Written for the holiday fix exchange on the DFC. My assignment was reminiscent afterthought. Sorry I'm late & I hope you enjoy!
It was a stupid gift, Osamu decided, even as he thanked Ken. Sixteen small squares colored so that they only matched in specific patterns; a homemade puzzle. Creative, but still stupid. Really.
It wasn't even colored very neatly, Osamu cringed at the tornado of scribbles every time he looked at them. And who would put pink and green and orange in the same place? The kid seriously needed to learn how to coordinate his colors.
So yeah, the gift was stupid. And sloppy, not to mention ugly and childish. Osamu didn't play with puzzles, especially those on Ken's level. To prove it, Osamu dumped the puzzle pieces on to his desk and started arranging them, green and red edge lined with its twin, blues all clustered in a corner, that disgusting pink-orange-green-purple piece... easy. And stupid.
Osamu went to gather the pieces together when he realized that the far right side didn't quite match up. But it was good enough... Osamu frowned. Fine, he got it wrong, but it won't take much time for him to get it right. So Osamu rearranged the puzzle pieces. And rearranged them again. And again. And one more time to get it right.
Then Osamu remebered Ken telling him that there were two ways to get the puzzle correct. And a backside.
~o~
"Osamu?"
"What's up squirt?" Osamu answered absently. He was still arranging the puzzle pieces, this time on the reverse side. This side was just as badly colored as its bright counterpart, done with browns and navies and other dark crayons. It was also still stupid.
"Are you busy?" The sound of slippers shuffling told Osamu that Ken was walking further into the room.
"Not really," Osamu hedged.
"Oh... What are you doing?"
"What do you want Ken?"
"I was just wondering if - oh. You're playing with it."
"With what?"
"The puzzle. I was going to ask if you played with it yet."
"Oh..." The brothers fell into a short silence, although it seemed to be long enough for Osamu to forget that Ken was in the room.
"How do you like it?" Ken asked.
"What?"
"The puzzle."
Osamu placed his last piece, finally getting the first of two arrangements correct. Two hours, he had spent on this thing so far. There was probably another hour left for him yet. Getting the second arrangement was harder than finding the first. However, instead of telling his brother the truth he shrugged. "It's alright, I guess. But we have got to work on your coloring skills."