TOYS IN BOYLAND
A Hikaru no Go Sekkushiaru Roman

By Sailor Mac

Hikaru had been hoping for a fast game today.

It was Christmas Eve -- it was going to be the first one living with Akira in their new apartment. He wanted it to be extra-special, and he just needed a few more decorations to make the place perfect.

Instead, he was playing Takayama, a bulky guy with an '80s mullet in a thick sweater that made him even bulkier. And he was a notorious *thinker*, known for using just about every last second on the clock to make his moves.

He sighed as he watched the man study the board . . . and study . . . and study. Time almost seemed to be standing still.

His mind started to wander, running through a few possibilities for the decorations. The big department stores would probably be a mess, what with the last-minute rush . . . there was always the larger supermarkets, but their selection wasn't that great . . .

And then, the image of a certain store popped into his head, one with very strong memories attached to it, and he felt a small pang in his heart -- because the memories were of Sai.

During the first December after Sai had arrived, Hikaru had noticed his mentor looking around him fearfully, as if he'd expected something to jump out at him. And when Hikaru had questioned what was wrong . .

"Something terrible is about to happen, isn't it?" Sai had asked.

Hikaru had frowned when he heard that. "Terrible? Why do you think . . ."

Sai had raised his hand and pointed at a front yard Santa. "Every house . . . has one of those."

Hikaru blinked. "Um, yeah, so?"

"It's a Buddha to ward off evil!" Sai had cried, poking his face so far into Hikaru's the boy almost fell over backwards -- never mind that the ghost had no tangible substance.

"Geez!" Hikaru had grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Didn't you ever see a Santa Claus before?"

Sai had blinked. "Santa Claus?"

"You know . . . for Christmas!"

"Christmas?"

And that's when Hikaru had realized that the holiday had been unknown in Japan in Sai's day. So he took him to the one place where he knew Sai could experience the holiday -- Makoto's Gifts, which, during the holiday season, transformed itself into a Christmas store, offering everything from wrapping paper to mulled cider mix.

He had expected Sai to be pleased with what he saw. He *hadn't* expected him to dash about the room like a child, fascinated by everything he saw, eyes glowing at the ornaments, the gingerbread houses, the toy trains running around the perimeter of the room.

*Now I want to see that store again,* Hikaru thought as his hand reached for the fan that was always by his side as he played -- a tangible reminder of his mentor. He grasped it and opened it slightly, closed it, then opened it again.

*I wish Sai had been around for more Christmases,* he thought. And suddenly, his urge to see that store again was twice as strong.

Takayama finally placed his stone. Hikaru studied the board, made a few quick calculations, envisioned a few possibilities, and put his own stone down.

His opponent leaned over the board, squinting hard, turning his head slowly back and forth as if it were a video camera photographing each stone one at a time.

Hikaru sighed. He knew he wouldn't get to that store anytime soon.

* * *

The sun was starting to sink behind the horizon when Hikaru finally pushed open the door of the Go Institute and walked out into the December chill.

He didn't have to think very hard about where Makoto's was. He turned a corner and headed west, as if on automatic pilot. It was as if his mind didn't *want* to let go of the memory of that visit with Sai, and the visit they'd made the next Christmas.

He jammed his hands into the pockets of his down vest, watching his own breath mist in front of him as he walked rapidly around one corner, then another. The landmarks around him were definitely indicating that he was going in the right direction.

Here was the convenience store where he'd bought a candy bar and soda on the way to the gift shop . . . there was the shoe shop where Sai had looked with a mix of fascination and horror at a pair of unusually high spiked heels . . . and right around the corner was the game supply store where Sai had insisted they make a detour so he could inspect the gobans.

*It should be in the next block,* Hikaru thought. *Right between the newsstand and the video store.*

He began walking a little faster, determined to reach his destination. The newsstand drew closer, he could start to see the store window beside it . . .

And then, he caught a glimpse of what was in that store window, and he blinked.

*There's got to be a mistake,* he thought. *Maybe it's the next block over from this one? Or around the corner?*

But he *remembered* that newsstand (he'd bought a manga magazine there). And he *remembered* the video store on the other side, too -- he'd peeked in the window at the cases of all the movies his mother wouldn't let him rent because they were "too violent."

Slowly, he walked toward the store again. The window displayed no tinsel, no wreaths, no electric trains. Instead, there were two female mannequins, one clad in a red and black ensemble that consisted of a short baby doll nightie and a G-string -- neither of which left much to the imagination -- and the second in a black leather bustier and matching tap pants. Both were wearing spikes that made the ones that had horrified Sai look conservative.

Behind the dummies, a black curtain obscured the store from public view. The door had been painted solid black as well, save for the bold white lettering that spelled out ADULTS ONLY -- in both Romanji and hirigana.

*A sex shop,* Hikaru thought. He turned on his heel and began walking away, disgust welling up in him. He couldn't believe that they'd do something like that to a place like this store was then. He could just imagine Sai's reaction.

But there was another emotion swelling within him, one he was trying to push back and deny -- but it kept pushing its way to the surface.

Curiosity.

His own experience and knowledge of sex was limited to what he and Akira had done, and the locker room talk he'd heard at school -- very little of which he'd actually believed.

Very often, he'd wondered if he and Akira were doing it *right*, if they were the only people on the planet who did some of the things they did together in bed -- like giving each other oral pleasure at the same time, or having whoever was uke sitting on the seme's lap, facing away.

*What do other people do?* he thought. *What could people buy in a store to help them with sex -- other than lube and condoms?*

He turned back around and inched toward the store, slowly and carefully, as if it were made of heavy explosives and any sudden movement would cause it to blow sky-high.

*I'm not an adult*, he thought, *not technically, at least . . .* He found it rather bizarre that he could make a living playing Go at his age, and yet he couldn't legally enter a sex shop.

But he knew if he just turned around and walked away, he'd be burning with curiosity and wondering what was in that shop for the rest of the night.

He took a deep breath and swallowed hard, then pushed the door and went in.

* * *

His first impression was that the store had seemed a lot bigger when it was Makoto's Gifts.

The twinkling trees and toy trains had been replaced with magazine racks, a shelf of videos and various items hung all over the walls -- most of which were cylindrical and in various shades of pink and purple.

Fortunately, the place was vacant except for himself and the counterman, a college-aged guy with spiky silver hair, all-black clothing and hoops in both ears. He was engrossed in a car magazine spread out in front of him, not even seeming to notice that someone had entered the store.

Hikaru began to move forward quietly, stealthily, like a kid trying to sneak a midnight snack out of the fridge without waking Mom. His eyes fell on a shelf displaying boxes the size of an average bento, covered with pictures of women.

*Maybe they have lingerie in them?* he thought, picking one up and examining it. The lettering said that it contained "Living Layla Doll." Hikaru frowned at it. What would a *doll* be doing in a place like this?

Then, he read the smaller type. "All authentic working parts! Feels so real! Blows up to a lifelike five feet four . . ."

He dropped the box hurriedly. He'd heard someone make a joke once about inflatable girls that were used by horny men. He didn't think such things actually existed!

He began imagining some guy making love to the rubber woman, bouncing off her inflated flesh, and had to suppress an urge to laugh aloud. He quickly moved away from it to the next shelf, which was the video rack.

And here, he froze in his tracks, eyes wide open. There in front of him was a dazzling display of sex, everything he'd heard about, thought about, never dared dream of. To the right was a scene of a woman sitting astride a man, riding him like a cowgirl on a bucking bronco. Hikaru wrinkled his brow as he scrutinized her breasts. He'd never seen a naked woman -- he'd never seen *anyone* naked in person but his family and Akira -- but there was something that looked just *wrong* about her enormous, too-firm-looking bosom.

Next to that was a lesbian video, showing two women with mouths and limbs entwined. That gave him a bit of a start at first, but he shook his head as if to chase off the emotion -- after all, it wasn't the first time he'd heard of two women together, and if he and Akira could have sex, couldn't two women do so as well?

There were a couple more man-woman videos -- one showing a man with *two* women -- and, finally, he came upon the gay DVDs. Now here was what he *really* wanted to see. He wondered if he'd find any pictures that looked like things he and Akira had done, and reveal whether they were doing it *right.*

He picked up one in his hand and just stared at it, eyes popping. This definitely did not look like him and Akira. This didn't look like any living man on Earth. It was a picture of a man with his mouth wrapped around what looked to Hikaru like a telephone pole.

*Do men really come that big?* he thought. *How could he keep something like that in his pants? How is that other guy getting it in his mouth when I have to be careful not to choke when I do that to Akira -- and he's normal size! At least I think he's normal . . .*

And then another, more horrifying thought occurred to him. What would it be like to be *uke* to a man that size? He dropped the video, slammed one hand over his mouth to stifle a yelp and grabbed his butt with the other.

He rushed to the other side of the room, to get as far away from that picture as possible, and found himself confronting the wall of . . . devices, all wrapped neatly in clear plastic bags and tagged with a description of what they were.

His eyes roamed over man-made penises that looked disturbingly lifelike, like they were cut off someone. . . plain, slim cylinders of purple and pink that looked like giant bullets . . . and then, something that was even *bigger* than the picture of the guy on the video box. Hikaru nearly yelped again.

He found himself looking at the device nearest him. It was shaped to somewhat resemble a human penis, but not exactly. It was a bit slimmer and longer than most of the dildos surrounding it, and it had a broader base.

The tag on it said, "THE BACKDOOR MAN -- Specifically designed for anal pleasure. Angled to hit the prostate, with a motor that can be adjusted for anything from a sensual purr to a lusty throb."

He blinked at it. An *anal* vibrator? The idea struck him as odd. Sure, you put part of a living *person* in there, but something artificial?

*But if women like that kind of thing so much,* he thought, *why not men?*

He began to wonder what it would feel like, to have something like that buzzing away inside you, pressing up against your sweet spot, sending pulses of pleasure throughout your body.

And then, he imagined Akira lying in front of him, naked, legs up and out, moaning in pleasure as Hikaru slowly worked a vibrator into and out of him. He could just see his lover writhing, clutching the sheets, his hair swishing against the pillow and falling softly across his face as he called Hikaru's name out over and over and . . .

"May I help you?"

This time Hikaru *did* jump and yelp at the voice behind him, whirling around like a criminal caught in the act and staring at the clerk, who was standing behind him nonchalantly leaning on a shelf of flavored massage oils.

"I . . . I was just looking!" the boy stammered. "I . . . someone dared me to come in here, and I did, and I saw what I was going to, and I'm gonna go now . . ."

"Looking for something for someone special?" the clerk just replied, unruffled. "Girlfriend, perhaps?"

"No!" Hikaru cried. "No, I don't have a . . ."

"Then, a boyfriend?"

Now Hikaru froze like a deer caught in the headlights. *How does he know?* he thought. *Do I look gay?*

But the clerk just gave him an easy smile and said, "'S'okay. I know how it is. I remember when I had my first boyfriend."

This made Hikaru relax a little. "You mean you're . . ."

"Yeah, I sleep with guys," the clerk replied. "Girls, too -- whoever strikes my fancy at the moment. What about you? Are you in a relationship with one special guy?"

Hikaru swallowed hard and nodded.

"Hey, nothing wrong with wanting to experiment with your guy. I take it you've never used any of this stuff before?"

Hikaru just shook his head no.

"Well, this is just fine for first-timers," the clerk said, taking the Backdoor Man from the wall. "Easy to use, and it gets results. You're going to want an extra-slick lube to go with it . . ." He moved a couple of shelves over, came up with a bottle and showed it to Hikaru. "There ya go . . . Astro Glide!"

Hikaru frowned. "What's wrong with the stuff from the drugstore we usually use?"

"Well, that stuff is fine until there's any kind of latex involved," the clerk replied. "That's why you don't wanna use it with condoms . . . and that reminds me, you'll be wanting those, too, to put over the toy."

Hikaru frowned. "Um, we've never used those . . ."

"You were each other's first and only?"

Hikaru nodded.

"Hey, good idea to use 'em anyway. Especially with this. You wanna *share* it, don't you?"

Hikaru turned crimson. That had never occurred to him, passing it back and forth like a package of Pocky.

*How complex *is* using one of those things, anyway?* Hikaru thought.

"Confused?" said the clerk. "Hey, don't be. It ain't brain surgery, y'know? Any questions you have . . ."

Questions? There were a million questions, all swarming around in Hikaru's brain like bees around a flower. He didn't know which one to ask first. And he heard himself blurting out, "How come the bottom of it is so wide?"

The salesman turned it so the bottom faced Hikaru. "This? Anything you're going to put in there has to have a broad base. You've got some pretty powerful muscles in your butt. You don't want them to suck this thing all the way in and not let it go!"

Hikaru yelped and grabbed his bottom, eyes wide. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all!

"Relax!" the salesman said. "It's perfectly safe! Would I sell you something that . . ."

"How do I know?" Hikaru said quickly, not letting go of his bottom.

"If it doesn't work out . . . I'll give you your money back. Promise."

Now Hikaru's eyes were nearly bugging out of his head. "You TAKE THIS STUFF BACK? And RESELL it?"

"Nah, we don't. Don't worry. So . . . what do you say?"

Hikaru stared at the thing. He didn't like the "getting lost" part at all. But . . . the base *was* wide enough, wasn't it? And it didn't look *that* difficult to use.

He also knew that the curiosity factor was very much there . . . wondering how Akira would react, how he would respond to it . . . and he wanted to know how it would feel to have it used on him, as well.

Besides, it was their first Christmas together. And Christmas was a lovers' holiday, wasn't it? Lovers should do something special for the holiday.

"All right," he said. "I'll take it."

"Cool!" the clerk said, bringing the items to the counter. "Your boyfriend is gonna thank you for it, believe me."

Hikaru walked toward the counter, slowly, looking at the other items hanging on the walls. Fur-lined handcuffs, G-strings, and . . . some kind of harness? Then, he read the label on it, and yelped again. It said, "Ball Separator."

*What have I gotten myself into?* he thought.

* * *

Akira stepped off the elevator, reaching into his pocket for his keys. The lesson had taken a bit longer than held expected -- his student was about to take the insei test, and wanted to go over several things multiple times.

*Hikaru is probably home already,* he thought as he opened the door.

Sure enough, there was his lover, hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree they had picked out the day before (after one of their usual fights, of course -- Akira had originally wanted a tree that Hikaru thought was too wide, Hikaru had wanted a tree that Akira had thought was too tall, and they had gone back and forth while the salesman had just stood there, tapping his foot. Finally, they had picked out a different tree altogether).

"Hi!" Hikaru said, cheerfully. "You're just in time . . . I'm almost done."

Akira took off his coat and draped it neatly across the back of the couch, then went over to his lover, kissing his lips briefly. "I'd wanted to help."

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to do this." As he added big handfuls of tinsel to the branches, he added, "I picked up something for you on the way home."

"I got something for you, too," Akira said, wrapping his arms around Hikaru's shoulders. "Something special."

"I got *you* something *really* special."

Akira frowned a bit inwardly. What was that tone in Hikaru's voice? He sounded almost *too* cheerful, even for him. He wondered if he should be worried.

"I made reservations for us at Sushiden," Akira said. "We can exchange presents when we get back."

Hikaru sighed a bit. Of course, Akira would make reservations at a place that distinctly did *not* have ramen on the menu. "Oh, you'll like what I got you."

"Shindou, you're hiding something. What are you up to? Tell me!"

Hikaru finished hanging the last of the tinsel and brushed off his hands. "Oh, you'll see."

Akira frowned inwardly. If there was anything scarier than Shindou Hikaru pulling one of his trademark psych-outs in the middle of a game, it was Shindou Hikaru pulling a psych-out *away* from the goban.

*What kind of evening am I in for?* he thought.

* * *

Hikaru lounged under the tree, looking up through the branches at the twinkling lights, feeling full and content after their trip to the restaurant. He'd always loved to do that as a child -- more often than not, he'd ended up falling asleep under the tree and his mother had carried him to bed.

Except for the Christmas when he'd been woken up by his spectral mentor. "Hikaru! You can't fall asleep! We haven't played yet today! HIKARUUUU!"

Hikaru swallowed hard. No, he wouldn't allow himself to get depressed over Sai tonight. This was a special night.

Akira came out of the kitchen, bearing a tray with a pot of tea, cups and two cream-covered cakes. "I stopped at Yamazika Bakery on the way home. I know you like these."

Hikaru sat up slowly. "Thanks." He took a cup and began to pour.

Akira studied his face. *He seemed normal for the most part during dinner,* he thought, *or at least as normal as Shindou gets. But still, I can't shake the sense that he's up to something. He's got this *gleam* in his eyes.*

He sat next to Hikaru, took his own cup and said, "I figured we'll exchange our gifts for each other tonight, since we're going to be seeing your parents tomorrow."

Hikaru grumbled inwardly at that. He was a bit annoyed at his mother for insisting they come over for Christmas dinner -- didn't she know that Christmas was a *lovers'* holiday? He wondered if she was still a bit in denial about the nature of his relationship with Akira.

"Oh, I'm ready," Hikaru said, putting down the cup and picking up a cake. "And you'll never guess . . ." He dipped his finger into the cream and brought it to Akira's lips, dabbing them with it. ". . . what I got for you."

He leaned over, his tongue licking at the cream. Akira wrapped his arms around him, and they kissed deeply, Hikaru's tongue eagerly probing Akira's mouth, Akira's pushing back against it.

They eased apart, and Hikaru leaned his head on Akira's shoulder as they both squeezed each other tight. For a long moment, they just stayed there.

Then, Akira pulled back and reached under the tree, picking up a package a couple of inches thick, the height and width of a piece of copy paper. "This is for you," he said, handing it to Hikaru.

Hikaru ripped into the paper -- he'd never been one to carefully unfasten the tape and fold back the paper, much to his mother's chagrin. There, inside, was a book . . . with nothing stamped on the cover. He gave Akira a quizzical look.

"Go on," Akira said. "Look inside."

Hikaru opened the cover -- and saw kifu. Games that looked familiar, somehow, though he knew he didn't play them. He began to ruffle through the book, studying them . . .

And then, he realized what they were. These were the games that Sai had played over the Internet the summer before Hikaru became an insei. Here was a game against a player from the Netherlands . . . there one against an American . . . and near the end, Sai vs. Touya Akira . . .

The very last kifu in the book was Sai's game with Touya Koyou, just weeks before he disappeared.

Hikaru found himself blinking back tears. This book was a deeply personal gift -- Akira was the only person in the world who knew Hikaru's secret.

"How did you find them all?" he said.

"I put out notices on the message board of the Go Institute's site, and on the site where Sai played, asking if anyone had played with Sai and could supply me with a kifu. You can see how many people responded. Look at the bottoms of some of the pages, those are the comments people E-mailed me about the games."

Hikaru flipped back in the book and read. "'The game of a lifetime' . . . 'I still recreate this game for friends, they can't believe how strong he is' . . . 'It was as close as I think I'll come to finding the Hand of God . . .' He flipped a couple more pages and read, "'It's as if Shuusaku had returned to the modern world.'"

He closed the book, struggling to hold back tears. If only these people knew . . .

Hikaru threw his arms around Akira, a few of the tears he'd suppressed leaking out. "Thank you," he whispered.

Akira stroked his hair, gently. For a moment, all of his earlier worries of what Hikaru might have planned were forgotten.

Then, Hikaru pulled back, reached under the tree and pulled out a rectangular package slightly smaller than the one Akira had given him. "Okay, this is my first present for you."

*First one?* Akira thought. He took it and began to carefully unfasten the tape (*Why am I not surprised he opens packages like that?* Hikaru thought), then pulled the paper away to reveal . . .

"A GameBoy?"

"Yes! See, this is going to help you relax! It comes with Tetris, and I also got you a car-racing game like the one we played on my PlayStation."

Akira turned the box over and studied the pictures on the back of various games in motion. He'd never owned one of these. He'd never *thought* of owning one of these. He began wondering if they made a version of Go that you could play on it.

"And no fair playing Go on it!" Hikaru said, answering his question all too well.

He sighed. *Well,* he thought, *it couldn't hurt to give this thing a try when I have a few minutes of downtime. After all, he bought it for me.*

He leaned over and hugged Hikaru. "Thank you. You do know I'm the only person in our age group that's never played video games, right?"

"That's why I intend to change that," Hikaru said. "You need to have more fun."

"Go *is* fun," Akira replied, sitting back and picking up his tea again.

"Yes, but . . . you need to have different *kinds* of fun. Which reminds me . . . it's time to give you your *other* present."

Now that worried feeling came back. "Other present?"

"You'll see!" And he got up and rushed out of the room.

Akira gave a deep sigh. The feeling of dread he'd had before was back. He bit into his cake as his brow furrowed.

Hikaru returned, bearing another rectangular package which looked hastily wrapped. "This is what I picked this up this afternoon on the way home." He dropped to his knees with a loud thump, handed the box to Akira and settled back down into a sitting position, picking up his own cake and taking a huge chomp.

Akira took a deep breath and began to unfasten the tape. He reached in and pulled out . . .

"Shoes?"

"I just used a shoebox to wrap it in. Go on, open it!"

Akira lifted the lid, slowly, looked in, and froze.

He didn't know what to think about what his eyes were telling him. It looked like a disembodied penis. He slammed the lid back on and looked up at Hikaru with narrowed eyes. "Is this a joke?"

"No, it's not a joke! It's for you and me!"

Akira opened the box again. It was definitely a penis-shaped piece of plastic. *What in the names of all the gods is Shindou thinking?* he thought. "I fail to see what . . ."

Hikaru leaned over so their faces were almost touching. "Come on, Akira . . . don't you know what that is?" He dipped his finger in the cream on the remaining cake, brought it to his mouth and licked it off slowly and deliberately.

And then, Akira knew. He'd heard adults make dirty jokes about such things. He never thought he'd actually *see* one, let alone be given one as a gift!

He pushed the box away from him as if it had burned him, and snapped, "I don't want it near me!"

Hikaru grabbed it back. "Geez. Excuse me for trying to give you something fun and sexy."

"You could have asked me about something like that first!" Akira's eyes were burning now, his hands clenched into fists.

"If I asked you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Hikaru was rising to his feet, his own hands clenching.

"Something like that shouldn't be a surprise!" Akira leapt to his own feet.

"Fine! See if I get you anything like that again!" Hikaru stormed off in the direction of their bedroom.

"Who's to say I'd want anything like that?" Akira retorted. He was answered by the sound of a slamming door.

Akira flung himself onto the couch, crossing his arms over his body. *Damn Shindou for thinking I'd want to use something like that . . . that . . . thing! Decent people don't use them, do they?* he thought.

He just sat there like that for a long moment, fuming. Then, he found himself inching over toward the edge of the couch near where the offending object had been flung.

He lifted the lid again and peeked in. There was a switch of some sort near the bottom -- it was one of the vibrating ones, it seemed. And it was slimmer than a normal male organ, and it was angled a little differently . . .

Akira turned red, slammed the lid back on and pushed it away. What was he doing looking at such a thing?

He looked over at the closed bedroom door. When they moved in together, one of the things they'd agreed on was they would leave no fight unresolved before they went to bed. It was a policy they'd kept -- even though it had meant they'd stayed up until the wee small hours of the morning a few times, and had the neighbors pounding on their door about late-night yelling more than once.

He sighed and stood up, heading for the room. Christmas Eve was definitely no time to break their policy.

When he opened the door, he saw Hikaru in the middle of the bed, their portable goban unfolded in front of him, the book of Sai kifu open at his side. He was recreating a game, one of the ones against a European player.

"Shindou," Akira said, softly.

Hikaru didn't look up from the stones. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry for buying that present," he said.

"I'm not asking you to," Akira replied, gently sitting on the edge of the bed so as not to disturb his game. "Look, I know why you did it. It's just . . ."

"You think it's perverted," Hikaru said, still not looking up.

Akira turned his head away, his hair lightly swishing against his shoulders. "I didn't say that."

"But you were going to."

"No! It's just that, well . . ."

Hikaru dropped the stone that was in his hand back into the go ke. "Look, all I'm asking is you keep an open mind about it. Maybe there's some people out there that think it's perverted, but -- they don't have to know about it, do they? It would be just between us."

Akira began to fiddle with the cuff on his right sleeve, running the fingers of his left hand under it. "You really like the idea of using that thing, don't you?"

"Let's just say when I saw it in the store, I had some nice thoughts about it and you."

Akira continued to play with his cuff, thinking it over. Hikaru had fantasies about him . . . the idea, he had to admit, was exciting. Helping Hikaru fulfill a fantasy was even more exciting.

But he still didn't know if he liked the idea of something made of plastic being thrust deep into his body.

He took a deep breath. "I'll . . . consider it."

The next thing he felt was Hikaru's arms wrapping around him from behind, pulling him close. He reached up and grasped one arm with his hand.

They stayed there like that for 25 heartbeats, 50, a hundred. It was an unspoken agreement that the fight was over, that they'd both reached a solution they could live with.

Then, Hikaru nuzzled his neck and murmured, "There's other ways we could have fun, you know."

Akira reached up and stroked his hair. "You're going to have to clear this game away. I can't make love on top of a goban . . . especially a portable one."

Hikaru pulled away from his lover, and there was a clinking sound as he returned the stones to their baskets. He folded the board and placed it and the go kes on the nighttable for the moment. "Done," he said, opening his arms to Akira.

Akira leaned over toward him, and Hikaru wrapped his arms around him fast and tight. He crushed his mouth against the other boy's with a ferocity that almost tumbled Akira backwards. He stiffened at first, seemed startled . . .

Then, his arms came around Hikaru, and he began to kiss back, just as hard, running one hand slowly up and down his back as his tongue pushed toward his lover's lips, coaxing them to open.

With a gasp, Hikaru responded, tumbling them both to the bed so they were lying on their sides, letting Akira's tongue seek his out as he raised a leg to hook it around his lover's hip. He thrust his pelvis forward, pushing his erection against Akira, letting his lover feel how hot he was getting.

Their lips parted, and both boys panted, eyes locked. Akira had a fierce, almost feral look, sort of like when he was deep into a heavy game . . . but more like a hungry animal.

"Keep kissing like that," Hikaru purred, "and I may have to get drastic."

"Oh?" Akira said, pulling Hikaru toward him again. "Then let's see how drastic." He crushed his mouth against the other boy's again, pushing his tongue in right away, his hands gripping Hikaru's shoulders, as if to hold him in place forever.

They broke apart again, and Hikaru ran a finger along Akira's shirt front, next to the buttons. "I told you I was going to get drastic," he said. "Now you're going to lose this . . . " He unbuttoned the shirt swiftly and pushed it off, throwing it across the room.

Akira rolled on his back. "That's drastic?"

"No . . . this is." Hikaru lowered his head to his lover's chest, his tongue lapping out at a nipple. He connected with the hard bud and licked it quickly, pulled back, licked again, then began to lap in circles at the pink surrounding it.

He heard Akira's breathing start to come heavily, felt his lover's hands caressing his hair. Oh, yes, he knew how much Akira loved this. He brushed his lips over the nipple lightly, barely touching it . . . then kissed it, feather-light . . . then licked it again, a long, slow stroke of the tongue this time.

"Hikaru!" Akira cried in a husky voice, and cried out again as his lover moved his mouth to the other nipple, taking it in his lips and beginning to suck hard.

Hikaru raised his head. "Does this feel good?"

"Yes!" Akira gasped.

"Want more?"

"Gods, you know I want more!" Akira cried, pulling Hikaru's head toward his chest again.

"Well . . . maybe," Hikaru said, pulling away from him. He stripped off his own shirt and T-shirt, tossing them away as he did Akira's. "Show me what it is you want."

Akira sat up, threw his arms around Hikaru and lowered his head, sucking hungrily at a nipple. Hikaru leaned back, moaning . . . oh, yes, his nipples were sensitive, just like Akira's were, and he could feel warm waves of pleasure moving from his chest down to his manhood, which felt ready to burst out of his jeans.

Akira moved his head to the other side, licking back and forth over the little bud, feeling it harden under his tongue. He pulled back to blow on the nipple, then lowered his head again, licking in a rapid swirling motion now as he reached down, finding the snap of his lover's pants.

The sound of his own zipper being pulled down was one of the sexiest things Hikaru had ever heard. "Yes," he gasped. "Get rid of those things."

Akira paused. "Hmm . . . why should I?"

"Don't you want me naked? Don't you want to feel me against you?"

Akira stripped the pants down and off. "Well, then . . . I'd have to be naked too, wouldn't I?"

Hikaru reached for his lover's zipper and yanked it down. "That can be arranged."

The last of their clothes were flung away, and Hikaru lay on his back, legs slightly apart. Akira lay over him, and they kissed fiercely again, their erections pressing together. Hikaru moved his hips just enough so that they would rub against each other a tiny bit, creating just enough friction to send a shudder through them both.

"So sexy," Akira gasped between kisses, one hand reaching between their bodies to find Hikaru's nipple and stroke in a slow circular motion. Hikaru wrapped his legs around Akira's hips, deepening the contact, making them both moan deeply.

"Turn over," Hikaru said in a voice that was almost a growl. Akira gave him a quizzical look, but obeyed, rolling gracefully over on his stomach.

Hikaru began kissing his way down Akira's back, pausing to nibble, to lick, moving down slowly. Akira arched upward, knowing what his ultimate goal was . . . and as Hikaru began to kiss along the curve of his bottom, he let out a groan.

"I love this," Hikaru said, grasping the two cheeks in his hands and squeezing them. He bent over again and began to nibble, a trail of tiny little bites just hard enough so that Akira would feel it, and was rewarded with a low, throaty cry.

"M . . .more," Akira gasped as Hikaru moved to the other side of his bottom, nipping at the firm flesh again, then caressing, then beginning to kiss along the curve. Hikaru's fingers trailed through the cleft, but he knew better than to try and penetrate . . . not until he had their lube.

"Hikaru," Akira said in a near-whisper, "I think there's something in our drawer we want right now . . ."

Hikaru raised his head. "Hmm. Why should I get it out?"

Akira rolled over, sat up and leaned over in one swift motion, and swept his tongue up Hikaru's neck to his ear. He teased the little hole for a moment before whispering, "What if I said that if you did, I would make you moan very, very loudly?"

Hikaru reached for the nighttable. "I like that idea."

As his fingers grasped the tube, Akira tackled him and tumbled him to the bed again, starting to kiss his way down Hikaru's neck. He paused at his chest, his tongue lapping hungrily at one nipple, then the other, before starting to make his way down his stomach with agonizing slowness.

When Hikaru felt the hot wetness envelop his manhood, his eyes flew open and his hand clutched at the sheets. He felt suction, gentle, then hard, Akira's head moving back and forth, making the pleasure flood through Hikaru like rippling ocean waves.

He raised his hips a bit with every downward thrust, wanting Akira to envelop him completely, to swallow him whole. He moaned loudly . . . oh, yes, Akira had kept his promise . . . his head tossing back and forth slowly as his whole body writhed, as if unable to contain the pleasure.

Akira raised his head. "Hikaru . . . how do you want to . . ."

Hikaru sat up. "I want to be inside you."

Akira lay on his back, his legs open and hips raised a bit, his eyes closed, his hair softly framing his face.

Hikaru didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful before.

He lubed a finger and leaned over, gently feeling for Akira's opening as his tongue swept up and down his erection. When his lover gave a small, low purr, Hikaru slid in, very slowly. He felt tension for a second as Akira experienced a bit of pain.

"Are you all right?" Hikaru said.

"Yes . . . don't stop . . ."

He pushed in, slowly, loving the tight, soft, hot feeling . . . he couldn't wait until this was enveloping him, drawing him in. He kissed up and down Akira's hardness as he did so, then teased the head a bit with his tongue, then kissed some more.

Then, he slid it into his mouth, as his finger was sliding out. He slid it out as the finger slowly, gently went back in. Then in again . . . he loved the feeling of Akira's hardened, hot flesh slipping over his lips and tongue, the way it filled his mouth.

Akira reached down and tangled his fingers in Hikaru's hair, his lips open as he gasped in hot delight . . . oh, the sensations were incredible, being pleasured in front and back at the same time . . . and when Hikaru pushed in a second finger, it was so intense that he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from coming right then.

"Hikaru!" he cried. "Please . . . I'm ready . . ."

When he felt Hikaru's mouth and fingers leave him, he nearly groaned in disappointment. But then, he felt his lover's manhood start to part him, and move in bit by bit, filling him slowly, slowly . . .

Akira gritted his teeth, knowing the pain was coming, and when it did, he just kept his mind focused on what was ahead. Soon, the unpleasant sensations faded, and what enveloped him instead was an intense wave of warm, liquid, delicious feeling.

Hikaru groaned once he was inside Akira, resisting the temptation to thrust hard right away. Instead, he paused . . . oh, gods, the feel of his lover *gripping* him . . . and then began to move, pulling back bit by bit, then pushing back in . . .

Akira raised his hips. "Faster!" he gasped.

Hikaru obeyed, beginning a rapid thrust, hot sensation bubbling up inside him more and more intensely with every stroke . . . especially when Akira wrapped his legs around him, his hands gripping at Hikaru's back as he buried his face in the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

The air was filled with their ragged breathing and soft moans, which grew louder and more intense as they moved, Akira jerking his hips upward to meet Hikaru's every thrust. He could feel something hot and sweet and delicious swelling inside him, and swelling, filling every pore of his being, ready to burst . . .

Then it exploded, and flooded him from the inside out, and Akira cried Hikaru's name out as he was wracked by one luscious spasm after another.

When he felt Akira's sheath tug and throb around him, that set off an answering eruption within Hikaru, and he was overwhelmed by electric pulses that shot through him again and again, until he finally collapsed atop the other boy.

They stayed like that for a moment, clinging to each other, just panting. Finally, they kissed, softly.

"Merry Christmas," Hikaru said.

"Hmmm," Akira yawned, snuggling against him. "Merry Christmas."

Somewhere in the fringes of Akira's pleasure-fogged mind, he was dimly aware of Hikaru cleaning both of them off, then the blond was snuggling against him again. Akira wrapped his arms around him and, quite content, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Akira woke up.

He slid out of their bed and headed for the bathroom. On the way back, he noticed they'd left their living room lights on.

Naked, he softly padded his way into the room. There was the remainder of the tea and cakes on the floor. He bent over and picked up the tray . . . he'd just put it in the kitchen for now, they'd wash it in the morning.

As he did, his eyes caught sight of the box again.

He thought about when they had been making love, the sensation of Hikaru's fingers inside him as he pleasured him with his mouth.

What if there were something thicker inside him?

He shook his head as if to drive out the thought. It was still something plastic. It would be hard and cold, wouldn't it?

Quickly, he carried the tray to the kitchen. He returned to shut off the Christmas tree lights and the lamp by the couch.

He was headed for the overhead light switch when he saw the box yet again. Now he was curious about that thing. He bent over and picked it up, examining it closely. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would feel . . . the surface was almost flesh-like.

Now, how did one turn it on . . . that is, if one was actually going to use such a thing? He turned it over, examining the base . . .

"You turn it on with that dial in the middle."

Akira jumped and yelped, nearly dropping the thing in his hands. Hikaru was just casually leaning against the wall, as naked as he was.

"I . . . I was just looking at it . . ." Akira stammered, gripping the vibrator in both hands as if it were a lifeline.

Hikaru held out his hand. "Give it to me . . . I'll show you."

Akira hesitated, still gripping it.

"I'm just going to show you how to turn it on, promise."

Slowly, Akira handed the toy over. Hikaru flipped the switch to "high" . . . and it started vibrating so hard he thought he was holding a jackhammer. He dropped it on the floor and clung to Akira like a frightened child.

As both of them watched in horror, the quivering toy began to move across the floor by the sheer force of its vibrating, like some kind of snake that had devoured a two-pound bag of coffee beans.

"Turn it off!" Akira said.

"I have to catch it first!" Hikaru replied.

He kept an eye on it . . . it certainly didn't seem to be slowing down. Finally, he just pounced on it, grabbed it, and turned the switch to off.

He looked back up at Akira, panting. "Okay . . . so we'll never use it on *that* high a setting."

Akira just stood there, staring. Then, he started to laugh . . . a few chuckles, then a bit harder, then full, body-shaking laughter.

And Hikaru couldn't help himself. He found himself joining in the laughter as well, sitting on the floor and roaring, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. Akira sat on the floor next to him, and they threw their arms around each other, both still laughing at the top of their lungs.

Suddenly, the vibrator wasn't *scaring* Akira anymore. He was starting to see the possibilities, to be more curious than ever.

As the last of the laughter died, as they wiped tears away from flushed cheeks as they gasped, he held out his hand to Hikaru.

"Hikaru . . . I want to try using that on you."

Hikaru blinked. Now *this* was a total turnaround from before!

"Are you sure, Akira? You don't have to right away. Maybe when you're more comfortable with it . . ."

"I'm sure. I want to use it now."

Slowly, Hikaru put it in his hand. They stood up, turned out the light and went into their bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Akira leaned over and kissed Hikaru, tenderly, one hand still gripping the toy. His lover responded with eagerness, his tongue darting in and out of Akira's mouth. Akira pulled back, only to take Hikaru's lower lip gently in his teeth, biting down just hard enough for him to feel pressure, then releasing, then biting down again.

Hikaru made a small sound that was somewhere between a moan and a whimper, which was stifled when Akira's lips fiercely claimed his again, their tongues pushing at each other immediately, tangling and brushing.

They tumbled backward until they were lying on the bed, with Akira on top of Hikaru.

One hand slid between their bodies, grasping Hikaru's nipple between thumb and forefinger and squeezing gently. Hikaru let out a small cry, which grew louder as the thumb began to move in small, tight circles over the hardening bud.

"Do you like this?" Akira whispered in a husky voice as he stroked faster.

"Y-yes!" Hikaru panted, his cheeks becoming flushed with pleasure as his whole body writhed with the luscious sensations starting to seep through him like hot honey.

Encouraged, Akira let a hand slide all the way down until it encountered his growing erection. He let his fingers slide around it, up and down the shaft, then around the head, then down the shaft again, as his thumb flicked out at the sac beneath briefly, causing Hikaru to jump and gasp a bit.

"More," Hikaru moaned.

Akira moved down further, grasping his lover's legs and moving them apart. He bent and began to kiss along his sensitive inner thigh as his fingers continued their stroking, stroking . . . he teased the opening on top as his tongue began to sweep up and down the path his fingers had just traveled.

Hikaru arched up and moaned, one hand reaching out to grasp the sheets in a tight ball, which only became tighter as Akira's tongue began to slide back and forth over the head of his manhood.

"Good," he gasped. "Oh, gods, keep going . . ."

Akira looked at the object in his hand. It was time to use this, he knew. But how did he go about it? Was he supposed to turn it on before he put it into Hikaru or after? This was one situation he never thought he was going to be facing.

He decided he was going to have to just play it by ear. He reached for the bottles of Astro Glide.

Hikaru felt his lover pause in his ministrations, and knew what he was going to do. He raised his head . . . only to see Akira holding the sex toy in one hand and the bottle of lube in the other.

"Wait!" he said. "You're supposed to put a condom over it first!"

Akira blinked. "A . . . condom?"

"Here." Hikaru took the toy from him and reached back into the package, bringing out a foil-wrapped packet.

And now it was *his* turn to freeze on the spot, uncertain of what to do. Condoms had never been part of their lovemaking before -- they'd thought they didn't need them, since they had been each other's first and only lovers.

He tore into the foil and drew out something that looked vaguely like a rolled-up sock. There was no way it looked like it would be big enough to fit over the whole toy, even unfurled.

*Okay,* he thought, *I guess I just unroll it and . . .*

"Hikaru . . . what are you doing?"

"I'm unrolling this thing! How do you expect me to get it over the rubber?"

"Aren't you supposed to put it over the tip, and unroll it straight onto the . . ." He was unsure whether to call it a dildo, a sex toy or a vibrator, and he wasn't sure he'd feel comfortable saying any of the above.

"How should I know? I've never used one of them before!"

"Neither have I! Look, give it to me and . . ."

"I can do it!" He tried stretching it over the head . . . it seemed to be a tight fit, he just hoped it wouldn't break. Slowly, he started unrolling it down the shaft. Fortunately, the rubber seemed to be holding up.

Akira handed him the bottle of liquid lube, and Hikaru poured it on, generously, then laid back again.

His lover bent over him, kissing his thighs again, then sliding his tongue up and down his manhood. As he did this, he poured lube over his finger and brought it to Hikaru's opening, starting to gently massage it, feeling it start to give way under pressure.

Gently, he slipped his finger in, feeling the clench of muscles as Hikaru experienced a brief pain. He started to kiss up and down his shaft, as if to reassure him that it would be all right, all he had to do was relax and it would feel good.

Sure enough, Hikaru relaxed gradually, and Akira began to suck on his erection as his finger moved in again, then out, then in again. When he slipped in a second digit, he felt the boy tense again, then relax, . . . and then writhe as he moved in and out, increasing the speed and depth with every thrust.

"Akira," Hikaru moaned. "Now . . . do it now . . ."

He slid out his fingers and reached for the bedside towel, wiping them off. He picked up the lubed toy, added even more lube to it, and then turned the dial like he had before . . . making sure he had a good grip on it this time. It sprung to life in his hand, vibrating rapidly, making a purring sound.

He began to push it into Hikaru . . . slowly, carefully . . .

Hikaru gave a small yelp as the toy entered him. It didn't hurt, it just felt . . . odd.

Akira quickly shut it off. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, but . . . just give me a moment to get used to it before you turn it on."

Akira resumed his gentle sliding of the object into his lover. Hikaru concentrated on it, trying to identify what he was feeling. It was strangely hard, and cool . . . definitely different from Akira's warmth.

But not unpleasant. That was a good thing.

Akira tried to read Hikaru's face. He couldn't tell whether the expression was pleasure or pain. He wondered if he should ask Hikaru if he wanted to go through with this.

"Okay," Hikaru said. "Try turning it on now."

Akira complied, and when it started purring inside Hikaru . . . it tickled him from the inside out, sending warm tingles from his sheath to his manhood radiating outward over his entire body. He let out a low, throaty sound of pure pleasure.

Hearing this, Akira began a slow thrust, trying to go in a bit deeper with the instroke, changing the position a bit so it put pressure on the back wall of his sheath, then a series of quick little thrusts, then pulling it out almost all the way again, and quickly back in.

Hikaru began to thrust his hips against each thrust. As his own body heat warmed the toy up, it felt less cold and foreign, more warm and natural and delicious.

"Turn it on harder," he moaned. There was a click, and suddenly what had been a mild purr became a harder, rapid throb, making his whole channel seem to vibrate, shooting waves of liquid heat all over his body.

Now he let out a cry, pushing his hips down fast and hard. Akira was moving it in and out of him and every stroke brought more and more intense sensation, making Hikaru writhe and gasp, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth open as his whole body twisted with passion.

Akira pushed it in long, hard strokes, then rapid, short ones, then pushed it in and held it in one place for a moment, watching the various reactions . . . first a moan, then faster writhing, then and arch of the hips accompanied by a deep, throaty cry. Oh, gods, was it turning him on to watch Hikaru like this, giving himself totally over to the pleasure.

And he wanted to know what Hikaru was feeling for himself. He wanted this thing throbbing and buzzing inside him.

Still thrusting, he leaned over and took Hikaru's erection in his mouth, as deeply as he comfortably could, and started to suck hard, moving his head back as he thrust the toy in, forward as he pulled it out, bobbing up and down as he did a series of little, hard thrusts.

And then he pulled it out of his mouth almost totally, except the head, which he sucked in short little draws, as he thrust the toy in deep. That did it. Hikaru felt the whole world freeze into place around him, his body stiffen . . .

Then he was wracked with one fiery, luscious spasm after another, nearly screaming Akira's name as the heat consumed him again and again.

Finally, he fell to the bed, panting and limp, as Akira gently withdrew and shut off the toy. He leaned over and tenderly kissed Hikaru's lips. Hikaru opened his eyes at half-mast and looked at him sleepily. "Okay, now I'm glad I bought you that."

"I'm glad you did, also," Akira said, getting off the bed. "I'll be right back."

Hikaru sat up, a quizzical look on his face. What was Akira doing? He heard the sounds of water running in the bathroom, and the toilet flushing . . .

Then, Akira came back with a de-rubbered, cleaned-off toy. With a smile, and without a word, he handed it to Hikaru.

Hikaru just smiled back. No words were needed.

He reached for the rubbers, took out a fresh one, rolled it on and poured Astro-Glibe onto it. "Wait until you feel this," he said, leaning over and kissing Akira's lips, hard. Akira flung his arms around his lover, opening up to him right away. Their tongues pressed against each other, separated, then pressed again.

Hikaru pulled back, licking all around Akira's mouth, then pushing back in, then pulling out and licking around again. Quickly, he brought his head down until he was right at a certain spot where he knew Akira was very sensitive . . . on the right side of his throat, halfway down his neck.

Akira gasped loudly as Hikaru's teeth scraped across the spot very gently, then he began to suck on it. He raised his hips upward, opening his legs already, in anticipation of what he knew lay ahead of him.

One of Hikaru's hands reached under Akira, grabbing one of the cheeks of his bottom, giving it a firm squeeze, then releasing, then squeezing and holding. His fingers slid over to the cleft, teased it for just a few seconds, then moved back again to massage the firm, rounded flesh.

As he did this, Hikaru began to lick down to Akira's chest . . . when he was hit by a sudden inspiration. He turned the toy on low and brought it to his right nipple, circling the purring device over and over the bud.

"Ohhhh!" Akira cried, one hand instinctively reaching up to cover Hikaru's, as if to urge him on to do more and more, to give him even greater pleasure. Hikaru began to move it faster, rubbing it up and down, then side to side, then in circles again, watching as Akira's lids fluttered to half-mast, his lips opening in a gasp of passion.

"Do you want this lower?" Hikaru said.

"Y-yes!" Akira cried.

"All right," Hikaru said. He moved the vibrator down, down over his stomach, Akira moaning softly as he felt the trail of tickling sensations . . . yes, it even felt good moving over normal skin . . .

And then he stopped, just short of his belly button, and held it in one place.

Akira's eyes flew open and he jerked his head up. "What are you doing?"

"You said you wanted it lower. Well, it's lower. You didn't say how *much* lower."

"You know what I want!"

Hikaru leaned over so he was resting his elbow on the bed and his chin on his hand, looking up at Akira through flirtatious, fluttering lashes. "Why don't you tell me?"

Akira's eyes met Hikaru's, filled with hunger and longing. "I want it between my legs. I want it inside me!"

"Hmm . . . let me consider this," Hikaru said, not moving his position. "No, I don't think so."

"WHAT?"

"Not yet, at least. I think you need a little of *this* first."

He lowered the vibrator until the buzzing head of it was pressing on the head of Akira's erection. His lover arched upward and let out a yelp, which was repeated, more loudly, as Hikaru started moving it around in a slow spiral.

It was only after he'd started doing that when he realized he'd backed himself into a corner -- he wanted to put the forefinger of his other hand inside Akira, but he'd have to put down the vibrator to do it, which he didn't want to do. He panicked briefly, then decided he was going to try to figure out a solution.

*This is going to be tricky*, he thought. He picked up the bottle and flipped it open with his thumb, then grasped it between his thumb and middle finger, squeezing. The fluid dripped onto his finger -- and some dripped onto the mattress as well.

It was nothing that couldn't be cleaned up later.

He began pushing his finger forward, gently massaging the opening until it relaxed. His other hand moved the purring toy inch by agonizing inch down Akira's shaft, rubbing back and forth a little, then moving down again.

Akira writhed in pleasure, his cheek pressing against his own hair, which was spread out around him on the pillow. His body felt like it was being flooded with a steady, low charge of electricity that awakened every single nerve ending and turned them into hot sensation.

*Gods,* he thought, *if it feels this good outside of me, what will it feel like when he . . .* And then rational thought was cut off by a sudden burst of pleasure as his finger slid all the way in and the vibrator moved down to the sac beneath his erection.

"Hi . . . Hikaru!" he gasped.

Hikaru moved his finger out, then in, then out again, as he stroked the vibrator upward, over his shaft, then back to the sac again, then all the way up to the head of his erection, where he started to swirl it again.

"Oh . . .. ohhhh . . . I'm ready!" Akira cried. "Put it in me, please!"

"Are you *sure* you're ready?" And Akira felt a second finger enter him, just making him give another hoarse cry.

"Yes! Yes!" Akira gasped, arching his hips upward and clutching the sheets. There was a moment of disappointment as the fingers and toy left him . . . he heard the squish of the tube as Hikaru applied more lubricant to it, and then the motor stopped.

And then, it was moving between the cheeks of his bottom, and starting to slide in . . . he could feel that it had been warmed by the heat of Hikaru's body, which made it all the more exciting. When the pain came, he took a deep breath and entered the state of deep concentration he used when he played, willing his muscles to relax, to give his lover full entry.

It was sliding in more easily now, filling him . . . oh yes, he felt filled, more so than with Hikaru, and it was odd but still pleasant. He spread his legs further, raised his hips higher . . .

An electric jolt suddenly wracked his body, and he let out a sharp "AAAAHHHH!!!"

Hikaru stopped abruptly. "Akira, what . . ."

"There! Keep going right *there*!"

Hikaru was baffled at first -- then realized he'd made a direct connection with the other boy's sweet spot. He smiled slyly to himself -- what incredible luck.

He turned the toy on low and heard Akira's instant cry. He was trembling all over, eyes squeezed tightly shut, head tossing back and forth, breath coming in rapid gasps.

"Gods, look at you," Hikaru whispered, starting to move the dildo in rapid circles, bringing another shudder and cry. "You've never looked more beautiful." He lowered his head and to one nipple and closed his lips around it, sucking hard and rapidly, then moved to the other side, licking and suckling that as well.

Akira whimpered and moaned Hikaru's name, clutching hard at the sheets and willing himself not to come, not to come, but it was incredible, unlike anything he'd felt before . . . When Hikaru sat back up and took his erection in his hand, starting to stroke it rapidly, Akira bit down on his lip, or it would have ended there and then.

It was delicious agony, ecstatic torture.

Hikaru could see his lover's efforts to hold back, and he was determined to drive him over the edge anyway. He still had one more hand to play.

He reached down and turned the vibrator up.

Akira felt the buzz become a throb, pulsing against his sweet spot, and the slow heat filling him blazed up into a wildfire. He arched all the way off the bed, literally screaming as the first shudders wracked him, fiercer and sweeter than any climax he'd ever had, making him feel his whole being was exploding in white light. Over and over he shuddered, until he collapsed back to the bed in a quivering, whimpering heap.

Hikaru leaned over and kissed him, tenderly, as he pulled out the vibrator and switched it off. Akira nuzzled against him, still feeling little aftershocks flood his body.

"Still not want it anywhere near you?" Hikaru whispered, teasingly.

Akira's eyes fluttered open. The room was spinning. He was never so glad to be dizzy and disoriented in his life.

"I think I've changed my mind about that," he said.

Hikaru busied himself with a quick cleanup, then lay back beside Akira, wrapping his arms around him. They kissed again, tenderly.

"I'm glad you gave it a chance," Hikaru said, yawning a bit.

"Well, you have to admit . . . that was the last present I was expecting."

"Come on . . . would I give you a present you wouldn't have enjoyed?"

There was a long pause. Finally, Akira said, "No."

"We know each other too well, don't we?"

Akira just went "Mmmm" in agreement, and tangled his fingers in Hikaru's hair. Oh, yes, they sometimes knew each other better than they knew themselves.

Hikaru shifted so his head was on Akira's chest. "Merry Christmas. I love you."

Akira tangled his fingers in Hikaru's hair. "I love you, too." They had always exchanged those words sparingly -- mostly because they felt they didn't *need* to say them all the time -- so whenever they were voiced, that made the moment special.

And then, they both drifted off to sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks tons to Aishuu and Sonya for their input on this fic! We kicked around ideas for it when Aishuu and I were visiting Sonya last month, and the final form of the story owes a *lot* to them!

Hikaru no Go is property of Yumi Hotta, Takeshi Obata and Shueisha. These characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.