Lover Boy

~disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis, though I wish I did. The little monster needs some discipline.




The restaurant was crowded, there were too many squealing, chattering women and Kawamura and the brat were looking too happy by far. Well, the brat was looking happy. Kawamura just looked mildly uncomfortable. Akutsu wanted a cigarette.

“Remind me, again what the hell we’re doing here.” Akutsu growled as he patted along his jacket pockets, hoping to get lucky. He’d known, even as he lounged in his chair and scowled at all and sundry, that he’d smoked the last cigarette on the walk over. Damn that kid and his birthday celebrations, anyway.

Dan craned his neck, paying close attention to the girl who was just then leaving the karaoke platform, blushing adorably as her companions catcalled and cheered. Dan was all but bouncing in his seat. “Because it’s your birthday, Akutsu-senpai. You should celebrate your birthday with your friends, desu!”

Akutsu frowned. Was the little runt checking out that girl? Impossible. He turned his attention to Kawamura. “Is that why you’re here, Kawamura?”

Gruff as the question was delivered, Kawamura appeared unfazed, smiling a little and reaching for his cup of tea. “Of course. Well…and because Taichi was nice enough to invite me.”

Dan beamed at Kawamura before turning his attention back to the makeshift stage. He seemed to be waiting for something – or someone. Kawamura continued to smile at the boy – he found his devotion to Akutsu to be quite the most amusing thing he’d ever witnessed. “Besides, I haven’t seen you recently – I was glad for the chance to talk to you.”

Akutsu snorted and reached for his coke. Their bitch of a waitress had refused to serve him alcohol and he was still miffed about that. “Yeah, you’ve been scarce. You got a girlfriend or something?”

Kawamura blushed faintly, fidgeting in his chair and forcing a little smile. “Er…not really, Jin. Too busy for girls, you know?”

Akutsu rolled his eyes and crunched loudly on a piece of ice. “Yeah right. I forgot how boring your life was for a second.”

Kawamura glanced around, eager for something to distract him that he might use to instigate a conversation. So far, conversation had consisted of Akutsu insulting Kawamura and Dan and Kawamura and Dan studiously pretending not to have heard him. “So…are you seeing anyone?”

Kawamura’s words drew Dan’s attention, then. The boy pushed up his headband and waited for Akutsu’s answer. While he was sure he already knew the answer, one could never be too certain where Akutsu Jin was concerned.

“Pfft. Girls are more trouble than they’re worth.”

Dan smiled, satisfied, and began to scoot toward the edge of his seat. Akutsu watched him closely, not half as irritated as he let on. “Anyway, what girl wants to date a guy who has a mini-me?”

Kawamura and Akutsu were both surprised into silence by the sudden announcement of Dan’s name over the microphone. Before they could question him, though, the boy was out of his seat and scurrying up to the front without an ounce of hesitation. Kawamura blinked. Akutsu gaped.

“What the hell is that little dumbass doing?” He demanded.

Kawamura laughed softly. “It’s karaoke night, Jin. He didn’t tell you that?”

Akutsu sputtered. “Hell no, he didn’t tell me. I’d have said no!”

But then they grew silent as the boy accepted the microphone from the host and beamed his adoring smile somewhere in Akutsu’s general vicinity. “Happy Birthday, Akutsu-senpai! I hope you’re having a great birthday because no one deserves it more than you. I want to sing this for you, desu.”

Kawamura was only barely able to discern the faint blush creeping up Akutsu’s neck and he had to hide a smile behind his hand to avoid a possible pounding. Akutsu shot a murderous glance in his friend’s direction and then looked back toward the stage again, slow horror dawning as the lead in to the song Dan had chosen began to play.

“Holy fucking Christ.” He murmured. Kawamura, trying to keep from laughing, choked and was rendered incapable of speech by an impromptu coughing fit.

The lights, dimmed to a red spotlight on Dan, caught every nuance of his earnest expression as he began to sway his slight hips to the rhythm, fingers gripping the microphone as though his life depended on it. To his credit, however, he never looked away from Akutsu, giving everything he had to offer to the performing of the song he’d chosen.

Finally able to speak, Kawamura read along with the teleprompter as each word was highlighted. “Uh…do you know this song, Jin?”



Akutsu’s eyes had expanded to the size of dinner plates and he was, quite obviously, unable to formulate an answer. Kawamura only sipped his tea and tapped his foot to the rhythm. He knew this song – Fuji liked it.



Akutsu found his voice then. “Are you hearing this?” He demanded of Kawamura, only tearing his attention away from Dan for a moment before looking back at him again.

Kawamura shrugged. “He’s a lover boy.”

Akutsu punched Kawamura in the arm and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “If you’re not going to help then just shut up.”

Kawamura grinned. “What can I do? The boy is professing his love to you, Jin.”



Akutsu choked. “Love? He just told the whole goddamned restaurant that he wants to…wants to…”

Kawamura had the decency to blush. “So the song’s a little…explicit.”

Akutsu glared. “Explicit? Christ, Kawamura, we’re both dudes!”

Kawamura shrugged, he thought Taichi was pretty darned cute, personally. “Does that really matter?”

The expression of guilt on Kawamura’s face when Akutsu was able to drag his gaze away from Dan’s adorable little cherubic lips long enough to look at him would have been comical had Akutsu not been seconds away from swallowing his own tongue. “What are you trying to say?”

Kawamura blushed a little. “I just don’t think it matters so much, that’s all.”

Akutsu wanted to offer a scathing comment. He wanted to make fun of Kawamura and call him a fag or something equally satisfying.

But he couldn’t. And all because of the way Dan goddamned Taichi was swaying his hips and crooning incredibly x-rated lyrics. Akutsu began to wonder if he hadn’t been missing something all these months.

“But….he’s just a dumb kid. He just wants a hero or some dumb shit like that.”

Kawamura nodded. “Yes, but he has a crush on you, too. You honestly didn’t know?”

Akutsu looked annoyed. “How the hell would I have known? I don’t think about that kind of crap.”

Dan was winding down now, those big, shiny eyes trained only on Akutsu. Kawamura smiled. “Look at his face. Don’t crush his dreams, Jin. You could do worse.”

Akutsu slid Kawamura a glance. “Do you have one?”

Kawamura tilted his head. “One what?”

Akutsu frowned, irritated. “You know. A boy. A boyfriend. Y’know, an uke of your own.” The words did not come easily and Akutsu looked as though it pained him to give voice to him.

Kawamura was silent for a moment, trying to imagine the expression on Fuji’s face if he were privy to this conversation. “Er…well…”

Akutsu just stared, expression blank. “Don’t tell me. Kawamura – you’re not…you’re not the bitch, are ya?”

Kawamura reddened, sipping hastily at his drink in an attempt to buy time.

And then Dan’s song was ending and he stood, breathless and wide-eyed as the audience clapped and cheered. Kawamura’s possible debasement forgotten, Akutsu watched the boy hop down from the stage and bound back toward their table. There was really no denying that the kid was cute as hell. How bad could it be, really? It’s not like he had much use for women, anyway, and the kid made him smile every once in a while.

Dan approached the table warily, excitement still lighting his eyes even as he tensed with apprehension. “Akutsu-senpai?” He ventured hesitantly.

Akutsu swept the boy with a long, hot glance. “I didn’t know you could sing, kid.”

Dan beamed. “I can’t. But I wanted to sing for you.”

Akutsu grinned, dangerous and secretive. “What else you wanna do for me?”

Dan blushed hotly, licking his lips before attempting to stammer out a response. “Well…I…er…I would…”

Akutsu stood, pushing his chair back and raking a hand through his hair before holding it out to Dan. “You wanna get out of here?”

Dan stared up at Akutsu as though he were witnessing the second coming. “Me and you, desu?”

Akutsu squeezed Kawamura’s shoulder on his way around the table. He leaned in, his breath hot against Kawamura’s neck. “Go on home to your daddy, Kawamura. Me and the kid are out of here.”

Kawamura blinked, barely aware of his friend’s smug chuckle and Taichi’s excited little wave. He didn’t, for a moment, think that Akutsu was referring to Kawamura’s Father.

It wasn’t until his embarrassment begun to subside that Kawamura realized that they’d stuck him with the bill. He couldn’t repress a smile, though, as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

Happy birthday, you mean bastard.