come out. Maybe Waya is right, kind of, but maybe it's something else.
Touya gives him a surprisingly mournful expression. "You'll just laugh."
Who could laugh in the face of that look? "Eh? Will not! Promise!"
More hesitation. But melancholy soon gives way to irritation, and Touya looks more like himself. "You mentioned that you wanted to move a few months ago, and I offered share an apartment with you to cut down on expenses -- and you didn't want a roommate!"
"Huh?" Hikaru thinks about that. "No, I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything abo--"
"You did!" Touya snaps. "You did say it, citing the noise and the mess -- you, of all people -- as reasons why you preferred living alone. I had offered and you said no, only to turn around and move in with Waya!"
Hikaru balls his hands into fists. It's like they're at the go salon. "Well, that was a long time and I don't remember anything about it. If it was post-game and I'd been drinking, you can't take anything I say seriously!"
"So apparently you would never live with me, but Waya is good enough!"
"Well, Waya doesn't act like a scorned lover when I don't pay attention to him!"
"Who is a scorned lover? I can just imagine what this place will look like in a few weeks, with you two pigs living in it!"
""Who's a pig? Touya, god, what is bothering you?! Just say it!"
Surprisingly, Touya does. "I wanted to move in with you, you idiot!"
Even more surprisingly, Hikaru doesn't break his stride. "Well, you can't, because we aren't even dating yet!"
"I -- what?" Touya is disarmed, blinks. "What did you just say?"
"Um." Hikaru isn't sure, to be honest. "Uh, I said -- er, I, um." He can hear Waya's dry tone in the back of his mind: "You'll never know if you don't try, stupid." "Ah, can I take you to a movie?'
If Hikaru isn't sure of himself, Touya Akira has never been so completely lost in his life. "Ah -- me?"
"Yeah."
"You..." Touya shrinks back a little, an almost unconscious response, Hikaru is sure. "Shindou, you want to take me to the movies?"
"Uh huh."
"Like -- like a date?"
Hikaru huffs, "Yes, that's just what I've been saying. Sheesh. Do you want to or not?"
"I... yes, thank you."
"Great!" And it actually is, Hikaru discovers. He grins. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight."
"Tonight?" Touya echoes, looking mildly panicked. He steals a glance at the door.
Hikaru snickers inwardly. Touya probably has to get his nails done first. "Yeah, tonight. Better go get ready, I guess?"
He ushers Touya to the door and sees him out. It's only a few minutes after his friend has left that Hikaru realizes he has a date with Touya Akira.
***
At six-twenty that evening, Hikaru is sitting on the couch in a nice pair of black baggy jeans and an oversized white T-shirt. He's freshly showered and smells faintly like the cologne he found in Waya's half of the medicine cabinet.
Waya comes in from his shidougo. "Hey, I'm back," he says as he walks across the living room to his room. "What are you doing tonight?"
"I have a date with Touya," Hikaru says.
The thump of Waya walking right into his bedroom door is the most beautiful sound Hikaru has ever heard.
"See you later," he adds, and goes to pick up his up date.
+end+
by ukefied
Akira finds out about Shindou's impending move in the worst possible way.
"Are we still meeting at your house tomorrow?" he asks after a game at his father's go salon.
"Huh?" Shindou blinks, scooping up go pieces, and then shakes his head. "Oh, sorry, can't. I'm moving."
"Ah -- what?" Akira is dumbfounded. "Moving? What do you mean?"
"Well," Shindou replies, giving him a wry smile, "I'm taking my stuff out of my mom's house and putting it in another house."
"I know that!" Akira snaps -- possibly too curtly. "But since when are you moving?"
Shindou sticks his tongue out at him, then shrugs. "Since two weeks ago. Waya and I found the perfect place, but it's a hot spot in a good neighborhood, so we had to take it right away. We've been rushing to get things done." He makes a face. "We were totally fine with not painting, but Mom was all like 'the walls are yellow!' so we had to--"
"You're moving?" Akira asks again, feeling a little -- unsettled.
"Um, yeah, where have you been the last five minutes? And thanks for interrupting me, it's not like I was talking or anything."
Akira hesitates. "I just -- I just figured I'd get more notice than this."
It's Shindou's turn to look taken aback. "Oh, well... I dunno. Sorry, Touya. I didn't think it was important."
"Not important?"
A frown. "People move all the time, Touya."
This gives Akira cause for pause. "I suppose," he mutters. Embarrassed, he busies himself clearing away the game they just discussed.
Shindou watches him for a few moments. Akira can feel the worried lip and the uncertain eyes. "Touya, are you mad at me?"
"What a notion," Akira scoffs, gently dropping the stones into the goke. "Of course not. I just thought -- that you would tell me about such a change in your life."
"Sorry...."
It's one of the only times a disagreement of theirs does not escalate to a shouting match, nor culminates with one of them storming out of the salon.
On his way home later that evening, Akira figures out what's bothering him: Why Waya?
***
The second thing that bothers him is the fact that Shindou does not ask him to help with the move. This slights him, and stings sharply, because he knows Isumi and Nase and Akari and maybe even Mitani and any other friends Shindou only talks about and Akira barely knows of are over there helping.
Sometimes, Akira truly resents Shindou's friendship. Now that he's had a real taste of it, he can't help but feel deprived.
***
The third thing that bothers him is the expression on Shindou's face when he brings their housewarming gift. It's a weird combination of surprised and embarrassed, which in turn makes Akira irritated, because he doesn't know if Shindou is embarrassed of him, or for him.
"Slippers?" Waya asks from behind Shindou, almost under his breath but not quite.
Akira stiffens, indignant. "Everyone needs a good pair of house slippers," he defends himself. "And I know Shindou wouldn't think of them."
"I wouldn't," Shindou agrees, forestalling any further disagreement. "Thanks, Touya." He even slips his feet into them. "Comfy."
Waya makes a noise under his breath and Akira's face suddenly feels a little warmer, but Shindou makes a not-so-subtle gesture for his roommate to be quiet. (The gesture is an elbow in the ribs.)
"Why don't you come in, Touya?" Shindou invites.
Akira almost agrees -- almost. But he steals a quick glance at Waya, who doesn't bother to hide his annoyance. "I'd love to, Shindou, but I have a game with Ogata-san later today, and I'd like to go and get ready for it."
Shindou scratches his head. "Uh, okay then. Another time?"
Akira smiles, and makes a point to exclude Waya from its warmth. "Of course."
***
On the subway ride home, Akira privately fumes. It isn't fair. Waya has lots of friends; he could just as easily have found someone else with whom to share an apartment.
Akira only has Shindou.
It isn't fair.
***
"It isn't fair!" Hikaru pouts.
Waya makes an obscene gesture. "You lost by two moku, Shindou. That was the deal."
"I know," Hikaru pouts some more. "But I found this apartment in the paper first; I should get the bedroom with the balcony in it."
Waya shrugs. "If you want, we can break out the go board and recreate the game, and I can tell you once again how you lost and that I'll be enjoying my balcony."
Hikaru socks Waya in the arm. It turns into a good-natured tussle.
"Fine, whatever," Hikaru says a few minutes later, smoothing out his tousled hair. "I don't care about your stupid balcony."
Waya laughs. "You have a pretty big bedroom, anyway. Stop whining."
Hikaru makes a face at him, and goes back to organizing his CDs on their stacks by the stereo.
Waya heads for the DVDs. He puts an entire row in order before saying, "You know Touya has a crush on you, right?"
Hikaru almost drops Buck-Tick. "What? That's dumb."
"No, you're dumb. I swear he does. No other explanation for how jealous and possessive he is with you."
"You're jealous and possessive," Hikaru retorts. "And anyway, if he did, he would've told me, so you don't know what you're talking about." He pauses, and then adds more gently, "I am the only real friend he has at his age, you know? Cut him some slack, Waya."
Waya doesn't drop the subject, per se. He gives Hikaru a smug look before going back to the DVDs.
***
The next time Touya comes over, Waya is out. Hikaru is glad for this, because he doesn't like it when his friends are at odds with each other.
"Do you want a tour?" he asks, closing the door behind his friend. He notes with equal parts of humor and dismay that Touya Akira brought his own house slippers.
"I can... pretty much see everything, actually, Shindou," Touya points out.
"... Oh. Well," Hikaru rubs the back of his head, "want something to eat or drink?"
"No, thank you. I just wanted to see your new home, and maybe play a game." As he talks, Touya is moving around the living room. Hikaru watches him linger at the things that belong to Waya, notes how he stares at the closed door to Waya's room. "Your DVDs," he says when he reaches the entertainment center. "They're all mixed up." He points. "That one's yours, I remember. This one is not."
"Oh, we put them all together," Hikaru explains. "I mean, it makes sense that all our things get jumbled up since we live together now. We're too good friends to really care about things getting mixed up."
Touya hesitates. "I see. It does make sense."
Hikaru isn't so sure there isn't some kind of rift between the two of them here. "Touya, I gotta' know."
"Know what?"
"Are you... okay? You've been acting kind of off since I told you I was moving." And he waits. Now that he's asked, maybe the truth will come out. Maybe Waya is right, kind of, but maybe it's something else.
Touya gives him a surprisingly mournful expression. "You'll just laugh."
Who could laugh in the face of that look? "Eh? Will not! Promise!"
More hesitation. But melancholy soon gives way to irritation, and Touya looks more like himself. "You mentioned that you wanted to move a few months ago, and I offered share an apartment with you to cut down on expenses -- and you didn't want a roommate!"
"Huh?" Hikaru thinks about that. "No, I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything abo--"
"You did!" Touya snaps. "You did say it, citing the noise and the mess -- you, of all people -- as reasons why you preferred living alone. I had offered and you said no, only to turn around and move in with Waya!"
Hikaru balls his hands into fists. It's like they're at the go salon. "Well, that was a long time and I don't remember anything about it. If it was post-game and I'd been drinking, you can't take anything I say seriously!"
"So apparently you would never live with me, but Waya is good enough!"
"Well, Waya doesn't act like a scorned lover when I don't pay attention to him!"
"Who is a scorned lover? I can just imagine what this place will look like in a few weeks, with you two pigs living in it!"
""Who's a pig? Touya, god, what is bothering you?! Just say it!"
Surprisingly, Touya does. "I wanted to move in with you, you idiot!"
Even more surprisingly, Hikaru doesn't break his stride. "Well, you can't, because we aren't even dating yet!"
"I -- what?" Touya is disarmed, blinks. "What did you just say?"
"Um." Hikaru isn't sure, to be honest. "Uh, I said -- er, I, um." He can hear Waya's dry tone in the back of his mind: "You'll never know if you don't try, stupid." "Ah, can I take you to a movie?'
If Hikaru isn't sure of himself, Touya Akira has never been so completely lost in his life. "Ah -- me?"
"Yeah."
"You..." Touya shrinks back a little, an almost unconscious response, Hikaru is sure. "Shindou, you want to take me to the movies?"
"Uh huh."
"Like -- like a date?"
Hikaru huffs, "Yes, that's just what I've been saying. Sheesh. Do you want to or not?"
"I... yes, thank you."
"Great!" And it actually is, Hikaru discovers. He grins. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight."
"Tonight?" Touya echoes, looking mildly panicked. He steals a glance at the door.
Hikaru snickers inwardly. Touya probably has to get his nails done first. "Yeah, tonight. Better go get ready, I guess?"
He ushers Touya to the door and sees him out. It's only a few minutes after his friend has left that Hikaru realizes he has a date with Touya Akira.
***
At six-twenty that evening, Hikaru is sitting on the couch in a nice pair of black baggy jeans and an oversized white T-shirt. He's freshly showered and smells faintly like the cologne he found in Waya's half of the medicine cabinet.
Waya comes in from his shidougo. "Hey, I'm back," he says as he walks across the living room to his room. "What are you doing tonight?"
"I have a date with Touya," Hikaru says.
The thump of Waya walking right into his bedroom door is the most beautiful sound Hikaru has ever heard.
"See you later," he adds, and goes to pick up his up date.
+end+