This is a story on Christmas day! Hurrayyyyyy! Happy Christmas minna!
Summary: Following the famous Christmas story ever told, The Christmas Carol, Burn a stubborn and arrogant jerk, dejects Hitomiko's invitation to her planned Christmas party. Instead, he heads to his room and meets Nepper, his friend, with the same attitude as he was. Burn was told that he would meet three spirts tonight. What would happen? Warning: YAOI!
The door of a house opened, setting off the bell hanging above it. Burn entered the Sun Garden orphange, or his home and walked passed the lot of children being surprizingly cheerful. All their faces marked with wide smiles and beaming eyes. Each of them holding onto one present covered in wrapping paper wrapped by Hitomiko, the caretaker of the orphange. They were all wearing sweaters or jackets since it was cold outside.
"God, it snowing now." Burn muttered, noticing soft white particles floating down from the window, "Christmas of all days." Burn muttered to himself again. He dislike Christmas. He dislike everything about Christmas. He dislike the smiles of children, the happiness in everyone's eyes, the joy of receiving presents and giving them. He hated christmas. He hated it a lot more than he hated Gazelle, his teammate.
"Burn! Your present is here! Come and get it!" Burn turned to Hitomiko who was waving his present and calling him at the same time. Burn turned his head away from Hitomiko and muttered yet again, "B**ch." He did not want to look at the present yet take it. Burn walked towards the stairs and to his room.
"Nagumo..." Hitomiko mumbled Burn's real name. Ever since he beat her step-brother in soccer, twice in fact, he became arrogant, boostful and a jerk to all the children. He started training, obessed with power. Knowing that if he slacked even once, Gran or the others would overthrow him. Burn did not want any of his hardworks go to waste. His best friend, Nepper, was too obessed with power and trained with him. The rest of his teammates left Burn, he was not someone worthy to be their captain. Heat, Burn's other best friend and Nepper's lover, stayed with them. He never played with them, he just watched them.
A few years later, Nepper and Heat decided to move away. Heat confessed his love to Nepper, and letting love take over his obession of soccer. Burn hated that, there was no one to play soccer with him anymore. No one understood him. His inner side, the one who wants to play real soccer and be his normal self, was screaming inside of him. Burn ignored that scream, he needed to train and training was all he did after that, he trained and trained and trained. He missed ones' meaning of life, that is family. He never went for any Christmas parties, if Hitomiko were to invite him, Burn would just walk away. Everyone was worried about him. This continued on for many years even now.
Burn seated comfortably on his one arm chair. He pulled it towards the table in front of him. Yes, he was doing his homework. A stack of papers stood neatly on the right side of the table. The teacher knew that today was Christmas, so there was no homework, but Burn did not want to celebrate Christmas, asked for homework which the teacher gave him without questions asked. She was definitely happy that a student would be this hardworking to be doing homework while celebrating Christmas. Neither did she know that Burn does not celebrate it at all. She would be really delighted when she sees the stack of homework fully done and handed to her the following morning.
Burn lighted up a candle and placed it on a candle holder to make it stand. The electricity line was cut off due to the coldness outside. Somehow, it only affected Burn's room and not the others. The damn heater was unable to work too. Burn was freezing inside his room! That candle did not work much. He should have taken the bigger candle or more of the same candle he was using when he was at the living room just now. Burn gritted his teeth. He would have to pass by those children at the living room again. Burn is going to get white hairs if he hear one more happily laughing child. No, for the sake of getting warmer, he have to.
Grumbling as he stood up and walked to the door, Burn went down the stairs to the living room. Why did Hitomiko put the candles and matchstick boxes in the drawer there! Going there is the same thing as sending Burn to hell! Burn was almost close to the end of the stairs since he could hear the children laughter from up here. God, his hell journey was starting already. He poked his fingers into his ears, those children are going to lose their voices if they laugh that loud. Burn could still hear them. "Grr..." He growled like a wolf. Burn skipped down the stairs, missing some steps and took quicker and larger steps towards the drawer.
Now, a teal eye and sliver hair boy by the name of Gazelle, noticed Burn entering the room. He watched the tulip head muttering curses to himself as he walked towards a drawer. His hands clenched tighter around the small box present in his hand. His stomach clenched up too and his heart rate speeded up, water vapour started to form from the air inside his mouth as he panted. You can guess that Gazelle had a crush on that tulip head. He much wanted it to go away, but it could not. In fact, it became worst. These symptoms had been happening more often than before. Guessing that the mere crush had turned to true love, he would have to give up and let it be, he decided to confess to Burn. That's why he had a present in his hand.
Searched through out the town to find the perfect present and carefully wrapped with a blue shiny wrapping paper. Decerated by a red ribbon sticked onto the box at one side, done, it was finished and all that was left was to hand it to Burn. Easier said than done, Gazelle knew that Burn hated Christmas. Adding to himself being nervous would end the whole confession a failure. No, he could not! Gazelle swallowed his silaver, his face full of courage and walked up to Burn.
"B-burn!" Gazelle called out. No, it could not be, jelly legs! That fast! You might say. Well, yes. Hey, it was Gazelle's first confession I have to add. Burn turned to Gazelle. His eyes filled with displeasement. His mouth formed a frown.
"What do you want?" Burn questioned, raising his voice. Another way of saying, "Go away!" Gazelle opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it. He was speechless by the tone of Burn's voice and his nervousness, "Hump." Burn turned back to the drawer, much to Gazelle's dissapointment, he grabbed a handful of candles and forced his way pass Gazelle and the other children, heading to the stairs.
"Burn..."Gazelle finally spoke, the said boy did not answer. He was already up the stairs.
Burn lighted up the candles and fixed them onto the holder beside the first one.
"Ahh...Warmth." Burn spoke in delight. He felt the heat radiating onto his skin. He rubbed his hands as he spoke, "Now, homework." He seated again onto the arm chair and picked up his pen. He had spent quite some time down at the living room. Burn gritted by the recallisation of the children. He took a piece of homework from the stack, looked down on it and read the first question to get his mind off of the children and Christmas, "Which one of the names listed below is the name of one of the three muskerteers?" Burn said what he read. He looked down at the list of answers.
A. Athos
B. Acestes
C. Aegidius
Burn smirked, this was so easy! Though the three maybe from Greek origin, but Burn had studied well enough to know which name was the answer. He circled A. Next question.
Clank
Burn heard a sound. A sound, sort of like rattling chains. Burn stopped, he looked behind him. Could it had been those childrens downstairs coming up to get him? Nothing. Nothing was out of line, nothing was missed placed. The room was slient. If it was happening in the living room, he surely could not hear it. Then where did he hear the clanking sound? Burn did not care. He turned back to his homework. He could not bring himself to waste time again. It was one hour away from his bed time and Burn had still a stack of homework to do.
Ting ling. Ting ling.
There was that sound again. Burn turned around quicker this time. Still nothing. Everything was the same as before. Burn felt a dreadful feeling in his heart. Whatever that was making him feel scared really did the trick. Burn turned back to the table. He was not going to do his homework. He knew that heavy metal sound was coming back. Burn waited...and waited...Where the hell was that noise! Burn looked behind and sighed, it must had been his imagination. He picked up his pen and- the flame on a candle started to move. It was slanting to one side. what the hell was going on! The flame beside it started to slant too. Slowly, the others slanted. Burn moved his chair away from the candles. His heart thumped vigerously in fear. A sweat on his check rolled down to his chin as he gluped. All of a sudden, the flames stood up.
"Ah!" Burn jumped, the chair tumbled over. Burn got to his knees and looked up at the flames. His arms shivering. The flames were flickering on the candles just like before. Burn stared at them, his mind was really playing tricks on him. He quickly got up and placed the chair back to stand, he picked up his pen on the floor and he sat down on the chair again. Burn looked at the flame once more, seeing it acting very normal.
Ting ling. Clank! Ting ling. Clank!
The sound came back. Only this time, it was drawing closer. Burn dropped his pen, he froze. Something was coming up the stairs and it was no Christmas trick from the children. Burn dare not turn to the door. He could not even move. Burn glupped, he could move now. He slowly turned to his door, waiting for that something to open it.
Ting ling. Clank! Ting ling. Ting ling.
Now the thing had climbed up the stairs and it was making its way to Burn's room. The load it was carrying was being dragged on the wooden floor. It was coming really close as it stopped and Burn's doorknob turned. Burn covered his face with the chair, only his eyes watched the knob turning again. And then, it's load was thrown into Burn's room. No, lots of load were thrown, connected with chains and they landed beside Burn. Surrounded with greenish, ghostly aura, a ghostly figure passed through the door same as how the loads came in.
Burn watched in fear as the figure, a ghost, floated towards him. No wait, what's this? It seemed familar. Burn squinted his eyes, then they suddenly widened as Burn gasped.
"N-Nepper..." Burn called out the name of the ghost in front of him.
"Burn-sama." Nepper greeted.
"Nepper." Burn stood up and walked slowly towards him, "W-what happened to you!"
"As you can see now, I'm a ghost held down by chains connected to loads filled with my wrong ways in my previous life."
"W-what wrong ways have you done?"
"My obession of soccer. You remember?"
"Y-yes...I r-remember. We both trained to be the best."
"I wouldn't say that. We were already the best."
"No! We're not! We have to work harder! Or else Gran..." What Nepper was saying was the truth, Burn had to admit, they were already the best. Burn just wanted to continue to be the best. He lost the reason of losing in soccer. Nepper was already pushing the right buttons, he continued,
"But isn't that what soccer is all about? Playing and having fun, not winning every single match?"
"N-no!" Burn shouted, shaking his head to get rit of the thoughts in his mind.
"You know what I'm trying to say."
"Shut up!" Burn took his pen and threw it at Nepper, it passed through him. Burn gritted his teeth. He did not want to hear him talk anymore. The inner side of him was coming out, Burn could not allow that. He did not want all his hard work of training and winning wasted. He did not want to lose...again... Nepper smiled, Burn was starting to think. Now, he had to tell Burn why he was here. He did not have much time left.
"Burn-sama, I was given a lighter sentence as my love for Heat overcame my obession, while you continued. Therefore, you will suffer a heavier sentence than me, I don't know what it is but I know it will make you suffer a lot." Burn stared at Nepper with widen eyes filled with fear, "Now, three spirits will be coming to meet you. They will help you enjoy Christmas and you will get a lighter sentence when you die."
"What three spirits? Who are they?"
"I'm sorry Burn-sama. I must leave." Nepper floated towards Burn's window.
"M-matte o, Nepper!" Burn shouted as he ran towards Nepper. His hand reached out to grab a chain, but it only passed through it. Burn fell down and quickly looked up at Nepper as the chain withdrew with the loads hanging down. Nepper was outside watching Burn. He gave a smile before he dissappeared.
Burn dropped the pen in his hand and leaned against his chair. The neatly stack of homework now rested on the right side of the table. He heaved a sigh of relief. Finally his homework was done. Burn glanced at his clock on the table. It was two in the morning. He slumped back against the chair. He was so tired. Then he remembered, Burn looked around his room from behind his chair again. If Nepper was coming back, Burn was now well prepared for it. In his pyjamas and night cap on his head, he dragged himself towards his bed and sat on it, he turned his head and looked around his room to see if anything strange was going to happen. Knowing that nothing was, Burn covered himself with his blanket and went to sleep.
A few minutes or so, something glowing in shining light shown acrossed the room from the floor The rays of light brighten the room. Burn woke up from his lightened up room, he slowly sat up. He was having such a nice sleep. Burn blinked to let his eyes get used to the light. Whatever was shining so brightly, was coming from the front of his bed. Burn crawled to the front of his bed, but before he was able to look over his bed. The thing shot up, scaring Burn.
"Ahhhh!" Burn swambled to his pillow. The thing laughed as it pointed a finger at Burn. Burn looked at the thing again, his eyes widdened by shock, "R-reize! W-what are you doing here!" Burn took a step closer to the Midorikawa, feeling unafraid by his friend.
"Eh? How did you know my nickname? I haven't introduced myself yet." Midorikawa answered, hands on his hips. He pouted. Burn sweatdropped. Was he not Midorikawa? Burn looked at the green hair again. There was differences in him than the real Midorikawa had. He had yellow fairy wings and same colour fairy outfit. Green shoes and a...wand? The normal wand. a stick with a star. In addition, Midorikawa was glowing brightly. The only similarities were the body shape and facial features.
"S-sorry, you look like my friend." Burn had to force the last word out. Was Midorikawa his friend anymore?
"Oh. Well sorry. Let me intruoduce myself! My name's Midorikawa! Nickname just like what you've said Reize! I'm the ghost of Christmas past and I'm sent to teach you to enjoy Christmas!" Midorikawa said all those with a never ending smile, "Ja, let's go!" Midorikawa grabbed Burn's wrist.
"G-go where!" Burn asked as he was pulled by Midorikawa's strength. He was out of bed and walking towards the window, "H-hey! Don't I have to change first!"
"It won't take too long!" Midorikawa pulled Burn and flew out of the window with him still holding onto his wrist.
"A-at least tell me where we're goin-" Burn looked down at Raimon town, "W-woah..." Burn could not believe that he was somehow flying.
"Pretty cool isn't it? Just don't let go of my hand."
"A-ah..." Burn nodded. The two continued flying even if they were out of town. In fact, they were heading to a familar place to Burn of course, "H-hey...I-I think I know this place."
"Of course you do. You were born here after all."
"Born here?" Midorikawa flew faster. Burn could see a small house in the middle of nowhere. A house with roof and surrounded with fields covered with snow. Burn gasped,
"You reconise it." Midorikawa smiled when he heard Burn's gasped. Burn kept slient. The only sound was the howling of the wind and the fairy dust coming out of Midorikawa's wings. Midorikawa took a glance at Burn. The redhead was looking elsewhere to the snow and trees on the field, a sad look all over his face. Midorikawa might not know what he was feeling, but he could tell Burn was sad.
Midorikawa looked back in front, "We're here." Midorikawa did a standing position for landing, while Burn who was not listening, was still in his laying position and he landed like an aeroplane. He slided across the wooden platform and passed through the walls of the house. No wait, two. No wait! Three! No wait! Four! Burn passed through many walls of the house, his screams finally trailed off as he came to a stop.
"Ahhhh..." Burn quickly stood up anime style and looked around the room, it was a storeroom filled with many toys. A few on cardboards, a few laying on the floor overturned as if someone was in the room before. A single curtain was flapping as a cold wind entered the room. Burn's opened his mouth wide, his eyes doing the exact same thing, "T-this room..." Burn said as his lips moved to a smile, "It's still the same thing."
"We wished you a merry christmas, we wish you a merry christmas, we wish you a merry..." Singing was heard. Burn turned to the door and walked out of the room. He peaked out and saw a room with the lights on. The singing was coming frrom there. Burn walked towards the room with the lights on. Halfway through, a hand touched his shoulder.
"Ahhh!" Burn jumped. He turned around to the owner of the hand which was Midorikawa, "Ah...What do you think you are doing? Scaring people like that!"
"It's not my fault. You went sliding into the house and I had a hard time looking for you." Midorikawa said, hands on his hips with a pout on his face.
"Ok. Ok. It was my fault for not knowng that we were landing. Sorry." Burn continued walking.
"Where are you going?"
"Can't you see?" Burn answered. He stoped at the doorway. Midorikawa planced till he was beside Burn. The two looked into the room. Two adults and one child was in it. The two adults sitting on sofas and clapping as their son sang.
"Oh...That little boy is so kawaii~!" Midorikawa exclaimed. He too clapped in rythum and also swayed to the singing. Burn, on the otherhand, just watched the little boy singing and dancing, he had a happy smile on his face. The little boy or should I finally say, Burn's younger self, seemed to be enjoying Christmas. Unlike Burn right now.
"I missed it." Burn whispered.
"Huh?" Midorikawa asked,
"N-nothing!" Burn said, blushing in embrassment. He looked down on the carpet floor. I-I don't miss it at all! Christmas is nothing! Nothing at all! Burn thought, he looked up at his younger self again. His face full of self pity. Such a happy looking boy becoming such an arrogant teenager. Burn might not say it, but in his heart, he pited that young boy. Burn very much wanted to change back to his younger self, be with his parents and loving Christmas. However, Burn changed too much, there was no way he could love Christmas again just like that. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Burn quickly turn away from the scene in front of him.
"Burn?" Midorikawa called. He said boy wiped his tears away from his eyes.
"C-can we leave now. I want to go back to my room."
"B-but-"
"You think this is going to change me? Well, it did not! Now bring me back to my room." Burn shouted, Midorikawa hung his head low, Burn did not mean that, "I'm sorry, Reize." Burn whispered as softly as he could so that the ghost could not hear him, "What's taking you so long!"
"O-oh! I'm so sorry!" Midorikawa perked up. Burn noticed his eyes were watery. He quickly looked away, he could not bear to talk to him at all. Midorikawa waved his wand, a green light engulfed them, before that, Burn took one last look at his younger self, another tear left his eye.
"Thank you." Burn walked forward, but stopped when he noticed that he was not in his room, "Hey! I told you to take me back to my-"
"B-Burn-sama...W-we want to quit Prominenance." A voice was heard. Burn turned around to where the voice was. His teammates were standing in front of another Burn in his prominence uniform and sitting on his stand in the master rank team room. A red light shown down apon Burn. The teammates bowing down in front of him.
"I-I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Midorikawa mumbled, hoping Burn would accept his apology. Burn did not speak. He took a few steps forward and listen attentively.
"You want to what!" Burn yelled a defining shout. The teammates closed their eyes and slant their head away from Burn due to the loudness of his voice.
"W-we're sorry! W-we just think that you're not the same captain we know anymore Burn-sama!" Bara said.
"E-Ever since we won against Genesis twice, you've been wanting us to train every day!" Bomber shouted.
"That's because I don't want anyone to beat me again!" Burn slamed his fist onto his arm rest.
"I-I never knew I was that fiere..." Burn mumbled.
"Now you know." Midorikawa said.
"B-Burn-sama!" Rean called.
"No more taking!" Burn slamed his fist again, "If you don't want to be in my team again then leave! But don't expect yourselves to come back begging to me to join back!"
"Burn-sama! What happened to you? Why do you want to win so badly? We've already beat Gran-sama haven't we?" Butn had his head hung down,
"No. We must train more. It was just pure luck that we beat Gran." His face looked up, "I don't want to lose again you know that!" Burn stood up.
"We beat him twice!"
"No, I don't want lose again!" Burn kicked his red and black soccer ball off the ground with all his might and it flew towards Gran's stand, causing a dent on it. The soccer ball bounced off and hit in front of prominence, "Now leave. I need to calm down. I'll let you decided if you want to quit or not." Butn said as he had his back to his teammates,
"Burn-sama-"
"Just go!" Burn's teammates looked at their captain for one last time before they walk away sadly.
"I-I'm so obessed with wining, I never knew that." The Burn right now turned to Midorikawa,
"At least now you know what's wrong with you. You can change."
"It's too late to change!"
"It's never too late!"
"It is!" Midorikawa never frown, he just looked at him with a smile on his face, "It's easy to change. You'll see." Midorikawa waved his wand again. The same green light engulfed them.
"Huh?" Burn shot up from his bed. He looked around, he was back in his room, "I-I'm back? I-It was just a dream?"
"Ah...Midorikawa, loves to make his entrance and leaving weird."
"Ahh...! Eh? Gran?" The lighter redhead pouted,
"How did you know my nickname! You're the same as what Midorikawa told me!" Hiroto turned, his side facing Burn as he crossed his arms. Burn sweatdropped.
"It's not my fault for you two looking a lot like my friends!" Hiroto turned back to Burn.
"Well, then. We have a lot to cover for my part!" Hiroto grabbed Burn and dived out of Burn's bedroom door, "I only have ten minutes!"
"Where are we going!" Burn shouted to get Hiroto's attention. The redhead turned his head to Burn and winked,
"Someone you know~!" Hiroto went down the stairs and he passed through the first door.
"Wait! This is Gazelle's room! What does my Christmas have to do with him!" Burn asked, strightening his pyjamas. It was at that time when Gazelle came out from his shower wearing a white shirt with rolled up slevees and mini shorts. A towel around his neck to wipe away the water from his hair, "H-He won't see me right! Eh?" Burn stared at the ghost in front of him who looked at Gazelle with a huge opened mouth, "Hey-"
"Oh! Ah...Nope!" Hiroto got back to where he left of and answered Burn.
"You're so weird Gran." Burn said. Gazelle sighed and looked at the present he wanted to give to Burn on his bed. He sat down in front of it and stared at it, deep in thought.
"Why is he staring at his present?" An eyebrow raised on Burn's face.
"Don't you mean yours?"
"Mine?" Burn turned to Hiroto with an even confused look. He looked back at Gazelle, who's eyes were full of sadness. Gazelle blinked and let tears fall down onto his bed. Gazelle wiped them off his face and threw the present into a dustbin beside his bed. He took his blanket and went to sleep.
"You might want to look at the present." Hiroto said. Burn peered over the dustbin, the only things inside of it were the present and some cummbled up papers. Tied to the present was a card and it wrote in Gazelle's handwriting, To burn, I love you. Happy Christmas! Gazelle. Burn blushed, G-Gazelle loved him! No way!
"Yes way." Hiroto said as if he read Burn's mind.
"You shut up Gran."
"Ow...so mean~! Come on!" Hiroto grabbed Burn's wrist again and he dashed towards the window in Gazelle's room.
"M-matte! I-I-"
"You can ask for it later! I don't have much time!" Hiroto jumped from the room, "Wheeee!"
"Ahhh...!" Burn flung up. They both landed on the snow ground safely and Hiroto continued his dash, "Slow down!" Burn was being carried by the force Hiroto was running with, that his feet could not touch the ground. He felt like a flag.
"Ah! We're here!" Hiroto stopped in front of a small house. Burn skided pass Hiroto, trying to mantain his balance.
"Aahhh! Ahhhh!" Burn smashed into a pile of boxes.
"G-gomen..." Hiroto sweatdropped, a smile that said 'sorry' on his face. A hand in front of it.
Burn brushed away the dust on his shoulder as he stopped in front of Hiroto.
"Never go hyper I tell you. Gran isn't like that." Burn said.
"Ok!" Hiroto did the roger sign.
"So why are we here?" Burn asked, Hiroto did not answer. Instead, he pointed at the window of the house they were in front of. Burn cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed them against the glass window. The light in the house was on. A dining table stood in the middle of the room. Four chairs around it. One with someone seated down. That person was
"Heat." Burn said the name. Heat is alone without Nepper anymore. Heat... Burn thought. Heat was a friend who stayed by Burn's side through the times of his obession of soccer. Now his partner in love was gone, how was Heat going to live his life? "I wish I could help him." Burn said to himself.
"You can." Burn looked at Hiroto. What was he saying? He could help Heat? How was that possible? Was this not a dream? A sudden noise was heard from inside the room. Burn immediately cupped his hands around his eyes again and peeked inside. The white hair boy stood up, pushed the chair in, took his wallet and keys and left the house, "W-where is he going?" Burn removed his hands. Heat opened the front door of his house, locked it and walked down a pathway.
"Let's follow him." Hiroto said and the two did.
Heat stopped after a long walk from his home. He looked at the sign and went in. Burn and Hiroto ran to where Heat was standing earlier and looked up at the sign.
Flower giths ~ for your love ones
"What is he doing at a flower shop?" Burn spoke first.
"Don't know." At once, Heat came out with the door hitting the bell sending a jingling sound. He continued walking down the pathway again, in his hand a bunch of yellow daises.
"Why did he buy flowers?" burn asked.
"Don't know."
"You said it twice."
"I know." Burn gave Hiroto a glare, who just smiled and grabbed his hand once again and dashed, well, more like the scenery fast forward to a cemetary.
"A cemetary? Is Heat here to visit Nepper's grave?"
"Just look and see." Burn looked to the front, where Heat was. The white hair was standing in front of Nepper's grave just like what he said. A widowed tree stood beside him, it's branches hanging down. The whole tree was black with snow to colour it. Snow was also on Nepper's tombstone, though they were brushed off by Heat. Seeing how the tombstone was specially clean. Burn could have thought that Heat must have been coming to the grave often. The white hair bowed down and placed the bunch of dasies in front of the tombstone. At the same time, Hiroto and burn floated towards the side. Far enough from Heat, but close enough to hear him.
"Hey Nepper. I've brought you daises. I know you love them." Heat stopped for a short while, "I know you would say, 'Stop coming here to see me! You should rest.' or something. Obaa-chan kept on telling me not to go to tire myself out, but..." Heat opened his eyes to see Nepper's photo engraved on the tombstone.
T-tire himself out? Rest? What is he talking about? Burn thought.
"I could not bear myself not to see you again. It hurts you know." Heat cluched his shirt, "I missed you so much." He let go, "I'm really excited to see you again. I can't wait to meet you, Nepper."
"Meet Nepper?" Burn mumbled. Burn had the slightest thoughts of Heat dying. Just then, Heat started coughing very badly,
"I-I'm sorry." Heat fake smiled, his face was pale and he seemed to be swaying, he coughed again, harder this time.
"W-what's wrong with him?" Burn asked, concerned for his friend. Heat removed his hand from his mouth and noticed red plurts on his glove. Burn's eyes widened, "T-those are blood!"
"So-sorry, Nepper. I'm fine. This is nothing! Really!" Heat looked at Nepper's grave, "I don't have much time to live, but at least I get to be with you in the future! Don't be sad."
"Don't have much time to live. Heat is going to die!" Burn asked. Hiroto bended his head down as he explained,
"He suffered from cancer a few months back. It was already the terminal stage and there was nothing the doctors could do. Heat was not affected by it at all. He was happy that he should see Nepper again. Heat coughed again, making more blood coming out of his mouth, "I'm sorry Nepper. I hav- e to go now." Heat ran away from the grave. Lighter tears flew into the air, while the heavier dripped onto the snow. A hand covered his face.
"Heat has cancer, and I didn't know about it...Gazelle loves me, yet I did not even give him a chance. I am a jerk!"
"Now you know, you can go and help them. What do you say?"
"And there you go again! How can I possibly change myself when I'm already too late!" Burn turned to Hiroto behind him and shouted. Hiroto sighed.
"You still don't get it." Hiroto said in a whisper, "Oh well." Hiroto's expression changed and he waved his hand in a circluar manner. A white light glowed and Burn was back in his room again, standing in front of his bed.
"What?" Burn turned around, Hiroto was gone, "Where the hell did he go!" Burn sighed and walked to his bed. He covered himself up and soon fell asleep.
"Oi..." A voice caused Burn to opened his eyes a little.
"Uhm..." Burn mourned, he slowly sat up and rupped his left eye. He tried to open his eyes wider to see the person who wake him up, each time listening to the 'thing' in black calling him.
"Hey. Wake up." The voice getting louder and angrier. Burn's vision slowly got clearer and clearer that he finally saw the black 'thing'. Someone was covered in a black hood. Nothing could be seen, the hood seemed to be too large for that person.
"Oi. The coat seemed too big for you, ya know." Burn said. The hooded thing perked up. It spoke in a manner after you jumped or shocked,
"W-well...tsh..." The thing gritted his teeth and moved his head low in displeasment, "I'm the ghost of Christmas yet to come-"
"I know who you are alright! No need for introductions." Burn said. He looked up at the hooded figure. It's voice. Somehow, it sounded so familar. Like he had heard it before many times but could not remember who's. Now back to where we left off, "You could change coat you know."
"N-no way! People will be able to see my face with it!" The ghost said.
"Eh? Even with the hood on?"
"Of course!"
"Liar."
"I'm not!" Burn stopped, he looked at the ghost. Just now their conversation seemed very familar. Burn did that before, when? The ghost noticed Burn's stare.
"W-what?" That's it!
"You're Gazelle. Am I right?" Burn said. The hodded figure back away, which gave Burn the idea that his answer was right, "I'm right aren't I!"
"Tsch." The ghost gritted his teeth once more. He removed the hood over his head to reveal the boy Burn said, or the repica of Gazelle.
"I'm right!" Burn pointed at him.
"Yes! Yes! You're right! Man." Gazelle crossed his arms and pouted. He was starting to dislike the redhead, "You even knew my nickname just like what Reize said. Gran made his talk all believable. I never knew that could happen to me though."
"Well, you look a lot like my friend." Or my lover. Burn thought, blushing at the same time. Burn looked back up at Gazelle. Enough with the talk, they have to talk about his future. Thinking about that made his skin hair stand. After what he had seen from his past and present. What would happen in the future seemed very frigtening. He knew he would end up like Nepper, no that was not what he said. Burn would get an even worst punishment than Nepper. Burn asked with trembling lips,
"W-what's my future?"
Gazelle's eyes softened with concern. He had seen many other's future. They were full of cruelty, heart-breaking and torture. Gazelle should be feeling nothing towards it right? Yeah yet still, Gazelle could not stop the sadness for the future he saw for Burn. Damn, why was he the only one he felt like that? Gazelle ran a hand through his hair which filpped up his bangs and back down again. He then combed or pulled the bangs in irritation. Cooled down, Gazelle spoke,
"You'll know when you see it." Just after he finished his sentence, the whole room changed, moving like water being pushed around and stopped. They were still in Burn's room, but there was a whole lot of diffence in there. The colours were fading and peeling off. The furniture's colours were fading too, in contrust with the snow outside. It felt cold in there. Burn rubbed his arms as water vapour appeared in front of his mouth.
"I-It's so cold." Burn mumbled.
"Blame on yourself for not changing heaters and fixing the walls a little. They have become weak, but you would not pay for them. You said cold was nothing than losing." Gazelle said.
"Wait." Burn got out of bed, "It's freezing in here! How should I say that!" He questioned as he walked around his room to get a better view. The window was cracked, letting the cold air in, the source of all the coldness. The furnitures were dusty. The only furnitures that were not dusty were the bed and the study table. Burn stared at his desk. A stack of papers stood neatly on it. Another homework for Christmas. A table lamp shown onto the stack. Lightening up the table. The chair was pulled out and facing elsewhere. The sitting place was pressed down like someone was sitting on it.
"So, like your future room?" Gazelle asked, leaving that cold expression on his face, hiding that sadness in his heart. Burn just kept slient. Tears were starting to store on his eyes, making his eyeball shake. Gazelle watched Burn, hoping for a word or something from that redhead. He closed his eyes as he sighed. The room changed again. "That room was how it looks like one year later. This is how it looks like a year after that."
"What...?" Burn stared at his room with widened eyes. There on his bed, under the white sheet of blanket, was a dead person. Burn might not know who it was if it had not been that red tulip poking out of the sheet, then again, maybe not, "I-I'm dead!" His eyes grew wider.
"Hai." Gazelle bowed down his head in sadness. A soft sob was heard and the two perked. A figure was slowly appearing like a ghost beside Burn's bed. It's tears were damping the sheet.
"Burn... Why did you leave me?" a voice very similar to Gazelle's said. The figure or the future gazelle was sobbing uncontrollably, talking to the dead Burn in between each sob. Nothing changed much from him, he became girlier and though.
H-he looks just like me! Gazelle thought. No wonder Burn says that I look his friend.
"Gazelle..." Burn mourned, the ghost of yet to come turned his head to see the redhead crying his heart out, "I-I'm so-so-sorry! I didn't mean to die!" Burn said all these with tears flowing down his cheeks. Gazelle, the ghost watched each tear dripped down from his chin. He was sympathizing Burn. He should not actually. He was a cold person in heart and mind. Why was he feeling sad and sympathizing him? Why? Why was his heart hurting, by watching Burn crying.
"Why did you leave before I could confess? Burn!" the real Gazelle continued, his tears did not stop.
"Gazelle."
"Burn! I love you! Now come back please!" Gazelle yelled and rested his head on the future Burn's hand. He cried too much. He had to rest. Slowly, after sobbing loudly, he fell asleep. Now the ghost that looked like Gazelle knew why he was feeling this way, because the real Gazelle love Burn and since he looked a lot like Gazelle, that could also mean that he could love the redhead. No way, he could not. Two reasons. One, he's a ghost. He could not marry or love a human. Two, it would seem like he's stealing Burn from him. They love each other do they not?
"Gazelle, I've never realise my feelings,..."
W-What the! You can't be serious! Gazelle's eyebrow twitched as he thought. Pouring his feelings out from his mouth in a scene that might be going to happen was crazy! If he wanted to do that, do it in the present time right now!
"I love you and I want you to be hap-" a punch hit Burn in the head, forcing him to lean forward by the force, zipping his mouth shut. "What do you think you are doing, animal!" Burn yelled, lifting his head up to show tears at the side of his eyes.
"I should be the one saying that, hana!" Gazelle yelled back, turning this into an argument.
"What the! What did you call me!" Burn questioned in a very demanding voice. The side of his face moved forward.
"Flower, Hothead!" Gazelle came in and both their heads smashed against each other.
"What the! Now a hothead!" Burn pushed Gazelle forward using his head.
"You're the one who called me animal, Hotheaded Hana!" Gazelle did the same.
"Nani! You mixed them together!"
"That's right, Hotheaded hana!"
"Why you! I asked you first so answer my question!"
"Which one! There's so many!"
"The one with the what are you doing, animal!"
"Oh." Gazelle removed his head from Burn's, "You were acting weird that's all."
"Now you think I'm weird!"
"I didn't say that."
"Then what?" Gazelle sighed. This boy really is a pain in the neck.
"People who confess their feelings in an imagination is purely dumb."
"What!"
"You heard me."
"Well now that you mention it. We are in the future."
"Yup."
"And this is my future. I will die and Gazelle will be depressed over my death."
"If you continue on with your attitude." Burn stared at Gazelle(ghost), deep in thoughts. He was recalling about when Midorikawa and Hiroto said that he was about to change his personality and he thought it was impossible. He was a mean arrogant boy, or jerk in simpler words, far from a kind-hearted and cheerful boy in a matter. No one could just change like that in one day right? Science has shown that it would take 21 days to change for a human being, so it certainly was not possible to change personality in one day. Yet those two kept on saying that he could change. One question appeared in his mind in a flash.
Was this not a dream?
Yes, that question did gave him a headache. Burn wondered how did that question came to mind. It did not have a single relation with changing himself. Or was it? His mind asked another question which gave him another headache. Now that question, the first one of course, kept on popping in his mind. Burn had no other choice but to find an answer to that question, but there was none.
Was this not a dream?
"Ah!" Burn gasped. He came back to the real world and found the ghost of christmas yet to come blushing. Wait, he was staring at him that whole time he was thinking! "Ah! G-Gazelle! I-It was not like that! I-I was thinking!"
"I know that, but next time, please look away to think." Gazelle said, without moving any part of his body except his mouth, his blush still visible.
"O-Okay..."
"J-Ja, we have to get to the next part." Gazelle's blush faded away. He turned so his back was facing Burn. A silvery grey portal appeared in front of him and Gazelle entered it as he spoke, "Follow me." Burn stood up with a tiny bit of hesitation and jogged into the portal which made it dissappear as if it was being swallowed by the air.
The same portal appeared and Gazelle stepped out with Burn behind him. The redhead panted as he leaned forward. Placing his hands on his knees. He was darn tired. He entered the portal unable to find the sliver hair ghost. Only a small black dot of his cloak was seen.
Flashback
"Oi!" Burn called out, but instead of stopping. Gazelle continued till he could not be seen. Burn quickly ran forward, but was stopped by a smaller portal which floated towards Burn in a flash. "What the heck is this thing?" Burn asked and took a closer look at it. Suddenly, the centre of the mirror swirl around like a toilet bowl being flushed and a mirror magically appeared. It showed a doctor tending to Burn in his room. The rest of the children watching him. The doctor stopped and talked to Hitomiko. It seemed to be moments before the future Burn saw in his bedroom.
"I'm sorry. We've done all we could. His whole body was frozen, even the inside. The heart stopped beating. I'm sorry." The doctor spoke. He hung his head low as he walked out of the room. A few seconds later, the whole room became lively. The children all jumped around Burn's room, smiling so wide that the ends reached their ears.
"Yayyyy!" They exclaimed.
"What?" Burn shot his head up which was hanging down just a few minutes ago. They are happy that I died! Burn thought. Seeing those children happily jumpping around, holding each other's hands and that glowing face. Burn thought it would be great if he died, except that sliver hair and teal eyes boy, who was standing there not moving a single muscle, just a sad look on his face. The mirror changed again, "W-what! M-matte! Gazelle! Ah." This time it showed Heat sitting on a hospital bed. He looked very pale, almost like Hiroto's. A doctor walked into the scene and spoke to him as if he was begging.
"Atsuishi Shigeto. You only have a few days left to live. I know you will not accept my offer in taking up Chemotherapy, but please. Do it for your lover at least. I'm sure he would be happy if you are alive."
"I don't want to. Thank you doctor." Heat looked up at the doctor and gave an assured smile. The doctor had no other choice, but to give up his intention and leave the room. Once when he left, Heat looked at the sky from the window in front of him and his smile widened before the scene dissappeared and the mirror floated away.
End
Burn's heartbeat returned to its normal pace. He looked around to notice that he was in an unfamilar place.
"Where are we?" Burn asked.
"Heaven."
"What! Is this even alright! I'm not dead yet!" Burn jumped.
"Don't worry. They gave you an exception." Gazelle said with his eye balls looking at Burn, who heaved a sigh of relief. They turned back to the front at his next sentence, "But I must say. Someone's not happy here."
"Who?" Gazelle raised his hand and pointed at the boy some distance away.
"H-Heat?" Burn mouthed out his name, "H-he's sad?"
"Because he couldn't find Nepper."
"I knew it."
"The decision of his was wrong. He's regreting dying, Burn. He's regreting not getting that Chemotherapy. He misses Nepper so much. Now he's never gonna see him again."
"Heat..."
"Do you want to help him?"
"Yes! I do! I want to!" Burn shot his head up.
"Do you want to change?"
"Yes! I'll change! Even if it takes 21 days to!" Gazelle chuckled by Burn's joke, "I'll change! I'll be a nice boy. I'll no longer want to win! I'll be a good boy and live!"
"Ja, ja ne..." Gazelle started fading. From his foot to his thighs. The background turned white. Burn's lesson was over.
"M-matte! What are you saying!" Burn asked desperately. The fading now reached Gazelle's chest level,
"Sayonara, Hotheaded Hana." Gazelle said his last sentence with a smile before he faded away.
"Gazelle!" Burn shot up from his bed, "Eh? How did I get here?" Burn looked around his room. How did he get back? The sunlight shown from the window of his room. "It's morning. I-it's morning. I-It's Christmas." Burn's lips formed a smile, "It's Christmas! It's Christmas and I'm back! I-It's all a dream. It's all a dream!" And they all clicked, why the three ghost of Christmas said that he could change and all was because all that happened was a dream. They came into his dream to teach him a lesson to enjoy Christmas. That had worked, Burn finally had a smile on his face after years of none.
Burn got out of bed and to his desk, where the window was and pushed it to open. Burn took a deep breath of fresh cold air. He opened his eyes. Last night was probably still snowing as there was a lot of snow all over the place that it seemed like some were starting to fall off the roofs. Burn looked down after hearing sounds of children laughter. Down at the soccer field, maybe a soccer field as the snow covered the entire place surrounded by fences, were his teammates from Prominence in a snowball fight. Two teams was split from a whole, one nearest to the opening of the fence and the other at a distance from them. No forts were bulit, probably because they just started. Burn grined happily and waved one of his hands high up in the air and shouted,
"Minna!" The team stopped and looked up, they immediately formed a straight line crouching down and greeted their ex-captain in a very timid voice,
"M-Morning! B-Burn-sama!" Burn dropped his hand and looked away, remembering how he was before, but he looked back at them and smiled,
"Morning to you too!" He answered back, he changed, "Hey, let me join you! I want to play snowball too!"
"EH!" The team shot up their head so fast they could almost break their necks.
"You heard me. I want to play snowball fight."
"B-bu-"
"I'm coming down!" Burn waved good bye as he headed down the stairs, not before taking some of his belongings with him.
"Burn-sama!" No answer.
"I'm here!"
"Ah!" Prominence turned back like the way they shot their heads up. Burn was behind them. How the hell did he get down so fast?
"Ja! Let's pla- AH!" Burn dropped the snowball he was making, turned to the gate and ran.
"B-Burn-sama!"
"Gomen! I have to do something! Wait for me! I'll come back!" Burn dashed off.
Burn ran and ran and ran by the route the ghost of Christmas Present took which he could vaily remember. Burn looked around, it was the same as in his dream. The only problem was he could not find a certain house. Heat's house in fact.
"Damn, I remember this was how the route was. Where is that Heat?" Burn looked around again, annoyed. Just then, he spotted a shop, a flower shop, by the name of
Flower giths ~ for your love ones
A grin was what settled on Burn's face when he saw that name. He knew how to get to Heat's house now. Burn marched straight down a path happily.
A few minutes or so, Burn reached Heat's house. He wiped the window full of water droplets and peered in. Heat was sitting like in the dream. On a chair, in front of a table. Found you! Heat stood up and pushed the chair in. Burn quickly ran towards the door and banged on it repeatly. Heat heard it and put his wallet and keys into his pocket. He walked towards the door and opened it. Shocked to see his ex-captain in front of him.
"Burn-sama. What are you doing here? I'm going out to se-"
"Heat." Burn clutched Heat's slevees, "Take that therapy. Please." He spoke that with a soft loving voice like an adult begging another adult about a very important matter, concern all over his eyes.
"B-burn-sama, h-how did you know about my i-illness! I never told anyone." Heat did not answer Burn's question, he was just shocked again by the redhead knowing about his problem.
"I know everything. I know that Nepper died, I know that you have cancer and you will regret it if you don't take that treatment!"
"B-But Nepper's waiting for me-"
"He's not!" Heat's eyes widened by the sudden loud shout, Burn had his head bend down, "He never said anything about wanting you to die. He...He would like you to live! You know that!" Burn looked up at Heat. The white haiir was crying. Tears sreaming down his cheeks.
"I know, b-but..." more tears were coming out, "I-I want to see him so bad! I-I missed him so much!" Heat choked.
"I know you do, but even if you die, you'll still not see him."
"W-what do you mean?" Heat asked, the tears were slowly coming to a stop.
"You'll know when you died, but right now," Burn removed his hands from the slevees and gave a warm smile to Heat, "Go and take that treatment and go back to Sun Garden."
"Burn-sama..." with that, Heat let out all his sadness in him, by crying.
"Merry Christmas minna!" All eyes turned to the main door, first the children faces shown curious, then shock and then happy. They ran towards Heat who called out to them just now.
"Heat!/Atsuishi-kun!" They all shouted.
"H-hai...! N-Ne minna-san, I can't move with you guys hugging me." Heat said as he tried to walk into the room.
"Heat! It's been a long time!" Prominence said after the children let go of Heat.
"I missed you guys too!"
"Nepper wa?" That question took a hit to Heat.
"H-he's gone forever." Shocked.
"A-and I'm suffering from cancer, but don't worry! I'm getting treatment!" Heat opened his eyes, prominence's eyes were teared up.
"Heat...We never knew you've lead such a sad life." They hugged Heat again with tears spraying everywhere, "Come back Heat!"
"M-m-minna..." Burn looked at the slight in front of him, glad that he made prominence and Heat happy, now one thing lef-
"Heat's finally back. Now we're all a family again." Burn rolled his eyeballs to his side, turning his head slightly. Gazelle was standing beside him watching the scene too. Burn knew what Gazelle was amplying. The sliver hair stressed on the last word. Indicating that everyone were not a fmaily yet until Burn changed. That was already done.
"Ah." Burn agreed and rolled his eyes back to scene. A few seconds later, he turned back to Gazelle again, "Hey, where's my present?"
"P-present?" Gazelle blinked a few times.
"Yes. My present." Burn made his whole body turned to Gazelle and give him a glare and a pout. His hands rested on his waist, "Don't tell me that the dump truck took it away."
"N-no! I've left it in my room!" Gazelle spoke in a fast manner, shocked that Burn knew about the present and that he wanted it. He dashed towards his room, leaving clouds of dust in his place,
"I'm back." Gazelle said, standing behind Burn who was tapping his foot and standing in a lazy manner.
"Oh you're back." Burn turned his body as he was standing with his back facing the stairs. Burn noticed Gazelle had a slight blush on his checks which made him cute. Burn grinned. Gazelle rolled his eyeballs to Burn but darted away again. The tinge of red on his checks became redder. Slowly, with shivering hands, Gazelle held out the present to Burn. The beautifully wrapped with blue wrapping paper and decorated with a red ribbon. Burn smiled and took the present, causing the sliver hair boy's blush redder.
"Thanks." He said and opened the box. There in the box, was a white scarf folded neatly in place, with the words,
Burn
Nagumo Haruya
Written on it. Burn took it out and unfolded it, putting the box elsewhere. Burn did not notice it because it was folded, but the rest of the scarf was pictures of the children in Sun Garden printed on it. Each seperated by their teams in Aliea Academy. At the other end were two names, but not Burn's, it was Gazelle's.
Gazelle
Suzuno Fuusuke
"I love it." Gazelle looked up by Burn's words. The redhead held down the scarf and gave the warmest smile he could ever give in his life, "Thanks." Gazelle gave an expression like he was melt by Burn's words. He could not help but let one tear drop fall as he tried to smile, "Oi~ Oi~!" Gazelle noticed Burn had gotten really close to him, but Gazelle did not care. His crush was so incredibly close. A finger wiped away that tear drop which came from Burn's hand, "Don't cry." His words are so soft. Gazelle thought. They never let go of their gaze upon each other as Burn's finger traced down to Gazelle's lips. At that time, Burn then realised how pink and soft they were. It grew his desire to kiss those lips. Both of them, looking at how close they were, what Burn was doing, knew what was happening next. Burn leaned in for a kiss.
Both of them parted. Much to their dissapointment, however they needed oxygen. Their eyes locked on again. Both thinking the same thing,
I love you. Both loved that kiss, it was...there was no word to describe it. Wonderful, content, best... that was better than these words.
"I love you." They both said in unison. Both faces turned shocked, but then Gazelle began to chuckle and Burn just smiled. They looked at each other again and both leaned in together for a kiss-
Gasp.
Burn and gazelle stopped half way, lips inches apart. They turned to the children beside them- Right, they were in Sun Garden orphange. doing something in there would be seen by the children. The children applauded, added in some cheers and whistles. The couple chuckled. Burn wrapped the scarf around his neck and kissed Gazelle again.
First couple done, now let's get to the next one, Hiroto and Midorikawa.
Thank you so much for reading! Really appreciate it! Sorry that the ghost parts were short. Out of ideas. Hurry to make it in time for Christmas. Please review. It makes me soooo happy! Merry Christmas to you again!