PART: One Shot

PAIRING: Sendoh Akira x Rukawa Kaede

GENRE: Shounen-Ai (Humour/Drama)

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… only this weird story does.

NOTES: Blah is forthe interludes. Blah is for emphasis. /Blah/ is for conversations over the phone, /Blah/ if fordream sequences or flashbacks (if any). /Blah/ is for the conscience, or whatever inner voice there is, talking. Blah is for thoughts or random Japanese words. Some of these words are footnoted at the end of every page (I'm beginning to understand the need for footnotes in fiction. Thank you dear friend, you know who you are. ).

SHOPPING FOR WARMTH

"Akira, where are we going?"

"Down town! We're gonna do some late shopping for the guys!"

Rukawa Kaede sighed, shaking his head even as he was dragged out of the hotel's front door. "Do you know where we're supposed to shop? Last time I went out with you we got lost."

"THAT was last time! THIS is now!" His partner, Sendoh Akira protested, hands still pulling as he spoke. "Very different situations you know!"

"Last time, we were in Japan."

Sendoh sighed, face falling as he turned to him. "Kae-chan..."

"Don't call me that."

"Kae-chan..." He started, pulling his lover close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a gesture of affection. "All I'm asking for is for you to help me choose gifts for the guys back home, okay? Nothing more than that."

"What about my gift?"

Sendoh grinned. "I plan to have you choose what you want this Christmas... so you definitely have to come with me."

Rukawa, finding no other loophole to take advantage of, decided that it would be less tiring to go on with Sendoh's plan. No harm done, right? He should just keep up with all the excitement around him, with people milling and shopping about, with his toes freezing even underneath all the layers encasing them, and with his fingers turning to slender icicles inside his thick mittens.

Christmas in this country was not very different from the one back home in Japan. It was entirely the atmosphere that was different; after all, holidays like this was not their own... it was just there mainly for commercial purposes as far as he was concerned. In his country, almost everyone was born Shinto. This was a Christian celebration. He had nothing to do with it and would have just stayed home underneath his bundle of blankets, sipping hot chocolate in a vain effort to keep warm... but somehow, he got dragged into a shopping spree outside in search of gifts.

It wasn't that he did not like it though. He liked receiving gifts, even if it doesn't seem so. He just didn't give them to others often. He did not give Christmas gifts. He was not Christian, so he figured he shouldn't bother. The only thing that disturbed him was that... his lover, even with a different faith, seemed to like the concept of the gift-giving holiday. He never failed to give everyone gifts; specialty items to those he cared for the most, random cute stuff to those he cared for not-so-intensely... and then he would buy a huge stack of greeting cards for those whose names he could remember, or others would make him remember.

It was ridiculous.

"Fine." He muttered, trying to convince himself that he was not creating his own death note just by uttering the words his lover's hopeful eyes dared him say. And somehow, it made him glad that he agreed – just as glad as he was when he accepted Sendoh's offer of an off-country vacation to enjoy quality time together. They were being buried under tons of schoolwork after all, and he wanted to rest for a long while as well.

"GREAT!" Sendoh whooped, engulfing him in a bear hug in the middle of the street for a few moments before letting go and resuming to drag him to the shopping district.

Rukawa just hoped he would survive the night.

That was all he prayed for.

X o X o X

Rukawa couldn't help looking back.

They had been roving around the shopping district and still, his eyes drifted to that lonely place where the light seemed dimmer... more ominous in fact, that it disturbed him.

Maybe it was because of the lighting...

Maybe it was because it looked particularly suspicious, what with its eerie quality...

Or maybe it was just the old woman who was selling matches sitting on one of the dilapidated wooden stools that seemed to be ready to crack at a single unexpected movement. It was a wonder how the woman could even put her full weight on it and still be sitting upright.

There was something terribly melancholy about her. She seemed sad. She seemed alone... and she seemed hopeless. Her clothes were not fully in tatters, but she was not dressed impeccably either. She seemed ordinary – except for a few minor marks on her face and a few soot stains on her clothes... and the unnatural tint of her fingernails due to lack of gloves.

She was obviously freezing.

Silently, he wondered why she was selling matches out there in such cold, wet night. There were thoughts regarding it circling his mind and he had an inkling that at least one of them was correct. Problem was, none of them were pretty.

Wheels in his head turning, and heart frustratingly aching, he turned to Sendoh, eyes determined. "Akira." He said almost stoically.

At the sudden intrusion to his decision-making, he turned sharply, eyes scanning the features of his lover. They were unreadable. "Kae-chan?" He asked warily.

"You said I could choose my gift right?"

Sendoh did not get what he was saying. Did he want his gift now, or was he going to refuse? Or maybe he wanted to...

"Could you possibly give me more than one... three perhaps?"

Okay, now he was scared. Rukawa wasn't like this. He did not like excesses... except maybe basketball scores and he was on the winning side, but that was beside the point. There was something off about him. It was only then that he realised, that even with the masters degree he got in Rukawa-logy, he still did not know much of what he was thinking when he was being this way.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why he loved unravelling his every part so much – and he never got tired of it... at all.

And he was fully intending to know what the part he was seeing would unravel. Yes, this was going to be interesting.

"Okay." He conceded, raising both eyebrows in question.

Rukawa seemed to be looking around, and then his eyes stopped at a far-off point before a gloved hand pointed. Sendoh's eyes followed the direction his lover was pointing to and was surprised to see a home décor shop. What was Rukawa going to pick in such place? Did he break something other than his alarm clock? He doubted it... but then, it was possible, right?

Fox-like azure eyes scanned rows upon rows of household linens, coming to rest on one whose sign read 'Winter Essentials'. Filled with purpose, he began scrutinising each featured item before he finally made his purchases.

Sendoh was surprised to find just two inside the shopping basket. "That's all?" He asked in disbelief.

Rukawa nodded.

They marched off to the cashier and made the blushing saleslady cut the price tags off after Sendoh paid for it. Now, he was truly mystified. Rukawa was toting a huge paper bag like it contained gold. "Why only two when you asked for three?" He asked as they stepped out. "And why those stuff? You have lots of them already..."

But his lover only looked back at him and tilted his head in invitation.

Briskly, they walked; back to where all the insanity started. He was about to prod for answers when Rukawa made a beeline for the opposite side of the street... straight to...

An old lady selling matches.

Perplexed, he followed, arriving just in time to hear his lover tell the old woman that he wanted to purchase every single box of matches she had. Then, he turned to Sendoh and told him that he wanted the matches for Christmas.

It bordered on the ridiculous, but he relented, handing out the amount, placing them on the old woman's gnarled hands.

"Bless you, children!" She exclaimed in gratitude, the emotion shining in her eyes, hands grabbing both their hands in profuse thanks.

"You're welcome ma'am." Sendoh grinned back, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.

Rukawa remained quiet, nodding once before collecting his enormous stash of matches and handing them to his lover. Solemnly, he opened the paper bag and took out a pair of thick gloves. He set the bag down and took one of the woman's hands.

Sendoh watched in complete fascination as his lover deftly did the task of helping the old woman put on the gloves, one hand first, then the other. There was no denying the act of something resembling tenderness there. And he knew, he instantly knew that this was not an act of pity.

It was an act of utter altruistic love for an unfortunate stranger.

Rukawa's eyes softened at the sight of burgeoning tears in the woman's eyes. Even in the dim light, they shimmered... and it made him feel more alive. Then, he stooped down and took out his other purchase...

And he helped her into a warm navy winter coat.

And the old woman's tear finally escaped, rolling down her cheeks as she grasped his hand once more and held them against her tear-stained face. Even through his gloves, he felt the wetness. But it was alright.

Everything was now, in his world, alright.

"So that's what it was." Sendoh smiled fondly after seeing the old woman off to where she lived, wrapping an arm around Rukawa's shoulders, head bumping onto his in affection. "You got me worried there."

Rukawa only nodded. "I just felt like it."

Sendoh understood and smiled, looking up at the darkened heavens overrun with countless midnight clouds. "I'm still giving you something for Christmas."

Rukawa shook his head solemnly. "No need." He murmured softly.

Rukawa once heard Kogure quote his own mother: Christmas is not in the gifts one gives... but in the generosity of one's heart. And he understood. He did not need to be a Christian to understand, that he was sure of. Yes, it was truly the birth of whom they called their Messiah, but for him, it was the birth of something deep in his heart that he would very likely let blossom.

The spirit of generosity.

It did wonders to his soul, and if it felt like this, then he wanted to do it every single opportunity he could.

"But..." His lover protested quietly.

Sendoh was being generous; he loved giving gifts not because he wanted anything in return but because he wanted to see the delighted faces of those he held dear. He wanted to see them laugh; he wanted to see them cry over what careful things he prepared for them... no matter how small... even in the private messages in his cards to those he knew so little of.

Now he understood.

It was the best thing that ever happened to him.

And he was glad that it was Sendoh who made it all happen.

"Akira..." He murmured.

"Yes, Kae-chan?"

"I'm going to accompany you in shopping for gifts next year..."

Sendoh's eyes lit up.

"And we're gonna do it together."

OWARI

A/N: Christmas generosity bled into my veins, so sue me. XD