"Sir, please!"
"I'm sorry, Matthew, you're just not suited for this job! Don't make this harder for yourself."
"But… but I-"
"Matthew." His hand rested on my shoulder, cold blue eyes staring into mine, "Look for employment elsewhere."
And with that, I was escorted out of the restaurant by two tough looking men with thick muscles and slicked back hair. They didn't grab my arms or haul me out, they just walked behind me. I didn't see the reason as to why they would have to watch me leave, but it was a very high quality restaurant, so I guess it was more for show than it was out of safety. When I was completely out the door, the two men closed it gently and walked back to where they came. I stared through the glass door, into the bright yellow lights glowing from the Tiffany lamps on each mahogany table.
I sighed to myself and started walking down the sidewalk, digging my hands in the pockets of my brown, fur-lined jacket. My glasses had fogged a little since it was so cold outside, so for almost a minute I had to stumble around like an idiot as the condensation went away. When my sight came back, I looked around the snow-covered town in awe and sadness. I had recently left my fathers' house, and I was determined to get a job as soon as possible. I needed one pretty soon because my rent would be due in a few weeks. The landlady was pretty strict, but she constantly forgot I was living there anyway. She'd probably disregard my taxes for a few weeks before remembering that there's actually someone living in room 293A. As I walked across the crunching snow in my thick brown leather boots, I realized something quite sad, and it made me a little lonely.
It was Christmas Eve. I had no one to share it with. I didn't know anyone in this town yet, and my parents lived hours away by plane. There was no possible way I could go home for Christmas anymore. I could visit my brother, but he wouldn't like it. He's probably throwing some extravagant party at his place, anyway, since he has so many friends and I don't. I didn't even decorate, much less get a tree. I sighed to myself, lowering my eyes until I was only staring at my boots as I walked by countless shops and eateries.
Only about a half hour later, I bumped into a rather short man on accident. He had dropped the books he was holding, and glared at me with brown eyes. I muttered my apologies, bending down to help him gather his things. As I picked up the books, I noticed the titles of a few. "Christmas by Yourself" "Tree Decorations" "History of Christmas" I was surprised by the titles, and looked at the man I had crashed into. He was standing now, so I had to look up, holding the three books in my arms as he stared down at me.
"Can I have them back, please?" He asked, an accent thick on his lips. The light behind him made his face almost impossible to see, but the tone in his voice was enough to make me sure he was angry.
"Oh, I'm… sorry." I say again, standing up slowly and handing the books over, "Merry Christmas."
After that, I scurried off. I was more embarrassed than interested since he seemed so angry at me. I turned to look back to see the man walking off in the opposite direction, the lights in the store he had just exited flickering out. I sighed to myself, then continued on to my flat, hoping the landlady wouldn't see me entering. When I reached the tall, stone building, I unlocked the front door with the key that also worked for the door to my personal flat. The fact that this key unlocked both the front door and my flat door made me nervous, since that probably meant that the keys everyone had in this building could unlock my door. When I entered the freezing building, I saw the hall lights had been dimmed. They never turned off, in case there was some sort of disaster or fire. The landlady was almost as paranoid as I was, but if I had control over this building, I would make sure everyone had separate keys for their flat doors. I would also keep any children under ten from living in this building, since you could hear them crying through the paper thin walls. The prostitutes I don't mind. Hearing them faking orgasms every night barely bugged me anymore, since I was used to it from my parent's house. They would always be at it, and I had the room right next to theirs. Our beds were pressed against the same wall, too, and they'd never let me move it away.
I shivered a bit at the thought and the cold, and I closed the glass door and started up the three flights of stairs to the topmost floor. I hated being on the bottom, because you could hear everyone walk around noisily at night. However, being at the top made me a little nervous too, mostly since there were a lot of earthquakes recently. But I guess being in a multi-story building was the worst place to be during an earthquake, and sadly, I didn't have enough money to buy a stable house yet. I shook my head, trying to rid these thoughts from my head and I unlocked my door, walking in to the spotless flat I left it in. I turned on the heater and slid off my coat, hanging it on the coat rack to the left of the door and rubbing my arms, going over to my TV and turning it on, sitting down in the reclining chair my Papa gave me before I left. As I watched the news, I noticed it was already eleven at night. I grumbled to myself, angry that I had stayed up all day again. I got my blanket from the bed, sitting on the recliner once again and leaning back in it, tucking myself in.
This was the first time in a long time that I felt genuinely sad and lonely. I stared at the TV, feeling the tears start to sting the back of my eyes. I closed them tightly, biting my lip and sniffling. The tears started running and I pulled the blankets tighter around myself. I cried softly, wondering if my neighbours can hear me, then wondering if they would even care. I cried a bit louder, hoping someone would come and knock on my door. No one came, though, and I drifted off to sleep with one last sorrowful thought.
"I just want to be loved on this Christmas Day…."
The alarm woke me up from my sleep, and I groaned as I smacked the snooze button. I turned over onto my side in my bed, determined to get a few more minutes of sleep before I celebrated this rather depressing Christmas. Just as I found a comfortable position on my bed, hiding my face in my pillow, my eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly, looking around to see that I was in my own room. I frowned to myself, trying to remember if I had gone to my room last night after falling asleep on the recliner. I looked at my clock, checking the time to see it was eight in the morning.
On Christmas Eve.
I huffed, grabbing the clock to change it to the correct day. My alarm clock never got the date wrong, but it was a bit old. Great way to start out my day, now I have to go get a new clock. I checked my watch to make sure the time was correct, then I got dressed and prepared myself for Christmas.
When I walked into the kitchen, however, I noticed the calendar attached by magnet to my refrigerator read "December 24th."
I shook my head a little, looking at it again and blinking hard. I was sure I tore that off yesterday. I sighed a bit and tore it off anyway, throwing it in the trash and getting myself some cereal. My cell phone started ringing, and I answered it quickly, thinking it was my parents.
"This is Matthew." I answer professionally, even though I had not job.
"Ah, yes, can you please come in today at seven in the afternoon for your interview?" It sounded like it was the manager of that fancy restaurant. I was thoroughly confused now, I was sure we had our interview yesterday. Then he turned me down for being too shy.
"Um… I'm… I'm sorry, but what day is it?" I asked, switching the phone from my left ear to my right and checking the time again.
"It is the twenty fourth, lad. Christmas Eve." He answered, making me feel slightly dizzy and very confused.
"Oh, right. Yes, I'll be there at seven." I answered shakily, hanging up soon after. It was Christmas Eve today, but it was Christmas Eve yesterday! I bit my lip, trying to figure out why the days just looped, when I got a second call. I flipped it open, answering it with the same greeting, but less confidently.
"Matthew! Merry Christmas! Well, Christmas for us, not for everyone else. It's still the twenty fourth for you, right?" Came his father's energetic reply.
"D-Dad… Did the day loop for you too?" I asked nervously, sitting down in my recliner and turning on the news to see what had played yesterday.
"Ah, well, not really. I made it loop." Arthur said cheerily, "No one else will notice though. Anyway, I should explain to you what's going on."
"That'd be pleasant…" I mumble, rubbing my forehead when I felt the beginnings of a headache.
"Well, I heard your wish last night, and I felt really bad. I mean, I would've come for Christmas, but we all had plans already. I was hoping you'd just come on your own, but when I heard your thoughts-"
"You heard my thoughts?" I interrupted, amazed at this news.
"Come on, son, you know I practice magic in my spare time."
"I didn't know you were any good at it!" I admitted, "So, did you make the days loop?"
"Well, yes, I did. Sadly, I messed the spell up. Today was only supposed to loop once, but… I missed a particular ingredient, so now it'll keep looping until you fulfill your wish. I'm sad to say that you won't be able to fulfill it by coming here or visiting your brother, though. It would've been easier that way, but this magic is trying to get the love from outside of the family." Arthur explained, making me whimper.
"Dad, how am I supposed to get someone to love me in just one day?" I whined, feeling hopeless and let down.
"Come on, son, I know you have Francis' charm. I bet you can get anyone to fall for you, guy or girl." Arthur laughs out comfortingly, "Anyway, I have to go now. If three days go by and you still haven't gotten any further, call me."
After that, he hung up, leaving me to think about everything we talked about. I leaned back in my chair, sighing a bit and wondering what I should do. Then, I realized the greatest thing! I have a second chance to impress the manager! I could definitely get that job now! I decided to write down what I remembered from the other day's interview, trying to find the key points that made him decline me. As I wrote down notes, the time ticked by quicker than I could imagine. When I was sure I had the perfect interview ready, I checked the time to see I only had thirty minutes until the interview. I got dressed in my good clothes, wearing my tan fur-lined jacket once again, and I grabbed my keys, bolting out the door and down into the snow covered streets.
As I practically ran down the sidewalk, I noticed the small bookstore where I ran into that man yesterday. I slowed down a little, looking in to see him at the counter, selling books to a young girl and smiling happily. He must've been Asian, but I was never good at telling the difference between the different types. He noticed me looking and raised a brow, his smile still on his lips. I smiled a little in return, then checked my watch and frowned. I ran off towards the restaurant, thinking about how he had smiled at me. I started to wonder what had happened to make him so angry last night. Maybe I should ask him if I bump into him again.
I arrived once again at the restaurant, panting a little and trying to catch my breath as I walked in.
"Ah, you made it! Follow me, let's begin the interview."
"Sir, please!"
"Absolutely not! I'm sorry, Matthew, you seem like a good kid, you're just… not what we're looking for! Now, you must leave." He demanded, getting his two buffed-up gorillas to shove me out of the restaurant. When I was outside once more, I felt completely upset. I stomped around in a circle a few times, balling my hands into fists. I had the upper hand! I answered every question perfectly, I was impressive! But he still denied me! My anger never stayed for long, and soon it was replaced by sadness.
"How am I supposed to get someone to love me if I can't even get a job?" I sobbed out, running towards my home. The tears stung my face as the cold wind whipped at me, but I kept running anyway. Just as I turned the corner, I ran head-on into that guy again. This time, I shoved him on his back, hearing him yell out in pain.
"Watch where you're going!" He yelled at me, making me stop and look back at him. I could still feel the tears running down my cheeks, and I got on my knees and picked up the three books I picked up last time, sniffling a bit and wiping my eyes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see you." I sighed out, helping him to his feet after getting his books. He didn't look as mad this time.
"No, I should've been more careful. Are… are you crying?" He asked me, letting go of my hand as soon as he was on his own two feet.
"No… well… yeah, but… nevermind. Here" I say sadly, holding out his books. He frowned a bit more and slowly took them. Just as I let go of the pile, he did too, and they fell into the snow again.
"Oh, m-my grip." He stammered out. I sighed and got down on my knees again, picking up each book and wiping the snow off the covers.
"It's not your fault; I should've made sure you had them firmly." I muttered, making sure each book was properly cleaned.
"You wipe them down so precisely." The man said, crouching down in front of me as I cleaned the books.
"I appreciate literature." I said softly, smiling sadly at the man. His hair was short and jet black. His face looked so soft and innocent looking, and the huge white jacket he wore just made him look that much cuter.
"Um… If I may ask, and I don't mean to pry, but…" He began, looking a little nervous, "Why were you crying?"
I blinked at him, a little surprised that he would ask. I sighed a bit and rubbed the book's spine, "I… hadn't gotten a job yet, and I'm running out of time before I have to pay for rent."
"That's terrible! How long have you been here?" He asked, his eyes wide.
"About two months." I said, shrugging a bit and standing up straight again, holding out a hand to help him to his feet. He looked at my hand, then stood on his own, patting down his pants.
"I didn't even notice you… I'm sorry." He said honestly, smiling a little. I held out his books, and this time he held onto them when I let go.
"Well, it's okay. Thank you for listening to my problems, anyway." I said kindly, wiping my face from my tears and the snow.
"Do you… want to come in?" He asked before I turned to leave. I looked back at him, and he motioned towards the bookstore, "I own it. Why don't you join me for tea?"
I looked at him, then the bookstore. I smiled a little, then nodded, "I would like that." I said, watching him unlock the door and push it open, allowing me in first. I walked in, taking in the sights of books stacked upon books in the deep coloured wooden bookshelves and the scent of old and dry pages. I smiled a little and unzipped my coat, adjusting my glasses and looking around the store more.
"It's so cozy in here…" I complimented, looking back at the man who was closing and locking the door.
"Thank you. I like the warmth." He said with a smile, taking off his jacket and laying it down on the checkout counter, "Set yours here too, if you like."
I thanked him and took my jacket off, laying it just beside his.
"What is your name, anyway?" He asked me, leading me up the stairs and turning off the lights on the first floor. On the top floor were a small kitchen and a futon on the other side. It was a little messy, but not horribly so. He turned on the stove and filled a brass kettle with water from the sink beside the oven, setting it upon the softly glowing red coils for the water to heat.
"I'm Matthew. Matthew Williams." I answered, standing awkwardly in front of the staircase. The man looked at me, then smiled a little and patted the futon.
"Sit here, Matthew." He said kindly, watching me walk over and sit carefully. He smiled a little more, then started going through the cabinets, looking for cups and tea bags.
"I only have green tea, I'm sorry." He said with a smile, getting out the packages and placing them on the counter beside the stove.
"That's okay, green tea is my favourite anyway." I chuckled out, the kettle starting to whistle. He got a small towel and lifted the kettle, using the towel to hold the bottom of it so he could pour the water.
"I like green tea too. But I think lavender is my favourite." He admitted as he poured the water, "I haven't found a store that sold it, though, so I've had to settle."
I smiled a little, watching him make the tea quietly. Then he held out a cup to me, "It's still warm."
"Thank you, uh…" I blushed a little, "Wow, I didn't ask for your name yet…" I realized aloud, a little embarrassed that I forgot. He laughed softly and sat beside me, blowing on the tea.
"Kiku." He answers softly, sipping the tea afterward and sighing in content. I watched his face, blushing a little as he sipped the drink.
"Kiku is a nice name." I whispered, still staring. He opened his eyes, then looked at me and almost jumped.
"Ah, um… yeah I guess it is." He said in return, looking away from me and blushing a little, "Do I have something on my face?"
I frowned a little, then realized I had been staring. It's not my fault, though, he's too cute to not look! I didn't really want to make him uncomfortable, though, so I looked down at my tea. Steam was coming up from the cup slowly, and my hands were warmer than the rest of me now. I lifted the cup slowly, blowing at the drink like Kiku had done. When I sipped the tea, I smiled a little. There was nothing better than a cup of green tea. Mostly when you were sharing it with a cute guy in his house.
I looked over at him again to see him closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall that the futon was against. I frowned and stood, "Um, I'm sorry, if you're tired I can go." I stuttered out, putting the cup down on the countertop.
Kiku opened his eyes and looked at me, sitting up again, "You don't have to leave! It's okay, I was just-"
"No, really, I should go anyway." I said quickly, laughing a little, "Thank you for the tea." I mumbled, heading down the stairs.
"Matthew…" He gasped out, going down the steps too, "Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?"
I smiled a little, reaching the bottom and grabbing my jacket, pulling it on, "Thank you for the offer, but I need to get home before my landlady notices. She's strict, and doesn't like hearing the doors so late." I explained. Then, I looked up at him with an idea. I smiled a bit more, "Do you think we could… spend Christmas together?"
Kiku's eyes widened a little and he put his hand on the railing. He brought a hand up to his lips, thinking about it, "Hmm… I already made plans for tomorrow… I'm sorry. I would, but…"
"Oh, that's okay. Maybe when you're not busy then." I said, feeling my heart sinking to my stomach. I gave him a sad smile, then went to the front door and unlocked it.
"Good bye…" He mumbled, and I just left. As I walked, I realized I didn't even ask him what made him so upset the other day. Or would it have been today? I shook my head, wondering if I'll have to suffer through this again. Maybe if it loops, I'll finally be able to get that job? I felt a little better when I thought that. Third time's the charm, right? Or something like that. I sighed again and stuck my hands in my pockets, reaching the building and digging out my keys. Just like before, the lights were dimmed and the thought of other people having the same key as me racked my brain like before. When I got into my flat, I sat on my recliner and turned on the news, realizing only a minute later that I already knew what was on the news. I sighed and started surfing channels, figuring I should watch something funny before I fell asleep. I didn't realize my eyes drooping while I did this, though, and I fell asleep before I found a show I wanted to watch.
When I woke up, I found myself in my bed again, the alarm blazing. I pressed the snooze button, looking at the time to see it was eight in the morning on December 24th once again. I sighed and lay in bed for a few minutes, watching the red numbers blink as the time went by. When I heard my cell phone ring in the living room, I got up and answered it. It was the manager again, asking me to come in at seven for my interview. I agreed happily, hanging up afterwards and making myself a quick breakfast. I already knew all the questions he would ask, and I knew I just had to answer them more confidently and make myself seem less shy. I sighed a bit and finished eating, cleaning the bowl. When I was drying my dishes, I realized I probably didn't even have to clean it, since I'd most likely be waking up on the twenty fourth again. I shrugged to myself, putting the bowl away and getting dressed in regular clothes. I was about to grab the fur-lined jacket again, but I stopped and looked at my other jackets. I wore that one too much, and I had two others. The first one was a longer coat that went past my hips, and it was black and very warm. The second one was tight on me, and usually for spring or summer. I grabbed the long black one and slipped it on, smiling a little at the change in wardrobe.
I pulled on my boots after, grabbing my cell phone and my keys and leaving my flat. I wasn't too sure where to go, but I definitely wanted to visit Kiku. Even if he wouldn't remember me. Then I remembered him saying how he couldn't find any lavender tea around. I walked around the town, wondering who would be selling tea in the first place. First, I checked the grocery store, finding a large selection, but no lavender tea. I sighed to myself, asking one of the workers if they knew where to get any. One of them suggested a shop down the street, so I went to check it out. This shop had a lot of old furniture and handmade jewelry and clothing. The walls were painted white and a table stood at the entrance with a lot of half-priced items. It was a nice place, and it smelled amazing. The woman at the counter greeted me warmly, and I went straight to her.
"Excuse me, do you have any lavender tea?" I asked timidly, rubbing my hands together nervously. She smiled at me and led me to a part in the store with a bunch of different types of teas. Types I hadn't even heard of before. When I spotted the lavender tea, I thanked her and paid for it. No wonder why Kiku didn't find any, the tea in this shop was so hidden. I looked at the large package of tea leaves, then started walking towards the bookstore Kiku worked in. When I got to it, I looked through the window again, seeing Kiku stacking books on the shelves. I watched him for a few minutes, then he turned and noticed me staring. He raised a curious brow, then smiled at me and went back to working. I checked my watch, seeing I had almost half the day left before the interview. I checked my wallet to see if I had a lot of money left, which I didn't. I only had about twenty dollars, but that should be enough to buy a book. I smiled a little, then gently pulled the door open, a small bell ringing. I frowned a little, looking up at the bell in curiosity. I don't remember it ringing last night. It doesn't matter anymore, though, and I entered the shop, shoving the tea into my pocket. Kiku looked back at me again, still stacking books.
"Welcome." He said softly, smiling at me again, "Looking for a present for someone?" He asked, placing the last few books on the shelves.
"Huh? Oh, no, I just wanted a new book. What do you suggest?" I ask, smiling at him as he gave a thoughtful look.
"Well, what books do you already have?" He asked, straightening out his hideous dark green shirt that made him look like an adult trying to be a little kid again. I laughed a little when I thought about this, and he looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, um… I'm into mysteries and sci-fi and… um… romance." I mumbled the last one, wringing my hands together again in embarrassment. Kiku smiled at me sweetly, going through the books.
"What is your name?" He asked me, shocking me. I frowned a little, stuttering a bit. Then I remembered. The day was looping. Of course he wouldn't remember me! I sighed a little, feeling sad and not bothering to hide it. He looked back at me, seeing my face and frowning.
"What is it? Did I say something?" He asked, going to me and frowning nervously. I shook my head, forcing a smile.
"I'm Matthew." I said softly, "It's not what you said. I'm just upset that I've been here for so long and no one remembers me." I admit, shrugging, "But it's none of your business. I don't want to bug you with my issues." I laugh out, rubbing my neck. He nodded a little, still looking worried. I smiled at him reassuringly.
"So, did you find any books?" I asked, making Kiku jump a little.
"Right right, um… Have you read this one?" He asked, pulling out an interesting looking book. I took it from him, looking over the cover, then the summary.
"I don't think so. How much is it?" I asked, opening the book carefully and looking reading the first page.
"Only ten dollars. With tax of course." Kiku answered, smiling and leading me to the check-out counter. He took the book and typed in the code on the back, sliding the spine against a demagnetizer and getting out some paper, wrapping the book in it loosely. I dug my hand into my pocket, accidentally pulling out the bag of lavender tea instead of my wallet.
"Oh. Hmm…" I put the tea on the counter and took out my wallet next. Kiku eyed the bag, then smiled a little.
"What is that?" He asked, noticing the sticker keeping it closed that read 'Lavender'.
"Oh, it's tea. Lavender tea, I haven't tried it before. I'm excited to try it though, I heard it was good." I said, smiling at Kiku again, then taking out my money. Kiku's eyes widened a little when he heard it was tea, and he took the bag, looking at it.
"Where did you get it?" He asked excitedly, looking up at me with the bag in his hands. I laughed a little, enjoying his expression. He looked like a kid in a candy store, and I just wanted to lean in and kiss him. I even found myself tilting forward a little, and I had to snap back to reality.
"I… got it from a friend. He came by for a visit and dropped it off." I lied, shrugging a little, "He didn't tell me where he got it."
"Oh." Kiku's smile shrunk, and he put the bag down, "You're so lucky. I've been craving Lavender tea for the longest time." He sighed out, putting the book in a plastic bag and laying it on the counter.
"Did you want some?" I asked, making him look up at me with hope.
"Really?" He asked, trying not to look excited. I smiled a little and shrugged.
"Since it's your favourite, why not?" I shrugged again, taking the book and waiting for an answer.
"That'd… that'd be great…" Kiku answered with a new smile, "Oh, I have a kettle upstairs! Come, let's have some now." He said, taking my arm and pulling me up the stairs. I laughed a little and followed him up the steps, then he pushed me onto the futon gently, and grabbed his kettle, filling it up. He grabbed a small sieve and the lavender tea leaves, tapping some into the sieve and putting the sieve just under the lid of the kettle, placing it on the stove.
He sat down as the water heated up, and I closed the bag and put it on the counter.
"This is the greatest tea there is, I promise." He says, looking excited. I laughed a little and just looked at him.
"I wouldn't doubt it." I chuckled out, looking at the kettle, "So… do you live up here?"
"Oh, sometimes I sleep up here if I had a late night, but I have an apartment at the edge of the town." Kiku answers, smiling a little. I look around the small room, smiling.
"It's nice up here. Cozy. So you own the bookstore?" I ask, looking at Kiku again. He smiles and nods.
"It makes a good amount of money. More than I expected it to, really." He admits, laughing a little.
"Maybe because it's run by such a good looking man." I blurted out, making Kiku blush and look away from me. I blushed a little too, and tilted my head, wondering if I shouldn't have said that. Then the kettle started to whistle, and Kiku got up, removing the kettle and getting two cups, pouring an equal amount in both. I watched him quietly, and he handed me a cup, not looking at my face anymore. I frowned a little, but took the cup and thanked him.
"I'm sorry." I tried, getting him to look at me as he sat down. He just smiled a little, blowing at the steam.
"It's okay. I'm just not used to compliments." He said softly, blowing a little more, then sipping the tea. He sighed happily, closing his eyes, "It's as delicious as I remember."
I smiled a little and sipped the tea too, amazed at the taste. It truly was delicious, much better than green tea. I smiled a little, "Wow, you were right. This is amazing."
He laughed a little and sipped some more, "Thank you for letting me have some with you." He said, looking at me with a smile. I smiled in return, looking over his face.
"Thank you for sharing it with me." I mumbled in return, moving a little closer. He noticed then and looked away, blushing a bit more.
"I should go back to the store." He said, getting up and putting the cup down on the countertop. I frowned a little and stood too.
"Wait, Kiku…" I stuttered out, "Ah, I'm sorry!" I tried again, putting the cup down and going after him. I reached out and took his hand, making him look at me.
"I'm sorry, I really am. Please don't get mad or anything." I said timidly, looking into his brown eyes. He blushed a bit more, then looked away.
"Thank you again, Matthew." He said quietly, pulling his hand away, "Don't forget your book."
I sighed a little, then went back upstairs and grabbed my book. I was about to grab the tea too, but I shook my head, leaving it there and going back down the steps. I saw a young girl enter the store, and I frowned. I saw her the last time too, and I had to run to the interview. My eyes widened and I checked my watch.
"Oh no!" I gasped out, running out the door and down the sidewalk. Kiku was shocked when I panicked like that, but he didn't come after me or anything. When I got to the restaurant, I entered and found the manager waiting. He frowned at me.
"You are late. And were you out shopping?" He asked, looking at the bag in my hand, then my clothes. I sighed a little and looked down.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled. He just scoffed, then crooked his finger at me, beckoning me to follow, which I did.
"I understand, sir." I mumble as he turned me down once again.
"You're a nice kid, Matthew, you're just-"
"Not what you're looking for." I finished his sentence, feeling completely useless and hopeless. I took my bag and headed for the exit, pushing the door open just as the two muscle-men entered the room. I walked down the sidewalk with my head down, wondering what I did wrong this time. My phone started buzzing, and I flipped it open.
"This is Matthew." I mumble sadly, walking down the snowy sidewalks.
"Son, I have a feeling that you're not understanding what these looped days are for." Arthur said with an upset tone in his voice. I sighed a little, stopping just before the bookstore, leaning against the wall beside the window. I could see Kiku working, and he looked like he was just about to leave.
"I know what it's for, and I'm trying to get that job, but-"
"Matthew, this isn't for the job! Even if you get accepted, the days will keep looping and you'll have to keep applying! You need to change this day for the better, lad." Arthur sighed out, sounding upset. I frown, hearing papa in the background yelling about something.
"So… I shouldn't try and get the job?" I ask, looking into the bookstore at Kiku. He noticed me and gave a half-hearted smile, grabbing his coat and pulling it on him.
"Exactly. Maybe you'll get it right tomorrow." Arthur said, hanging up after. I sighed and closed my phone, hearing the bell ring and Kiku exit the bookstore with books in his arms. I frowned and pocketed the phone, walking over to him.
"Do you need help?" I asked, making him look at me. He looked just as angry as he did the first time this happened, but he sighed and nodded, letting me take a few books from him as he locked the door.
"What's the matter? You look so angry." I say, holding the books and walking with him down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of my house.
"My boyfriend cancelled on our plans." He complained, making me feel the blood drain from my cheeks.
"Boyfriend?" I stammered out, looking down at his angry face. He huffs a bit, holding just one book now and pressing it against his chest like a girl would.
"Well, he's not my boyfriend anymore." He grumbled out, glaring at the snow below him. I nodded a little, still feeling terrible that I was flirting with him when he had a boyfriend. Kiku started to look sad, and he let out a long sigh.
"I thought he was perfect…" He mumbled, "I thought he was different." I frowned a little, adjusting the books so I had an arm free and I patting Kiku's back comfortingly. He smiled a little, wiping his face from either snow or tears, I couldn't tell.
"If he cancelled with you for no reason, then he doesn't deserve someone as great and good-looking as you." I said, smiling a little and getting Kiku to laugh.
"You just won't stop flirting." He teased me, looking up at me with a smile. I chuckled a bit, then shrugged, carrying the books in both hands now. We walked in silence for a while, and even reached his apartment door without speaking. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, putting the books on a table, then unzipping his jacket. He noticed something in his pocket, and pulled it out.
"Oh yeah, you left this at the store." He said, holding it out for me, "I don't know why, but… I thought I would run into you before the end of the day…"
I smiled a little and shook my head, "You can keep it, if you want. It's your favourite, anyway." I say, standing in the doorway. He looked over me, then smiled, lowering his hand.
"Well, thank you for walking home with me. I enjoyed it." He said, coming to stand in the doorway in front of me. I just nodded a little.
"Good night." He said with a shrug. I frowned, then pipe up, "Spend Christmas with me."
"Huh?"
"Spend Christmas with me. I don't have any plans, and your boyfriend skipped out on you. We might as well spend it together, so we don't have to be lonely." I suggested, shrugging. He blushed a bit, then smiled.
"I don't know. I've only known you for a day." He said, looking into his house like he had to do something important. "Maybe." He answered, then closed the door. I sighed a little, tilting my head. Was that enough? Would the days stop looping? Or did I do something wrong still? I shook my head and went back down the sidewalks, arriving at my apartment at eleven. When I got inside, I fell asleep almost immediately.
The next day, I awoke in my bed before the alarm went off. I looked at the time. Seven thirty on December 24th. I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, shoving my face in my pillow. I ended up drifting off again, and jumped when my alarm pulled me from my sleep. I hit the snooze, then got up and made myself breakfast. As I ate, my phone rang once again.
"This is Matthew." I answered flatly.
"Ah, Matthew, I was just wondering if you could come in at seven for your interview."
I took in a deep breath, then smiled, "Well, for you to suddenly change the time of our interview from five to seven in the afternoon is kind of rude, don't you think? In fact, I think I changed my mind about working at some snobby, overpriced restaurant under an equally snobby and egotistic manager. Thank you for your time, I plan to work for a manager who is more realistic, and who doesn't spend a ridiculous amount of money on two brainless muscle-men just for appearances." I said, then hung up, putting the phone on my table and cleaning my dishes. I got dressed, getting the tan fur-lined coat once again and bringing my wallet and phone with me. I walked out the door, heading straight for that sweet-smelling antique store that had the lavender tea. I bought a case, then made my way towards the bookstore, peeking in through the window to see Kiku just coming down the stairs and turning on the lights. He came to the door, looking at me curiously as he unlocked the door. He pushed it open for me.
"Coming in?" He asked sweetly, smiling at me. I nod a little, holding the door open for myself and walking in.
"Thank you." I whisper, looking around the store with interest. Kiku just smiled at me again, taking some books from a few boxes off at the corner of the store and placing them in alphabetical order in the shelves.
"Need help?" I asked, taking out the bag of lavender tea and placing it on the check-out counter. Kiku looked at me, then the bag of tea. His eyes widened like they had yesterday, but he looked away without questioning it.
"You don't have to, sir." He said, stacking the books. I ignored him and took some books in my arms, stacking them alongside him.
"Call me Matthew." I said, smiling at him and stacking the books. Kiku smiled too and continued working. When we had finished putting the books down, I noticed the three books Kiku would leave with tonight. They were on the shelves, and I pulled them out and started leafing through them.
"Would you like to buy a book, Matthew?" He asked, going to the check-out counter and looking down at the tea.
"I think I would. Do you have any recommendations?" I asked, putting the books back when I was done with them. Kiku nodded, going back to the shelves and looking through the books. He didn't even ask me what I had read before, but he grabbed the same book he did the other day and held it out.
I smiled a little, raising a brow, "You didn't even ask me what I liked." I teased, taking the book and watching as his face turned from confident to shocked.
"I…I didn't?" He stammered, "You liked… sci-fi, mystery, and romance, right? I thought you said that…"
Now I was shocked, but I smiled a little, "I guess I forgot mentioning it." I say, shrugging, "Anyway, this book looks perfect. Ten dollars plus tax, right?" I ask, following him to the check-out counter. Kiku nodded and took the book, doing the same thing he did last time. I took out the money, handing it over. Kiku looked down at the tea again.
"Is this…"
"Lavender Tea. I got it from a friend." I say, shrugging a little, "I heard it's good. Do you like it?" I said, already knowing the answer. He smiled and nodded happily.
"It's my favourite. I haven't had some in the longest time, though…" He said, picking up the bag and looking at it.
"Do you want some?" I ask, smiling a little. He gave me an excited look, and I chuckled. He brought me upstairs again and set the kettle, sitting beside me on the futon as we waited for the water.
"So… do you have a boyfriend?" I asked, surprising Kiku. He frowned a little and sighed.
"Yeah, but… things haven't been good lately. We plan on spending Christmas together." He said with a smile, "I'm looking forward to it."
I nod a little, "It sounds like you really care for him."
"I guess. He just doesn't care for me the same way. It doesn't matter, though, he's better than my last boyfriends." He says, shrugging.
"If you don't mind me prying… Why doesn't he care for you?" I asked, feeling like I might be crossing the line. Kiku frowned and looked at me curiously.
"You don't mind me telling you?" He asks, the kettle whistling. Kiku stood and poured the tea, giving me one cup and sitting beside me again, facing me completely. I just waited for the story, blowing gently on the steam.
"Well, we've been dating for almost a year now. I know it might sound selfish, but he never bought me anything for the holidays. He didn't even get me a birthday present. Then I think, maybe it's because I haven't slept with him. Then again, I don't really want to sleep with him if that's all he wants from me. He doesn't call me either. He just shows up, flirts, and tries to get me in bed with him." He explained, looking sad and staring into his tea. I frowned a little, then I put my hand on his shoulder.
"If he treats you that badly, break up with him." I suggested, looking into his eyes. He looked back at me, then down at his tea. He blew softly into the steam, then sipped it.
"But, if I break up with him, I'll be lonely… He's the only one who visits me, actually." Kiku explained, looking sad. I frowned too, knowing what it felt like to be alone. Mostly on a holiday.
"Boyfriend or no boyfriend, I'll visit you as much as you like." I say with a warm smile, making Kiku smile in return.
"Thank you, Matthew." He said, then looked down at his tea once more, "It's strange. I feel like I know you… Have we met before?"
I shook my head, "You probably just remember seeing me pass in front of your bookstore so many times. I can't believe I never took the time to actually come in, though. I mean, the store is so nice, and you're so cute." I blurted out before thinking. Crap, I definitely crossed the line this time. I waited for Kiku to start telling me to leave, but instead, Kiku began laughing.
"You think I'm cute?" He teases me, drinking more tea. A blush was showing, but he smiled anyway. I smile a little, feeling safer.
"I think you're adorable. You're more than adorable, Kiku!" I chuckle out, making him blush more and laugh a bit, "If you weren't dating someone, I'd kiss you right now, eh."
He looked at me with a smile and a brow raised, "Do you really think I'm that good-looking?"
"Cross my heart." I answer, chuckling a little. The bell rang downstairs, and Kiku got up, putting his cup down.
"Stay here." He says, going downstairs to help his customers. I felt great. I must've been doing the right thing this time! I can feel it. Tomorrow will be Christmas, and I was going to spend it with Kiku. I heard Kiku talking to someone, then the register ringing. Finally the bell on the front door rang again, and Kiku started walking up the steps. When he returned to the futon, grabbing his tea and drinking more, he sighed a little and leaned against the wall.
"Everyone wants books for Christmas this year, it's ridiculous. But I'm not complaining." He says with a smile, looking at me.
"What do you want for Christmas?" I ask, also drinking my tea. Kiku thinks about it, finishing his tea, then serving himself more. He even poured me some more, then sat back down.
"Do you have more Lavender Tea?" He asks, looking at me with hope. I chuckle a little, then shake my head.
"But I can give you that bag if you want." I say, looking at the bag, "I can wrap it, then it'll be your present." Kiku laughs a little.
"You don't have to give it to me if you don't want me to." Kiku says kindly, drinking the tea, "It was sweet enough for you to let me have some today." I smile, then grab the bag of tea and I unwrap my book from the brown paper Kiku wrapped it in. I wrapped the tea with it, then spotted a pencil on the countertop. I drew a little bow on the top, not the best bow, but it would suffice. Then I wrote Kiku's name on the packaging. When I was satisfied, I put the pencil down and smiled.
"Close your eyes."
"What?" Kiku laughed out, looking at me skeptically.
"Close your eyes!" I chuckled out. Kiku laughed more, then closed his eyes, using one hand to cover them. I smiled a little, placing the 'present' in his lap.
"Don't open them until I say so." I say, making sure the tea would stand up on its own on Kiku's legs. Then I leaned forward a little, gently pressing my lips against Kiku's. He did nothing at first, but I wouldn't pull away, and he didn't push me away. Then, the hand he was using to cover his eyes slowly slipped around my neck, and he pressed his lips back softly. His fingers played with my hair slowly as we kissed, and I slipped an arm around his waist, running my tongue against his bottom lip. He sighed softly, opening his mouth carefully. I slipped my tongue between his lips, exploring this new territory with excitement. He tasted like the Lavender Tea, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Then I pulled away from him, and saw his eyes were still closed. His cheeks were bright red and his breath was shallow.
"You can open your eyes now…" I whisper, getting no response other than him doing as I said. He looked at me, and for once, I couldn't tell what he was feeling. He sat upright, putting his cup of tea on the countertop.
"That was… uncalled for." He whispered, his expression blank.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself…" I apologized, looking down at my tea. Kiku looked back at me, then sat beside me again, lifting my head by putting his hand under my chin. He smiled a little, still blushing.
"I didn't say I didn't like it." He mumbled, kissing me again. My heart almost leapt out of my chest and I kissed him back, pulling him closer by wrapping my arms around his waist again. He parted his lips for me, and I happily slipped my tongue in. We made out for a few minutes, and he kept making really cute noises. I wasn't sure if he even realized them himself. We pulled away again, and I found him on my lap, straddling me. He was blushing more and panting, but so was I. I could feel my cheeks burning too. He looked over my face, and was wiping some drool from his lips.
"Really uncalled for." Kiku panted out, licking his lips, "You tasted like-"
"Lavender? You did too." I guessed, getting a laugh from the smaller boy.
"Thank you for that present." He said, getting off of me. I chuckled a bit, fixing his hair.
"Thank you for not slapping me, eh." I teased, getting another laugh from him.
The bell rang again downstairs and I checked my watch. How could the time fly so quickly when I was with Kiku? It only felt like I've been here for thirty minutes, and it's already six! Kiku fixed his clothes and went downstairs, greeting the little girl I knew would be there and helped her buy a book. I put my tea down beside Kiku's following him downstairs and watching him work. I smiled a little, and when the girl left, I leaned over the railing.
"Hey, do you want to go get something to eat?" I asked. Kiku looked up at me and thought about it. He had the same expression he had the other night when he turned me down after I asked him to spend Christmas with me. Then, he looked outside and smiled.
"Well, okay." He said, opening his register and getting some money, "But we'll have to hurry. I'm waiting for a few new books at seven thirty." He said, grabbing that poofy white marshmallow of a coat and slipping it on. I smiled happily, coming down the steps completely and helping him with his jacket. We exited the bookstore and he locked the door.
"I know a nice little bakery down the street." He said, pointing down the road to a small shop with green and blue lights hanging from the roof. I nodded a little and followed him along the sidewalk, holding his hand. He laughed a little when I did, but didn't pull away. When we got to the bakery, we found a table and the waitress asked us what we wanted. Kiku ordered for both of us, promising me that I'd enjoy it.
When we got the food, he told me to eat first. It really was delicious, and I promised him that I'd never doubt his tastes again. We ate as we talked, getting to know each other better and enjoying each other's company. Then, his phone rang, and he answered it. I leaned back in my chair, watching his face.
"Hello?" He answered, taking another bite of his food as he listened. He frowned then, and he sat up a little straighter, "What do you mean you can't make it?" He asked, looking angry. I frowned, this must be when his boyfriend cancels their plans for Christmas.
"Alfred, you promised!" He said, a little loudly. My eyes widened a little when I heard the name, and I sat up straighter too.
"Alfred?" I whispered, "Your boyfriend is Alfred?" Kiku looked at me, then looked away.
"Why are you cancelling?" He asked, ignoring me. I was about to panic. What if Kiku wasn't the one I was supposed to be falling in love with? I started rubbing my hands together nervously, hoping this day wouldn't repeat again. Kiku was amazing, how could I not fall for him?
"Oh, and you think that's a good reason?" Kiku scoffed out, taking out money and putting it on the table, getting up and exiting the bakery. I frowned and went after him, catching up with him and standing beside him as he talked.
"No, Alfred, I'm not overreacting! You do this every holiday! Even on my birthday!" He choked out, tears running down his face. I frowned and held out my arms for him. He saw me and sniffed, wiping his eyes and going to me. I hugged him, having a little trouble getting my arms around that impossibly thick jacket of his. He clung to me tightly, still pressing his phone against his ear. I could hear my brother's voice, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Alfred, just stop. Please. You're not making it better." Kiku mumbled, still crying. I ran my fingers through his hair, patting his back, but I highly doubt he felt it through the layers of whatever thick substance this jacket was made of. The material was thicker than Kiku's arms, and his arms were pretty thin!
"I don't care anymore." Kiku said, but Alfred kept talking, "I said I don't care!" Then Kiku started yelling at him in Japanese. Well, now I know he's Japanese! That settles that.
"Good bye!" Kiku finally sobbed out, hanging up and hiding his face in my jacket. He kept crying, and I just held onto him, kissing the top of his head.
"Come on, let's go inside. You need to get those books, and it's warmer in there." I said, leading Kiku towards his bookstore again. Kiku just nodded, wiping his eyes and unlocking the door. When we walked in, I brought Kiku upstairs and sat him down on the futon, sitting beside him. I helped him take his jacket off and rubbed his back. He took in a deep breath, wiping his eyes again.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly, getting a nod from the man. He looked at me, then sniffled and rested his head against my shoulder.
"Do you know Alfred?" He asked shakily. I warmed up the tea and gave him another cup, rubbing his back again.
"Yes. I know him well. I didn't know you were dating him." I said, frowning a little.
"How do you know him?" He asked, sipping the tea carefully. I frown a bit and sighed.
"He's my brother. But we're not close." I say, looking away from Kiku, but still holding him. Kiku was quiet for a little, but then I felt his lips on my cheek.
"You look nothing like him." Kiku said, shocking me.
"Really? Everyone always confuses me for him. It gets me into a lot of trouble." I said, frowning a little and looking down at Kiku. He just nods.
"I think you're much more handsome. And skinnier." He says, making me laugh a bit. I kissed his forehead, then we heard the bell ringing. Kiku stood, wiping his eyes again, "That must be the delivery." He says, going downstairs. I followed him down, seeing a man standing there with a package. They exchanged the box and Kiku set it down, then wrote his signature on the paper the man gave him. When the man left, he opened the box and smiled. He took out the books, and I helped him. We stacked the books in silence, and when the box was empty, I took Kiku's hand.
"Spend the night with me." I said, squeezing his hand.
"What?" He whispers, looking up at me.
"Spend the night with me! Then we can be together on Christmas, and you won't have to think about Alfred until Christmas is over." I said, smiling at him. Kiku gave me a skeptical look, then looked down at his shoes.
"Please?" I whisper, kissing his hand, "I want to make you happy." I tell him, making him look up at me again. He looked into my eyes, then nodded slowly.
"Okay… I guess." He whispers, and I smile, leading him towards the door.
"W-wait a minute." He said, running up the steps and coming back down with his marshmallow. He pulled it on, then exited the bookstore with me, turning the lights off and locking the door.
"My flat isn't far from here. It's a little messy, but it's cozy." I say, getting a smile from the shorter man. As we walked down the sidewalk, my phone buzzed a little. I flipped it open, hearing my dad say, "Son, how is it going?"
"Not now, I'm doing something important." I said, getting a very interested "oh?"
"Well, okay, lad. If it's the same again tomorrow, then call me." He said, hanging up.
"Who was that?" Kiku asked as I put my phone away. I smiled a little and shook my head.
"Just my dad." I answer, smiling at Kiku. We reached the flat in almost no time, and I unlocked the front door with my key. I held the door open for him, and led him up the stairs to the top. When I unlocked my door, I pushed it open and let Kiku in first. He looked around, smiling a little.
"You're right. It is cozy." He said, taking off his jacket and I turned up the heater. I smiled at him, and before I could offer him something to drink, he grabbed the front of my jacket and kissed me. I was a bit surprised, but I wrapped my left arm around his waist and cupped his cheek with my right, battling with him for dominance. He pushed me against the door, wrapping those thin arms around my neck and he played with my hair again. He started making those noises again, and when he made them and rubbed up against me like this, I couldn't help but get a little excited.
"K-Kiku… hold on…" I pant out, pushing him away slightly. He was panting too, and he had the sexiest expression on his face. I had to force myself to not pin him to the wall and attack. I shook my head a little, "You told me you didn't want to sleep with Alfred… but you've known him far longer than you've known me!"
Kiku's eyes widened a little, and at first, I thought that he would pull away and decide to not continue this. I mentally smacked myself for making him doubt sex. With me! The only other time I got laid was when the hooker thought I was Alfred! And that was when I was fourteen! That was twelve years ago! Talk about a horrible dry spell. I was about to apologize for making Kiku think that I wasn't attracted to him, but that incredibly sexy expression came back, along with a smile.
"Matthew… you're so sweet. No one's cared this much for me, even in a day." He whispered, kissing my cheek, then my chin and neck. I shivered a little and let him, tilting my head to the side to give him more space.
"So… you don't mind?" I ask weakly, my voice wavering slightly. Kiku laughed a little and kissed my lips.
"I don't mind." He whispers, "Think of it as a Christmas present, in order to pay back for how nice you've been." He says, taking my hand and pulling me towards the chair.
"I have a bed if you want to use that instead." I suggest, nodding my head in the direction of my bedroom.
"How big is it?" Kiku asked, glancing into the room to see the queen bed. He giggled a little, walking in and climbing on top of the bed on all fours with his butt towards me. As he crawled on, I couldn't help but stare. He was so perfect… how could Alfred just throw him away like that?
He looked back at me, noticing me staring at his butt, "I think it's too big." He said, wiggling his butt a little, "What do you think?" He asks, slipping his pants down slowly. My breath hitched as it went further down, exposing all of him.
"I think it's perfect." I whisper, going over to him and running my hands up his sides and squeezing his ass, shivering a little when he moaned. I smirked a little and slipped my hand to his front, rubbing his member teasingly to make him moan more. He lowered his chest against the bed, gripping the sheets and looking back at me with a delicious want in his eyes. He was already a little wet at the front, precum rubbing against my palm.
"You're so cute down there." I teased him, getting him to look back at me.
"I doubt you're any bigger!" He panted out with a smirk, lifting his chest a little so he could pull off his shirt. I watch him undress, then I lean down and bite his shoulder, grinding myself against his bum.
"Matthew, give me your hand." Kiku panted out, twisting around so his hips were still in the air but his left shoulder was dug into the blankets. I obliged and held out my arm. Kiku grabbed my wrist and started licking the first two, taking them into his mouth and rubbing his tongue against them seductively, looking up at me cutely. I groaned a little, trying hard not to imagine him doing that to my lower regions. When he decided they were slicked up enough, he pressed his chest against the bed again, still looking back at me.
"Put it in…" He begged, using one hand to pull his cheeks apart. I looked down at him in amazement, wanting to claim him as mine already. But I knew better than to go crazy like that, and I rubbed my pointer finger in a circle around his anus. He shivered a little and moaned lightly, closing his eyes. I pressed against him, my finger slipping in slowly. His back arched a little and he kept his eyes closed. When I inserted the second finger, Kiku's shoulders shook a little and he bit his lip. I started to gently thrust them in and out of him, slicking up his insides and trying to find that particular spot in him. I bent my fingers and scissored them, and when I thought I would never be able to find it, I dug my fingers in deep and Kiku arched his back, crying out in pleasure. His grip on the blankets tightened and I bumped against that spot a few more times, making cute Kiku moan out my name, twisting about in pleasure.
I groaned a little at his moans, then he started panting out "more…"
I pulled my fingers out, making him whimper. I kissed his shoulder, undoing my pants and pulling out my hard-on. Kiku looked back at me, his eyes widening a little when he saw my size. He lifted his chest a little, "Do you have lube?"
"Yeah…" I mumble, reaching over to the nightstand and pulling it out. It's not that I had sex a lot, remember, twelve year dry spell? I just… liked helping myself to those prostitutes' moans and such. It's not a crime, I think. I poured some of the lube down Kiku's butt, making him shiver and let out a shaky breath. Then I rubbed some on my hands, pumping myself a couple of times to thoroughly slick myself. I gripped Kiku's hips, and he closed his eyes, relaxing himself for me. I pressed the tip against him, rubbing it at first, then slowly pushing it in. He opened his mouth a little, panting a bit faster.
"Tell me if I'm hurting you…" I tell him, rubbing his hips and getting a nod in reply.
"Keep going… All at once." He requested, squeezing his eyes shut. I nodded a little, rubbing his hips more. Then, with one thrust, I forced it all in, making Kiku cry out in pain. I groaned a little, shivering a bit at how tight he was.
"Oh my god… you feel like a virgin…" I pant out, gently rocking my hips against his soft insides, wanting to just pound him. He was panting and whimpered and moaning lightly, blushing and looking back at me.
"I… I was…" He moaned out, making my eyes snap open. Kiku was a virgin, and I just ripped that innocence away from him! I felt like patting myself on the back and slapping myself at the same time. Damn, virgins felt amazing…
"Matthew… move, please…" He whimpered out, wiggling his hips a little. I blushed a bit, realized I was caught up in my own thoughts. I pulled out slowly, then pushed back in just as slow, making Kiku moan a little.
"Don't be so gentle!" Kiku scolded, gripping the sheets tightly. I smirked a little and started thrusting into him faster, running my hands up his sides and teasing his nipples. He shivered a bit more and moaned louder. I pinched and twisted his nipples, still thrusting into him at an easy pace. Kiku kept moaning and whimpering, so I thought he would get off with just this. This was a little disappointing to me, since I probably wouldn't be able to. After a few minutes of slow fucking him, Kiku moaned out, "Matthew, fuck me!"
"I don't want to hurt you, mostly if it's your first time…" I panted out, not wanting Kiku to hate me afterwards.
"I don't care! Fuck me hard… please…" He whimpered out, his hips shaking a little. I smirked a little and gripped his hips again, thrusting into him fast and rough. Kiku's eyes opened wide when he was caught off guard by this new tempo, but he moaned and mewled in pleasure, teasing his own nipples. I groaned a little, starting to get into it. Thrusting faster, I rolled him onto his side and lifted one of his legs, thrusting into him sideways. He blushed out of embarrassment but couldn't stop moaning. Kiku had tried to cover himself, but I grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers.
"Don't cover your beautiful body." I groaned out, kissing his palm and thrusting into him harder. Kiku tilted his head back, resting it on the pillow beneath him as he vocalized his pleasure.
"Matthew… ah… It's so big, Matthew… so good… more… yes… haaah…" He kept repeating this, and sometimes he would mutter out a few Japanese words in the middle of it. I moved him again, laying him on his back and lifting his hips so I could thrust deep into him. He wouldn't stop moaning, and I didn't want him to. His head kept rolling from side to side, and his hair was starting to stick to his forehead. His back arched cutely, showing of those hard pink nipples he had. I ran my fingers over them, making him shiver and moan louder. His eyes were half-lidded and hazed over. I wasn't even sure if he could see properly right now. He looked like he was enjoying it though, since his mouth hung open and his chest heaved with each pant and moan. I could even see some drool running down the corner of his lips, and it just made him that much sexier. With each thrust, his hips would twitch and his adorable boner would bounce slightly, flicking precum on Kiku's pelvis.
I smirked at how great this was. I wasn't going to slow down, and I bet from Kiku's noises that he didn't want me to slow down either. I gripped his thighs tightly, spreading them apart a bit further. I gripped his penis and started pumping him, wanting to see his expression when he climaxes. Kiku's cries became louder and more desperate as I rubbed him off. Pressing my thumb against the tip just made him cry out my name. His eyes opened a little more, and he looked up at me.
"I can't… Matthew… ah…" He whined, trying to form a complete sentence. I smirked a bit and leaned down, kissing his lips and thrusting into him harder. His legs were wrapped around my waist now, forcing me in deeper. He jerked his head to the side, breaking our kiss and he cried out in pleasure, his legs squeezing me and his anus tightening around my dick, making me shudder and thrust in faster. Kiku's orgasm face was better than I could ever imagine. Seeing his face and feeling him tighten around me pushed me over the edge. I grunted, biting my lip and pulling out of him. I pumped myself a few times, coming on Kiku's chest. I was panting hard, and when I was done, Kiku laughed weakly, running a finger through the sperm on his chest and licking it. I blushed more as I watched him scoop up my semen and lick it off like it was honey.
"God you're so sexy…" I whispered, getting him to unwrap his legs so I could lie next to him. He giggled a little, blushing. I grabbed a few tissues to wipe his chest down, and he smiled at me.
"Thank you." He whispered, kissing me after.
"For what?" I question, kissing him back.
"For making sure I wanted to have sex before doing me." He explained, closing his eyes. I smiled a little and wrapped my arms around him.
"Just promise me you'll be here in the morning." I whisper. He laughs a little, holding onto me.
"I don't think I would just leave you." Kiku answers, making me feel safe with him. I glanced at the clock, seeing it read 1:13 A.M. on the 25th of December. I closed my eyes, hoping that when I woke up, it'd stay the 25th.
I woke up to the alarm sounding off, making me groan. I slapped the clock, not caring to look at the date. My arms were empty, so I figured I did something wrong and it was the twenty fourth again.
"That clock is so loud…" I heard a sweet voice complain. I opened my eyes a crack, seeing the cute Japanese man laying beside me, just out of arms reach. He was propped up on his elbows and had been lying on his stomach. From what I could see, he was still naked. He had one eye open slightly, and his hair was a complete mess. He looked down at me and smiled.
"Merry Christmas, Matthew." He sighed out, laying on his side and moving closer to me, kissing my lips. I was too shocked to kiss back, and I ran my fingers through his slightly matted hair. He laughed a little, letting me.
"You're still here…" I finally said, rubbing my thumb against his cheek. Kiku smiled more, closing his eyes in comfort.
"I promised you I'd stay." He answered me, holding my hand against his cheek happily. I smiled a little more, then my cell phone started ringing. I kissed Kiku's forehead, getting out of bed and grabbing my boxers, pulling them on as I left the room.
"This is Matthew." I answered my phone happily, leaning in the doorway to my bedroom and staring at Kiku as he laid there like a kitten. He smiled and crooked his finger at me, beckoning me back to bed.
"Merry Christmas, Matthew! I was starting to think you would just give up and it'd be Christmas Eve forever!" Arthur's voice rang out, making me chuckle a little.
"Merry Christmas, Dad." I said, shaking my head at Kiku who kept trying to get me back to bed. Kiku pouted a little, then pulled the blankets back and patted the spot next to him. I laughed a little and walked over, sitting down next to him. He smiled at me and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my hip and laughing a little.
"Hmm? Is that another person I heard?" Arthur asked, his supersonic hearing never failing him. I sighed a bit.
"Dad, we'll talk about it later. I want to spend my Christmas with someone." I explained, getting a chuckle from him.
"Arthur! Tell my peu Mathieu that I love 'im!" Came papa's voice from over the phone. I laughed a little and shook my head.
"Je t'aime aussi, papa." I said in return, making papa cry out happily in French and Arthur mutter something.
"Oh, yes, I believe your brother said he'd be visiting you later. I don't remember when, but I remember him saying he needed to vent." Arthur warned me, making me groan.
"Really? Why today?" I whined, "Well, I'll look out for him. Thank you, Dad." I said, then I hung up after. I looked down at Kiku, who was nipping at my skin playfully.
"Want to go get something to eat?" I chuckled out, running my fingers through his hair. He thinks about it, then sits up, wrapping his arms around my neck and kissing me.
"Can we shower first? I think I still have some of your sperm on me." He said, making me blush a little.
"Yeah, of course." I laughed out nervously. Kiku just got up, taking my hand and pulling me into the bathroom with him. I turned on the shower and Kiku stretched a little. I wanted to run my hands over his body when I saw him stretching, and when he caught me staring, he just laughed and teased me. When the water was warm enough, we both stood in the narrow shower together, his arms wrapped around my shoulders and my arms around his hips. We were washing each other at first, but we ended up making out for a while, until the water started getting cold. We had to rinse ourselves quickly, feeling like teenagers again for wasting all the water and spending our time kissing. I lent Kiku some of my clothes and the black overcoat.
"That marshmallow is not a jacket, it's a curse! How am I supposed to touch you with a foot of fluff between my hand and your body, eh?" I joked as he put on the overcoat. He tried defending his jacket by saying it was warm, but he couldn't say much when he wore my jacket. I knew for a fact that my jackets were always warmer than most, no matter how thin they looked. I dressed in my tan jacket again, pulling on my boots as Kiku tied his shoes. When we left the flat, Kiku held my hand as if it were a normal thing. I smiled at this, but frowned when I noticed Kiku's limp.
"Are you okay? Was I too rough?" I asked, looking down at him in worry. He smiled a bit, then shook his head.
"You were amazing." He said breathily, kissing my cheek. I smiled, feeling confident now. We went to a small diner and ate some holiday pancakes. I always loved pancakes, but my favourite pancake had to be a regular buttermilk pancake with maple syrup. Of course, the sprinkles in the golden circle of deliciousness made it a little more fun, and it was topped with syrup and whipped cream. Kiku expressed his hatred of multicoloured foods, but he ate the pancake anyway.
"I don't think I could ever eat a food coloured blue; unless I knew there were berries in it." He admitted, shivering at the thought. I just laughed at his weird blue-phobia, and teased him for a little. He got his revenge when I told him I enjoyed hockey, calling out stereotypes which made me laugh. When we were done eating, we walked around the city. I brought him into that amazingly scented antique shop and showed him the selection of teas. He almost died from happiness when he saw the Lavender tea. Since he didn't have his wallet, I bought him two bags, one to stay at my flat and one for his apartment. As we walked back to my flat, I noticed Alfred sitting out on the sidewalk. I frowned and stopped walking, grabbing Kiku's arm.
"Hey, if you want to go home right now, you can." I said, glancing over at my brother. He didn't notice us yet, which was a good thing. Kiku frowned and followed my line of sight, noticing Alfred. He frowned a bit more, thinking of what he should do.
"Do you want me to leave?" He asked, kissing my lips. I kissed back lightly, then I shook my head.
"I want to spend as much time with you as I can." I answered him, getting a smile from the Japanese man.
"Well then, I'll come with you. I'm sure Alfred won't mind anyway." He said, holding onto my arm and walking with me towards the flat. I smiled a little, thinking how brave Kiku was compared to me. If my ex was my lover's brother and I saw him, I would've bolted. That got me thinking, however, and I looked down at Kiku. Were we… lovers? Or maybe even boyfriends? I wanted to ask him, but my brother piped up first.
"Kiku, what're you doing with my little brother?" He called out, standing up straight and shoving his hands in his pockets. Kiku just smiled at him.
"Hello, Alfred." He mumbled, ignoring his question.
"What're you doing here? I thought you would throw a party." I said, getting out my keys and unlocking the front door.
"I wanted to come visit you. I had a bad Christmas Eve." He said, eyeing the smiling Kiku as he walked into the building and up the steps.
"Matthew, hurry up, it's freezing outside." He called out, making me chuckle a little.
"What're you doing with Kiku?" Alfred asked in almost a whisper. Usually his voice was so loud, so his whisper was more like a softer normal volume. I shrugged, letting him in then walking in after him. We walked up the steps to my flat where Kiku was already waiting.
"We spent Christmas Eve together and decided to spend Christmas together too." I said, unlocking the door and letting both of them in.
"I don't have a couch, but you can grab a seat from the kitchen table if you'd like, Alfred." I said as I closed the door behind me. Alfred did as I said, pulling the chair out into the living room and leaning it against the wall, sitting on it and shifting around until he was comfortable. Kiku stood by the wall, watching me set the bags of tea down on the counter and sit down on the recliner. When I sat, Kiku smiled a little and sat on my lap, surprising both me and my brother. What surprised me the most was how light he was. He had his legs up and hanging off the arm rest and his arms were looped around my neck, but it felt like a feather just landed on me.
"Kiku, why are you sitting on Matthew?" Alfred asked, looking upset and a little angry. Kiku shrugged a little resting his head against my shoulder. He was acting like the cutest little kitten. I had the sudden urge to just kiss him, but I didn't want to do that in front of my brother. Alfred was eyeing me and Kiku curiously, not sure if what he thought was going on was true.
"Anyway, I came down because I just recently had a fight with my significant other." Alfred, said, leaning back in his chair and pretending like Kiku wasn't on me right now. I laughed a little.
"It's still weird, you usually never come to me when you feel down." I say, rubbing Kiku's thigh gently.
"Well, what's wrong with seeing your baby brother on Christmas, dude?" He said with a forced smile, "I even brought you a present!"
Kiku's ears seemed to perk at that, and I could see him glaring at Alfred. I kept my smile, and said, "Really? Where is it?"
Alfred blushed a little, then slouched, "I ate it." Kiku's glare went down and he looked up at me, seeing my smile. This was a normal thing for Alfred. He'd get something delicious looking for someone else and eat it before he gave it to them. He did give me a present once, though, but that was because it was a raisin cookie and Alfred thought it was chocolate. It had a huge bite taken out of it, and I just threw the rest away. Then Alfred scolded me for wasting a chocolate chip cookie. Sometimes he was just a little too dumb to function properly, but that's what made him my brother.
"Did you want to talk about your fight?" I asked him, running my hands up and down Kiku's spine, making him shiver in pleasure.
"Do you want me to make tea?" Kiku asked, looking up at me. I looked at Alfred, and he shrugged, so I nodded. Kiku smiled and got up, going into the kitchen and preparing the kettle. Alfred leaned forward, beckoning me forward too. I obliged, and Alfred grabbed my shoulder.
"Dude, why is Kiku so clingy to you?" He asked urgently, looking upset. I frown a little, not sure if I should say that we had sex last night, so he was probably still in that romantic stage. When I stayed silent, though, Alfred frowned more, then leaned back.
"Well, I called my boyfriend yesterday to tell him I had to cancel our plans for Christmas, right?" He began his story, loud enough for Kiku to hear. I just nodded, interested in his side of the story.
"Well, when I told him, he got all pissed at me and started yelling and stuff. I thought my reason for cancelling was a good reason, too!" He whined.
"What was your reason, eh?" I asked, raising a brow. Alfred huffed a little, crossing his arms.
"I told him I couldn't make it because a new McDonalds was opening and I wanted to be the first in line to buy all the Big Macs before anyone else did." Alfred explained, looking like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then shook my head.
"Wait a minute, you told your boyfriend that you didn't want to spend valuable time with him for McDonalds?" I questioned, hoping I heard him wrong. Alfred started nodding, and I held my head in my hands.
"Alfred, you can't just cancel your plans for food! Don't you love your boyfriend?"
"Of course I do! He's my boyfriend, and he's an amazing person!" Alfred said, looking back at Kiku again who was now pouring three cups of tea.
"Then you treat him like the amazing person he is! Nothing should come between you and him!" I said, knowing I was digging my own grave here, "If you love him, you better tell him right now, and apologize."
"Fine! Kiku, I'm sorry for cancelling on your and I love you so much I'd die without you!" He yelled, standing up and looking into the kitchen at Kiku. I sighed a little, wondering if the twenty fourth will start repeating again until I find someone new. I could imagine what would happen next, Kiku would run into Alfred's arms and kiss him like crazy, then they'd leave for a Matthew-less room and have sex or something while saying how much they love one another.
"Oh, Alfred…." Kiku gasped out, sounding completely touched. The next thing out of Kiku's mouth will definitely be-
"I'm already dating someone else." Kiku said with venom, making my brother's eyes widen and his hands clench into fists. I even looked shocked, and I looked over my shoulder at Kiku. He was smiling ever-so-sweetly and he put the kettle down, bringing the three cups over and giving one to me, then Alfred.
"Are… Are you serious?" Alfred stammered out, staring at Kiku in disbelief and sadness. Kiku just nodded, sitting on my lap again.
"And let me tell you, he is great in bed." Kiku sighed out, sipping his tea. I chuckled a little, sipping my own tea and thinking about how Alfred is probably going to beat me up now.
"Who is it? Who're you dating?" Alfred yelled out. I almost choked on my tea. Wasn't it obvious? He was sitting on my lap, and being all lovey-dovey with me! Kiku just laughed a little.
"Like I'd tell you! You'd murder him!" Kiku said, glaring at Alfred.
"Just tell me who it is so I can beat him up!" Alfred yelled, his whole being filled with rage. I can imagine him being most angry because he hadn't been able to sleep with Kiku when his new boyfriend of barely a day already screwed him so hard he was limping.
"Are we really dating?" I whispered to Kiku so my brother couldn't hear. Kiku just smiled a little and nodded, sipping more tea.
"Stop whispering and tell me!" Alfred screamed, acting like a six-year-old with a temper tantrum.
"I'm him." I said, lifting my cup of tea. Alfred's fury died and he stared at me.
"What?"
"I'm Kiku's boyfriend. We started dating last night. After he had a fight with his ex." I said, shrugging. Alfred stared at me more, not moving. I couldn't even tell if he was breathing.
"This is a joke, right? No one would want to date Matthew! He's a wimp! No one even notices him!" Alfred complained, throwing his arms out in front of him and gesturing to me.
"Don't talk about Matthew like that!" Kiku hissed, hugging me tighter, "He's my boyfriend because he's sweet and kind and he actually cares about me, unlike some people!"
"I cared about you, Kiku!" Alfred claimed, looking heartbroken, "I've always cared about you!"
"No you didn't! You never spent time with me except at night. You were always trying to get me naked, and you didn't even acknowledge my birthday!" Kiku retorted, looking just as upset as Alfred was.
Alfred was about to yell something, but I saw something click in his head, "Aha! You're only dating Matthew because he looks like me, aren't you? You don't care about his personality, you just didn't want to be lonely!" My eyes widened a little. I did have a couple of past girlfriends who dated me just because I looked like my brother. It was a horrible curse, everyone thought I would have the same personality as him just because we looked similar. Kiku just smirked, though, making my heart sink. What if it's true? What if he only slept with me because I looked like Alfred?
"If I thought he looked anything like you, I would've smacked him by now, much less make love to me." Kiku said, stabbing Alfred in the heart. Alfred stood there, defeated.
"Did you seriously sleep with him? That easily?" Alfred asked weakly, looking like he was going to cry.
"His personality was way better than yours, and I knew that this would be my man for a long time." Kiku answered, making me blush a little. I smiled and kissed Kiku's cheek, accidentally making the heartache for my brother worse.
"I'm sorry, Alfred, but… who could turn down such a gorgeous man?" I mumbled, hugging Kiku close to me. Alfred let out a long sigh, then crossed his arms.
"Fine. Be that way. I highly doubt you two are going to stay together for long. I'm gunna go get some McDonalds." He said, leaving the flat. When we heard him march down the steps, Kiku laughed a little and kissed me on the lips.
"Thank you for having my back on that one." He said, running his fingers through my hair. I chuckled a little and kissed him again.
"Why wouldn't I? You were right the whole time." I said, rubbing his back gently and making him sigh in comfort.
"Just to make sure, you want to be my boyfriend, right?" Kiku asked, looking into my eyes. I rolled them, then kissed him again.
"I'll be your boyfriend, lover, or booty call. Whatever makes you happy." I say, hoping he won't change his mind and make me his booty call. He just laughed instead and hugged me tightly.
"You're going to be the best boyfriend I've had in a long time." He whispered, staying on my lap and finishing his tea.
I hope you guys liked it. I had recently saw commercials for that Twelve Dates of Christmas thing that's supposed to be playing on abc family, and I thought "Well, that's a good idea, but if it's their own movie, it'll probably suck." So I decided to make my own, just to compare it. I'm not a brilliant writer or anything, and I have tons of grammar errors, I know, but I just wanted to have fun with the idea of repeated a day until you get it right. It turned out much longer than I had expected it to be, and I'm thinking of making a sequel. I might, if I get a lot of reviews.