The Future's Bright…

Ryou leant over the counter, as he felt his strength leave him bit by bit. He'd gained a new appreciation for the candles he burned in the shop that always melted away into strange crooked shapes, and wept beads of wax into messy, molten pools on his shelves. Ryou combed his fingers up through his hair in an attempt to peel his fringe back from his damp face and was glad that the rebellious strands had decided to stay in place for now rather than fall back into his eyes.

He looked on as Mariku worked on the air-conditioning unit that sat above his shop's door. After many years of service, the fan had decided to pack it in and had finally fallen still. As frustrating as it was, Ryou could hardly blame it. He was certain he was on the way out too; in this heat it felt too hot to breathe.

Ryou watched spellbound as the wings of Mariku's tattoo peeked out over the back of his black vest top and twitched as shoulder muscles rippled under his copper skin. Ryou licked at his lips to moisten them and was greeted with the sharp taste of salt as he did so.

'Do you need a toolbox?' he called out.

Mariku continued to work at the interior of the machine, using a free hand to brush his own wild hair from his face.

'No, but I could use a flashlight,' he replied. 'Why do you keep the store so dark anyway?'

'It's better for business,' Ryou replied, looking over the gloomy interior. The only light was provided by flickering candles and the ambient orange tones of the salt lamps that lit up the cabinets like glowing coals. 'People don't trust a bright and minimalist magic shop. They expect a dingy Aladdin's cave. That blackout curtain doubled my sales.'

'It's also turning your store into a hotbox,' Mariku grumbled as he replaced the top panel of the little, grey box. 'Try that now.'

Ryou tore his gaze from Mariku and spun around to the AC control and pressed at the buttons. He listened carefully but could only hear the gentle chimes and gongs of the latest new age album from the CD player. The fan's usual hum was still missing.

'It's broken,' Mariku declared as his diagnosis, hopping down from the shop's stool and returning to the counter. 'Have you called someone to fix it yet?'

'Next Monday,' Ryou replied, sorrowfully glancing back up to the traitorous device. 'Thanks for looking at it though.'

'But it's Tuesday now,' Mariku said. 'You can't keep working in these conditions, Ryou. Close the place down for a week and take a vacation.'

'Well, someone has to keep the store open.'

Mariku glanced around the empty shop floor pointedly. 'For who?'

'My regulars,' Ryou said, reaching a hand down the back of his shirt to unstick it from his skin. 'You're in here nearly every day. Where will you get your incense if I shut down?'

"I'll manage for a week,' Mariku said, waving it off. 'But you're going to pass out if you try and keep working in these conditions.'

Ryou gave a heavy sigh. He knew Mariku was right, but the prospect of a week alone in his flat was hardly a pleasant notion.

'I'll close up the shop after you leave,' he promised reluctantly. 'What were you looking for today before I set you to work on my AC anyway?'

'Just browsing,' Mariku admitted, looking down at the abandoned Tarot cards from Ryou's earlier attempted reading. 'But I'll take a fortune if you're doing them.'

'You believe in Tarot?'

'I'd like to know my future,' Mariku replied with a shrug.

'The cards reveal more about the reader than the future,' Ryou admitted. He didn't hold much stock in Western mysticism but he found the meanings of the cards fascinating.

'Isn't that what fortune tellers say so they don't get sued?' Mariku chuckled, and Ryou smiled sadly. He was going to miss that laugh this week.

Gathering up the cards into his deck, Ryou counted eight shuffles and set the cards on the counter.

'Cut the deck in two wherever feels natural,' he said, taking a price card from the incense display to fan himself with.

Unsteadily, Mariku cut the deck close to the bottom and removed the cards from the top. He gave a careful nod and Ryou set out three cards between them.

'Past,' he said, pointing at the card directly in front of Mariku, before drawing his finger along the trail of cards. 'Present and Future.' His finger stopped at the card in front of himself. 'Are you ready to—?'

Ryou looked up into the violets of Mariku's eyes and hesitated as an idea came to him.

'Am I ready to begin?' Mariku asked. He held the gaze and Ryou could feel himself become a little too aware of his own quickening pulse. If he didn't act he was just going to end up alone in his flat for a week.

Taking one of the shop's contact cards, Ryou scribbled on the back of it and set it down on the counter too, his handwriting hidden from view.

'What's that?' Mariku asked looking down at the new card.

'It could be your future if you want,' Ryou said. 'You have a choice. If you want a reading you can flip over the cards but if you want a chance to make your own future, then you should take the other card instead.'

Mariku looked down at the card carefully and leant in closer to Ryou, looking deep into his eyes as if the answer might be written there. For once Ryou was thankful for the heat that flushed his skin or he would have worried a blush might betray his emotions.

'What did you write on the card?'

The shop bell jingled and the two of them immediately shut their eyes against the intense sunlight that burst into the room.

'Oh, sorry,' a young woman apologised, quickly shutting the door behind her. 'Do you sell Baku talismans?'

Ryou lingered at the desk for a moment, before slipping back into his usual helpful manner.

'Yes, of course I do. Let me show you the ones I have.' He slipped out from behind the counter to guide the woman to the small selection.

His ears pricked at the sound of the shop bell once more and Ryou felt his heart sink as he realised that Mariku had left. It would be at least a week until he saw him again.

The woman didn't seem to be paying much heed to Ryou's explanation of the folklore and soon made her excuses and left, fanning herself with her hand as she rapidly made for the door. Ryou sighed as he watched her go; Mariku was right, he did need to close the shop until the AC was fixed.

Regretfully, he returned to the till to pack up the cards but found his heart racing as he looked down at the counter.

There were the three untouched tarot cards, but the little business card was gone. A smile started to spread across Ryou's lips as he stared at the empty spot. Mariku had taken him up on his offer, but whether he would actually use it...

A bright ding interrupted Ryou's thoughts and he hastily reached for his cell. Sure enough there was an alert, informing him that he'd received a picture message from an unfamiliar mobile number. Ryou opened it, excitement bubbling up in his chest, and grinned as he saw a photo of a café table shaded by an overhanging veranda. Two iced lemonades sat in the centre.

I'd better see you here in ten minutes, Ryou. Like it or not, your vacation starts now.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. This was originally an entry for maariku and creampuffsandcardgames Deathshipping contest on Tumblr. A big thanks is owed to lily-liegh (who can also be found on tumblr and uploads her fantastic stories to this site too) who read over this for me and kept me sane when I was was both writing it up and then having to cut it down again. : )

Thank you for reading and any feedback or comments are always welcome. ^^