sakon76

Watched some of the TV series while basting Three of Spades' hat. Wrote fic as result:

Akira found Hikaru on the basketball court near their apartment building. The blazing sunset turned the other young man's bangs strawberry blond as he dribbled, a hollow metallic echo sounding inside the plastic ball each time it bounced. Then with a little jump and a particular hook of his wrist that Akira had yet to figure out how to duplicate, he sank a basket from several feet away.

"He left everything to you," Akira said as Hikaru went after the ball. He'd been in the apartment since they'd all returned, parsing through the legal language of the packet of documents that the lawyer had pressed on Hikaru.

"I don't want it," Hikaru said, face determined as he returned to his position, turning his back to Akira. "All I want is Sai's goban from the storage room. My parents can have everything else."

"I'm sorry," Akira said, walking closer. "I'm sorry it went like that."

"Not your fault. I should've known--shouldn't've hoped."

Akira knew that people thought he was cold sometimes. If they had seen Hikaru's face at that moment, though, Akira thought, they would have known that his reserve had nothing on Hikaru.

The other side of passion was ice.

"Just give them some more time--"

"I've given them five years, Akira," Hikaru snapped, turning to face him, lowering the ball held in both hands. "They're not going to change. They're never going to change. They hate me, and that's that."

Akira didn't say anything, just walked closer.

*

The crack of Akira's palm across his cheek was like lightning. Hikaru held a hand to that cheek, dazed, as he looked at his lover, whose face was contorted by anger now. "You're just giving up?!" Akira demanded. "You're quitting without even trying? Fine, be that way! I thought the Shindou Hikaru I know was stronger than that!"

It had been so very long since he and Akira had yelled at each other and meant it. Hikaru opened his mouth to yell back, then felt the impulse quietly die in his chest.

Akira was right. Hikaru had never given up on his parents before Didn't everyone said how he never gave up on anything? Well, they tended to use other words, like "pig-headed" and "stubborn," but the result was the same.

Akira was right; giving up was too easy.

"Sorry," he muttered. Akira stared at him. He supposed he didn't say he was sorry very often. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, you're right. I shouldn't give up. So I won't."

Akira was still staring at him. "Who are you," he asked quietly, "and what have you done with Shindou Hikaru?"

Hikaru scooped up the basketball that rolled at his feet and aimed it at Akira.

Akira smiled.

Hikaru smirked. "Game?" he offered.

"Oh no," Akira refused. "I always lose."

"That's because you suck."

"I do not suck! I'm just not a dumb jock like you."

"Face it, Touya, you have no coordination whatsoever once you're off the Go board."

"I have plenty of coordination!"

"Then prove it!"

"Fine!" Akira snatched the ball from Hikaru's hand, turned towards the basket, eyes blazing, and threw the ball. It sailed through the burning air in a clean, pure arc, barely touching the net as it fell through the hoop and bounced on the ground.

Akira stared.

Hikaru laughed delightedly. "Man, if only I'd *known* all I have to do is get you riled up to play well, we'd've been kicking Waya and Isumi-san's asses for months now!"

"Did I just...?"

Hikaru whooped and spun his shocked lover around. "I *knew* all that one-on-one training would pay off!"

*

It wasn't until much later, well into the night, that the subject of Hikaru's inheritance came up between them again.

"You should keep it," Akira opined. "He left it all to you because he loved you."

"I know. I just... I like living here, with you and Waya and Isumi. Grandpa's place is so far away from the Institute."