The days seemed to pass even slower now that he KNEW something big was going to happen. With Epiphany's arrival in a few days, not to mention his approaching DEADLINE, the whole group plus Mia was waiting for Christmas break to arrive. Time seemed to be speeding up, but also slowing down in some aspects.
That aspect would be getting homework done and over with. Especially one large piece that was a chunk of his GRADE. It was going better now that he had some help of a certain gifted writer...but he STILL had to think up of the rest on his OWN. Cye leaned back in his seat at his desk and tapped the pencil against the surface. He was making good headway now, as if she managed to unlock that door keeping his creativity away. His lips pursed as he looked to the loose-leaf sheets spread on his desk. He knew that it had something to do with her passion for writing. The way she described things, even though she would never see them. It was as if she could in her mind. She had a way with words, when she chose to speak them... It was no WONDER she was good. She reminded him of Sage in a way, someone who didn't speak unless he felt it was something necessary to say. Except...at least Sage made small talk now and then...
Cye's head shook and went back to work. Thinking of things besides his story wasn't going to get it done. Though he was two pages away from the required eight, he still had to get it typed up and spaced as requirements ordered. That would take all the goaded time off he managed to weasel out of his onesan at the business. The only way he did was by promising to spend twice the time at the kiln and wheel on his time off. Not that he was really complaining; working with clay was extremely soothing. Shaping it on a wheel was like feeling water move around in your hands.
His stomach growled a little later in the evening and Cye was easily swayed to stop for the night. He came home as soon as classes were over with to get some more work done...after taking an hour to work with Kimon of course. He read what he had so far and sat down to make corrections as soon as he got home. He didn't want to change ALL of it, but knew she knew what she was talking about...so changed the most blatant and left some of his work still his.
The lights clicked off and the door shut, as if putting his troubles away in a box for another day. He'd get some more done later after dinner was done and over with. On his way to the kitchen, he passed the Christmas tree and paused, giving it a look. He purposely inhaled the intense smell of pine and smiled. They all did a wonderful job on it. Sayoko and his mother knew what they were doing when they helped. He and Ryuusuke mostly let them step aside and watch as the duo placed all their ornaments around. It turned out splendid and already there was a small grouping of presents underneath. Many of those were sitting there, waiting to be delivered to others not in their family, but not segregated from the group. He knew all the families, though not entirely well-known to each other, treated them all as their own.
He stopped in the kitchen and breathed in the smell of Sayoko's cooking, smiling again. "When will it be ready?" He queried, casting an eye to the empty table. Without thinking, he started for the cupboards.
"In a few." Sayoko answered. "Will you-" The clack of plates stopped her and she looked to her ototo with a smile. "Never mind." She mused, looking back down.
Cye smiled and set all four places, grabbing things for the main dishes. He got everything needed from the fridge and helped Sayoko put some of the hot dishes on the table as the other two made their way in. "There you are." He announced, going to his mother's side and pulling out her chair.
"Arigatou atashii no musuko." She answered, patting his arm. Thank you my son.
Ryuusuke also pulled out Sayoko's chair before going and grabbing the main pot off the stove. "Mmmmm. Smells good Sayoko-kun." He appraised, setting it on the metal grate.
Cye let his family dig in as he sat in silence and thought. He just had, what he deemed, a wonderful idea. As he watched Sayoko dish herself up, something became clear that he didn't think of before. His eyes thoughtfully cast to the table. In his few 'study groups' with Kimon, the clothes she wore were always a little baggy...if not dull colored to trick the eye. He wasn't fooled; by the look of her face, it was easy to tell that Kimon was thin. Probably thinner than she should be. Apparently, she never cooked much for herself, if she did at all.
A mysterious smile tipped his lips as his mind let him go back to the situation at hand. As he dished food for the evening, he knew what to do. A small bit of his mind told him to do something nice in return for all of Kimon's help, even though it was part reluctant. She was extremely timid, but nice enough. He wanted to give her a type of Christmas/thank-you present, but didn't know WHAT. He didn't know her at all. But now he knew just what to do. And he knew just who to ASK for details on what to MAKE.
Instead of heading back up to his room again, he headed for the phone after everything was put away and all the dishes were scrubbed. It was another hour later, and Cye just hoped he wouldn't interrupt anything. After five rings, the connection went through. "Moshi moshi."
He couldn't help but smile. "Konban wa Mia." Good evening Mia.
"Cye! What a surprise! How are you??" Mia rattled, her voice evident to her glee.
"Daijoubu." I'm fine. "I had a favor to ask you Mia. I don't know if you'll be able to help, but I had to ask anyway."
"Shoot. I hope I can help you. You know I will if I can." She answered.
His lips pursed. "How long have you been friends with Kimon?"
She was silent for a small bit. He knew that question wasn't one she expected. "A little over a year or so. Why do you ask?"
"In all that time, do you know what kind of food she likes to eat?" He asked, sidestepping her question.
Mia's lips pursed as she thought. A finger tapped against her cheek. "Well...I'm not TOO sure Cye... She has a small weakness for pastries though. And she loves tea."
This was better than he thought. "Do you know what kind of tea?"
"She loves jasmine, black, chamomile, and green. She ALWAYS asks if I have any on supply whenever she comes over."
He grinned. "That's all I needed to hear Mia. You managed to help me a lot."
"Anytime Cye." A small bit of silence pertained. "So...you anxious to see Epiphany again?? I am."
He could hear her grin through the phone. "Probably not as much as Rowen or Kento. But it'll be good to see her again, if not to see how the years have treated her. I just hope we can all spend some time together as a group."
Mia's smile widened. "Me too. I'm looking forward to see how we get along as roomies." She briefly giggled and sighed. "I'm actually doing a little bit of cleaning of her room right now. You caught me on the tail end. So I'll take my leave, unless there's something else you needed?"
"Iya." No. "Thanks for your help. Sorry I bothered you."
Mia laughed. "I needed the break. I'll see you five soon I imagine."
Cye smiled. "We're all picking Epiphany up at the airport. Sage said when he got it squared around that she wanted to meet us all at once."
"Oh yea...forgot about that."
He chuckled. "See you soon Mia."
"Ja." See you.
The two hung up and Cye immediately turned to his room, a smile on his face. He felt good, real good. He skipped steps to the first floor, feeling a lightness in his step. He was given some information that would help as a small Christmas present AND thank-you present. All he needed was a list of ideas to work with, irregardless of what type. He could make a few of each and give the rest to the others. He knew KENTO would surely take them. He sat down again and picked up the unfinished sheet. He exhaled a deep breath, feeling more ready to work than he had since the announcement for narrative essays came.
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In the privacy of a different room of the encroaching night in Toyama sat a single person. He sat in meditative stance, staring at a small box in his hands, as if wondering about the purchase and if it was the smart thing to buy. Something of this magnitude would not be brushed off lightly...especially for someone like him. His rational mind was wondering why he spent so many Yen on such an extravagant gift.
His lips pressed together. Perhaps this wasn't the right thing to give her. He wanted something special, but knew ANYTHING he gave her would be special. He just didn't want it to be anything ORDINARY. He knew his feelings toward her changed over the few years he knew her. When he didn't know, but he was internally excited she was coming back and that everything was finally set up the way it SHOULD be. The group was going to meet her at the airport and go to Mia's for a brief spell before deciding what to do then. The others would most likely have classes or whatnot to get back to, for they ALL intended on skipping them for something this important. He was unable to get out of his class, since he was the teacher. He was just lucky it was later in the day, two hours later than when her plane would arrive. It was a shame he would be unable to spend some time with her from the start, but he couldn't change the real world.
Footsteps suddenly sounded in his ears and the door threw open as the person behind it nearly crashed into his room. He was startled to say the least, and almost fell off the bed. "NANI!" He demanded, masking his face as soon as his eyes landed on the intruder.
"Come on ototo. We're all wrapping presents and mother said you had something to wrap as well." A pair of amused eyes landed on his hand. "Is that it?"
"Nan demo nai." He retorted, smartly clapping the box closed. It's nothing. It snapped in the quiet and he shoved it in his front pocket.
A knowing smile popped up. "That's a jewelry box. What's in it? Who's it for?"
"Nan demo nai Yayoi." He repeated, his tone warning.
Yayoi huffed and released the door handle, stepping back. "Nothing you want to TELL me about you mean."
Sage's eyes narrowed as he also left the room and shut the lights off. "You said the others were wrapping presents?" He queried, already heading for the living room. His chin rose as his hand clenched around the present. He felt his older sister's eyes burning his back, but he ignored them and nodded a greeting when his mother met his eyes. She scooted over and he kneeled in front of the coffee table, grabbing things to use.
"Nani sore wa ni-chan?" What is that ni-chan?
"Something pretty. And expensive I bet." Yayoi piped up, not letting him get a word in.
"Yayoi..." He lowly answered, turning to his other sibling. Keeping Yayoi from seeing, he opened the box. "It's for a friend imoto."
"KAWAII..." She breathed, her face appreciative. CUTE... She looked up with wide eyes to his. "Sage ni-chan...kore wa KAWAII!" This is CUTE!
"Nani? I want to see!" Yayoi insisted, walking up.
The box snapped shut again and was promptly wrapped up in simple paper. "Gomen." Sage muttered, smirking a little when Yayoi humphed and went to her own group for her friends to wrap. His eyes snuck a peek over at Satsuki as she busied herself with a few things of her own. He was closer to her than he was Yayoi by a LONG shot. It wasn't fair to be the only male with two sisters. She always picked on him when he was a child, and still did so today. Even though they shared the same Kendo training and acted courteous in public, that was it. The sibling rivalry hadn't dimmed in their twenty and twenty-five years of youth.
After finally wrapping the palm-sized box, Sage stared at it before slowly reaching for a sticker to write on. He actually wrapped her gift. He was going to give it to her. It was a simple thing, a simple action. Part of him wanted to and he bought it. It was wrapped with the intention of being given to another. Then...why was his STOMACH feeling fluttery??
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A little later on, during any normal child's bedtime, sat another figure in his room with a different set of presents to wrap. As if worried someone would pop in and invade his privacy, even though the door was locked for safety, blue eyes darted to the wood barrier. A boyish, almost eager smile lit his face as thick hands grabbed a pair of scissors and went for the nearest set of wrapping paper. There was no real way to wrap presents around here without a pair of young eyes spying. Not that he wasn't the same way...which was one reason for the precautionary measure. He did the same as they did anyway.
There was quite a bit to wrap. He wasn't the type of person to buy one thing for someone and leave it at that. So far he was halfway through, which was a good thing. He had work with his mom in the morning and didn't want to be half asleep when she woke him up.
He wasn't a fancy wrapper and most of the presents lacked ribbons or bows, but were well marked. When he was done, he sat back with a smile and stared at his handiwork. The small stack sat in the middle of his room, getting a nod of satisfaction. Now all that was left to do was put them under the tree for his other four siblings and the many other people he shopped for. He snatched a good-sized blanket off his bed and stacked everything up to be carried down at once, not wanting to make trips. He didn't want to wake up anyone and have them start poking at the packages, Chun Fa especially.
The smell of pine assaulted his nose as soon as he hit the living room entrance. He inhaled and kneeled in front of the massive, decorated tree. He loved real pine trees; they made the house smell so nice for weeks. That and ma's cooking was enough to drive him crazy with hunger. And the look of presents stacked under and spilling along the walls, just itching to be opened, made him feel five years old again.
After setting the last present in place, feeling like he was playing Santa with as much as he was stacking underneath, he stood and stared in appreciation at the lights shining from amidst the branches. After an indescribable amount of time, just taking in the tree and presents, and the soft, colorful lighting, Kento went to raid the kitchen for a quick bedtime snack before going to bed.
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"I think we're done."
"Nope...you missed a little bit of tinsel right there otousan."
"EH? Doko?" Where?
Relieving his father of the duty, a piece of tinsel was tossed with precision to an empty spot on the tree. "There." He cheekily replied, leaning off the balls of his feet. "NOW we're done." He answered, standing back to look at the tree in satisfaction. It seemed they did this rarely anymore and every time he felt like a kid all over again.
"And a fine job you did my musuko."
"Arigatou okaa." Thanks mom. He answered, grinning behind him to a figure lounging on the couch.
The once Mrs. of his family held up his mug of apple cider, still steaming from the lip. "Here, this isn't good cold and we're not saving it."
"I'LL be the judge of that." Retorted a pleasant voice, grabbing his own mug.
He smiled and took a sip of the hot liquid, enjoying the taste. He let his parents have the couch and sat in another chair as the trio gazed at their masterpiece. All that was missing were the presents piled in another chair to get situated under the tree.
He wished he had the power of time to freeze this moment and keep it forever. The family was never together anymore...so busy with work and their own lives, as was he, to actually get TOGETHER anymore... It was a sad thought, to know that they weren't much of a family. Ever since he was a teenager, all he knew how to do was take care of himself. He learned to depend on himself and keep himself out of trouble. It was a grim thought...one that slowly wiped the smile from his face. He quickly covered up his souring, realistic mood with his mug and took a gulp to purposely rid himself of those bad memories. Tonight was all about now and ENJOYING the evening. He should savor this before...
"You know...it's getting late. I need to be getting home soon."
As usual. He fought a sigh and looked to his mother, trying to keep sadness out of his eyes. "But mom...it's not THAT late..."
"Says the old bearer of the stars." She teased back, giving him a wry grin. Rowen couldn't help but smile back a little.
"You are right dear. I also need to get to the college in the morning early as well."
His parents stood and hugged their goodbyes with genuine pleasantries, which he cast his eyes away from. He just beat himself over this and he knew it, but it was always hard to see his parents separate again for however knew HOW long. "You'll be here Christmas Eve right mom?"
"Of course dear." She answered, moving to give him a hug. "You know I'll stay the night and be here when you two open presents." She pulled away and gave his cheek a light pinch. "Just like I did last year too. Don't worry musuko."
He gave a light sigh, but smiled for her benefit. He let her go and watched as she grabbed up her things and headed for the front door. "See you in a few days Rowen." She called, giving a wave. He nodded his farewell and watched the door shut and the lock click into place behind her.
"Well..." Genichirou groaned, right in the middle of a stretch. "I guess I'd better hit the sack too..." With a scratch to his beard, the elder man looked to his son. "You should too Rowen. You've got classes in the morning, don't you?"
Rowen met his father's eyes and silently nodded. "I'll go in just a few. I want to make sure we didn't miss anything on the tree."
The elder Hashiba smirked, but waved his goodnight and headed for his room.
Rowen seriously watched his father go and locked his vision on the tree when he was out of sight. He knew he should be considered lucky...a pair of divorced parents that were still good friends. He should be lucky...he really SHOULD. If not for the fact that they were more of a family NOW than they were when his parents were actually MARRIED.
He scowled and brought the mug to his lips again. "Come on Hashiba..." He muttered against the lip. "This is Christmas. What's with the hum-bug attitude?" He sighed into the mug and gulped the cider, relishing in the heat. His eyes went from the carpet back to the tree as he stared in almost child-like fascination. They did another good job this year. Though his mother didn't help and was content to watch, she still coached and it was like all of them worked together again. These were the times he liked and both hated. Spending the holidays with a broken family.
Tipping the mug up to get the last of his father's cider, Rowen snorted into the now empty mug. "Merry Christmas to all..." He muttered, going to the tree. He reached around and plugged the lights in, knowing they were safe enough to leave on and the energy bills weren't a problem. He stood back and looked at every twinkle and shine, the tiniest amount of sorrow lacing his eyes. "...Yea right." He whispered, going to the kitchen to put his mug in the sink.
After doing so, he decided to head in earlier than normal. The guys would be worried, since it was barely eleven, but he just couldn't find the energy to stay awake. And the faster he could get to sleep and leave these emotions, the better off he was.
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About the same time, another pair of lights turned on. Instead of being the multiple colored set, these were a strict red. It was ironic, but he didn't want anything else, save that same color. With a pleased smile at the handiwork on his relatively small tree, he sat on the couch with some warm milk and gazed in the dark. The lights illuminated everything quite nicely and his home felt even homier. The tree was simple, but it made him catch the feel of Christmas all the more.
He wasn't one for holidays. Not really. Even though he was excited about the spirit of it and giving to see his friends' faces light up in happiness...this time was spent with family. One he didn't have...and hadn't for many years. He resolved not to let it get him down...keeping busy with work and letting his friends fill the gap. It was quite easy to let them too.
And then there'd be another one to help ease his loneliness. A small smile appeared as he lounged in his apartment, listening to the wind blow outside. Hopefully they would get snow AFTER she arrived. He hoped her plane wouldn't be delayed. He was looking forward to seeing her, and seeing how she reacted to his gift. He wasn't much of a shopper, and didn't really know her when she was here, but hoped what Sage said was true about her hand in drawing. He hoped she would like the couple of drawing books he picked out.
After a while, tiger blue drifted to the wall clock and widened a little. It was midnight almost...he had work in the morning. And a few classes. Early, EARLY morning classes. With a quiet groan, he headed to the kitchen and downing the rest of the milk as he went. 'Guess it's another five hours...' Ryo lamented, cleaning the class up. He set it on the rack to dry and headed to bed.
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Something woke her in the middle of the night, but she didn't know what it was. With a quiet groan at the disturbance, her head pulled from the comfy pillow indent and listened. She gave a sleepy blink when she heard Beethoven rustling on his bed mat a few feet away. With a small scowl and sigh, her head flopped back down...and felt part of the mattress dig into her hip. Another groan wrenched from her as she realized she would have to roll over.
The mattress was old and there was a groove in it from sleeping in the same spot day out and in. She WASN'T an avid sleeper and barely moved in the night when she slept. To have to move away from the comfortable position meant she would take longer to get used to the feel. At the sad realization that she wouldn't get back to sleep, for she was a light sleeper, she rolled to her stomach and lazily moved a hand from under the covers. Lithe fingers snaked through the air and touched the raised numbers of her Braille alarm clock. It was a little after one. Her head rolled to the pillow as she groaned louder. The hand flopped against her bed and quickly retracted back to the warmth of her heating blanket. Four hours and then she'd have to get up. With a sigh, she tried to get comfortable and rested the pillow on top of her head, rendering her blind and slightly mute.
There were classes tomorrow, and she had work as well. She was trying to earn a little extra to earn Mia a Christmas present. One of the few she ever bothered to give anyone. Rarely did she celebrate Christmas, since it was all about family. She didn't have one. She just had her father, and lived in an apartment. This wasn't home...it was just her residence. It wasn't an encouraging thought.
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Eight hours away, and many continents over, a form blurred across a dresser and closet, writing things down that she wanted to take with her in a few days. There would be no 'comfortable' outfits, except the pajamas that she was taking. All these would be to impress him. Back then, she only wore school and plain clothes because she didn't care what she wore. This was totally different...now she had to impress him with how much she changed.
She stopped and looked at the list, then groaned and flopped on her bed, trying to be quiet. "Six at night and I'm not going to be able to fall asleep..." She muttered in the quiet. She woke up early AGAIN today. Just like yesterday...and the entire last WEEK. She should try to get some rest soon...because she was trying to get up earlier with classes and train her body to wake up sooner. Normally she wasn't a morning person, but she was learning to for him...because she knew he was an early morning person. She knew because he told her.
She couldn't help but smile in the quiet, and opened her mouth to give a quiet squeal. She didn't want her cousin's family to hear, even though it was nearly dinnertime. They were as excited as she was, and wanted many souvenirs from her trip. Well...as many as her backpack could hold.
She sat up on the bed and idly looked around her room, feeling good. Two weeks at Mia's. That would be a TREAT. The first amount of free time she got, she was going to look over the whole estate and its grounds...and check out that tiger Sage said they she had. A smile crept to her face. She had an urge to dig out all those old letters and reread through them, just for memory sake. She felt like going through the change she saw in his words.
She was just happy. And excited. There was no other way to put it. She couldn't go to bed at night, and she was trying to wake up early. If she kept this up, she wouldn't be able to stay awake when she got there. A childlike giggle worked its way through her. Like there was ANY way she'd be able to fall asleep once she got back. She was going to want to look through Toyama again...observe the people, soak up the language...be around HIM. The fluttering of her stomach started and she bit her lip. Oh not again...and yet, it was such a nice feeling. She sighed and stared at the floor...swinging her legs against the bed.
"Epiphany...Cena!" Dinner!
She jumped up and headed for the door. Best to eat before her cousin caught on to her behavior and started in on ANOTHER girl-chat fest about 'this boy she liked'. She smirked and shut the lights off. LIKED was putting a drop of water into a pint of sangria. If only they knew... If only HE knew. STILL knew anyway... With a sigh, she shut the door and resolved to be happy being near him. 'Besides,' She thought, eyes solemnly on the floor, 'you live here, he lives there. There's no way it'd work out.'