The Incense of Cigarette Smoke
When Takaya misses Naoe the most, he starts smoking. It's not just any brand that he'll smoke either. It has to be His brand of cigarettes and only His brand that Takaya will ever smoke.
Originally Takaya didn't smoke. At first, when Takaya started to miss Naoe the most, Takaya was content to just light His brand of cigarettes and let it burn just so that he could smell the smoke. As if it was incense that he was offering to the gods in hopes of seeing Naoe soon. Even if the gods didn't seem to listen to his silent pleas, the smell of cigarette smoke alone would comfort Takaya and he would be content while surrounded by that smell.
After a while, Takaya started to think of Naoe while he ws being comforted by the smell of the smoke. This thinking of Naoe led to Takaya trying one, just in an effort to comprehend why Naoe would smoke at all. The smoke hitting his lungs for the first time made Takaya cough harshly. The cigarette tasted vile without Naoe's unique taste to counteract the disgusting taste.
After he had taken a shower and thoroughly brushed his teeth, Takaya found that his clothing still smelled of the cigarette smoke. He went to bed that night in those clothes because the residual smell was like being in Naoe's presence. Eventually Takaya started the habit he hates just because the smell seems to stay with him longer when he does smoke.
When Takaya misses Naoe the most, he starts smoking. Even though he can't stand the taste and the smell leaves a hollow ache inside of him, Takaya still likes – no – he needs the comfort that the smell from the cigarette smoke leaves behind. If Takaya can't be in his presence, then at least he has the comfort his favorite smell gives him. After all cigarette smoke is a main component that makes the smell that is Naoe, so Takaya's favorite smell is that of cigarette smoke. Besides dealing with cigarette smoke is infinitely less complicated than dealing with Naoe.
Disclaimer: Mirage of Blaze does not belong to me, nor am I making any money from this fiction.