Title: Never Too Late
Author: Kimmie
Pairing: Akira/Hikaru
Type: shonen-ai
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go is Hota-sensei's and Obata-sensei's.
Summary: A little slice-of-life fic of an older Hikaru and Akira if they'd gotten together and stayed that way.
Notes: Written mostly for
aishuu. I seem to recall her wanting to see older Hikaru and Akira together, and this happened to come to me the other night as I was trying to sleep.
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"Hikaru! How many times do I have to tell you to put away the milk when you're done with it?" Akira stomped into the living room, still in his sleeping yukata, and glared at his partner's bowl of cereal.
Stopping just after he put his spoon into his mouth, Hikaru tried to smile and let a trickle of milk dribble out of his mouth and down his chin. He pulled the spoon out, wiped his chin with the back of his hand, and held up one finger to Akira as he chewed. Finally, he could get the words out. "But, I'm not sure I'm done with it. What if I want another bowl of cereal, or milk in my coffee?"
Akira smiled. "Then you can get the milk *back* out of the fridge. I don't understand how you can eat that stuff anyway."
Picking up the box, Hikaru shrugged. "It's actually healthier than your bran flakes."
"Even with all of that sugar?"
"There's actually even more fiber. But, you know me. I need the sugar. That's how I stay brilliant."
Akira kissed the top of Hikaru's head and stole a bite of his cereal. "Ugh! That's way too sweet. If that's what if takes to be Meijin, you can have it. I'll keep Tengen."
"And Honinbou," Hikaru said through another mouthful.
"I still don't understand why that's the one you never challenge me for."
Hikaru set his bowl down on the coffee table. "Because I know you're worthy of it. I don't get why you can never beat me for the Meijin."
"I guess deep down I just don't want to be Touya Meijin like my dad unless if just becomes inevitable. Everything will come together just right."
"Then marry into my family, and you can beat me and be 'Shindou Meijin'."
Akira paused. "It's been a long time since you broached that topic."
"It's never really left my mind since I asked you 15 years ago."
"Yeah, on stage at your 5-dan certificate ceremony! Ogata nearly choked to death on his shrimp cocktail."
"I still remember Ochi giving him the Heimlich."
"Mmm." Akira glanced around their home. "It's too late now, though, isn't it?"
"It's never too late, Akira. It doesn't matter as much now, though, since I still got my desired outcome."
"Which was?"
"You, in my life, for as close to forever as you'll have me."
"That's sweet and all," Akira said, "but you still need to put away the milk. Sometimes there *is* a too late."
Hikaru pulled Akira closer to him. "Well, it's fortunate that you keep the house so cold, then. The milk isn't in any danger of going bad since you keep it like a fridge."
"It isn't *that* cold, and you enjoy the air conditioning in the summer. You're always inviting Akari to bring her kids over so you can teach them more go."
Rolling his eyes, Hikaru lay down on the couch with his head on Akira's lap. "Haven't you noticed that I've taken to wearing flannel pajamas these last few years? I'm not so young as I used to be. I don't have the same metabolism I did back when we met."
"That's true enough," Akira said as he patted Hikaru's slightly protruding belly. "I'm sure all the kid's cereal doesn't help."
"I could have married some perfect girl who would have made me a Japanese breakfast every morning."
"I still don't get why you didn't."
"I had a better offer. You - even if you can burn toast just by thinking about it. It's a good thing we make good money, or else we'd starve since we're always having to eat out."
Akira ran his hands through Hikaru's hair. "We've eaten a lot of good food, though. Oh! I found another grey hair."
Hikaru's eyes were closed now as Akira's fingertips massaged his scalp. "That's just a piece of leftover blonde. I'm not getting old."
"We're not getting any younger." Akira leaned back against the couch. It was the third they'd owned, but had lasted the longest of the three.
Hikaru turned slightly. "Looking back on it now, I think I can understand why everyone thought we were scary as the new wave. I don't think there's that much talent out there right now, but I can sense that it is coming. As long as people continue to discover go, it will continue to thrive."
"You've got a beginner-dan match tomorrow, don't you?"
"Yeah. They don't want Waya to play against his son, so I get to fill in. Waya tells me he's great, but he can't beat his dad yet, so we'll see tomorrow."
"To Waya's credit, he is much better than he used to be. He *is* Ouza, after all."
Hikaru opened one eye to look at Akira. "You never did like anyone who won the Ouza title."
"I think I just still can't believe he beat you and me for it."
"Everyone changes, you know."
"Have we really changed?" Akira yawned.
Hikaru sat up and stretched his arms over his head. "In only the best of ways." He stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"Where else?" Hikaru grinned. "To put away the milk."
"Then take your bowl to the kitchen on the way!"
Hikaru stuck his tongue out at Akira as he turned and grabbed the bowl. "Yes, dear."