Chibi Angel
Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel or any business-related partners thereof.
~*~*~*~
~ Arrive ~
Scarcely had his finger lifted from the button, when the door was flung back and Satoshi's companion was pulled beyond the doorframe. With yelped. Large scarlet red and wide cerulean orbs shared a look of surprise and confusion before the taller boy felt himself being dragged in by the hand.
Once they were in, he glanced downwards to see that the one that had grabbed him was none other than his new friend.
Takeshi had been the one to pull the red-head in. "Daisuke! You finally came!" he exclaimed, practically latched on to the overwhelmed nine-year old.
Turning to his other classmate, the birthday boy grinned. "A-ha! You brought him here, didn'tcha?" The blue-haired boy nodded mutely, and the dark-haired boy's grin became even broader. "Man, thanks!" He let go of Daisuke and went to get the new arrivals some cake.
"He's so... hyper," muttered Satoshi.
The shorter boy laughed. Upon seeing his fingers that remained interlaced with his taller friend, Daisuke blushed and let go. Smiling nervously, he said. "I'm going to put my card with the other presents, okay?"
He nodded, and the red-head left his side, threading his way through the crowd to reach a small table laden with boxes wrapped in shiny paper.
The boy looked down at the package in his possession. His present was hidden from sight by a glossy silver-colored material that had the pattern of a With-like Sanrio character dancing amongst black and white feathers. Satoshi ran a finger over the tape. By the flattened, trapped air bubbles and by how crooked some of the transparent pieces of adhesive were, he surmised that Daisuke had done this himself.
"Hey! Whatcha got there?" asked Takeshi, popping from out of nowhere with two plates in his hands. Both had slices of birthday cake and scoops of ice cream.
A guilty feeling pricked his heart. The blue-haired boy hesitated to answer, gaze shifting to Daisuke. His friend was currently occupied with balancing the partially open card on the table where it would not be found immediately.
"You could at least open it," commented Takeshi. "Daisuke wanted to send me something I would like more, didn't he?"
Startled sapphires returned to the birthday boy. "Hai." He slowly peeled away the tape from one end of the present, glancing at the dark-haired boy every once in a while. Without looking at it himself, the Satoshi held the visible part of the present for him to see.
Takeshi smiled brightly. "Yeah, he did."
"I'm sorry I didn't bring you anything," said the blue-haired boy.
The ten-year old grinned. "You came, and got Daisuke here too. That's good enough." He placed one of the paper plates in the taller boy's hand. "I told myself wouldn't give him any ice cream for coming late, but then I remembered that I also asked for something special from him. It wouldn't be fair to give him no dessert now would it?" He went after the red-head before the other boy could reply.
Satoshi re-taped the present and slipped it into his bookbag. He scanned the room for the red-head, but his view of the table was currently blocked by Inspector Saehara. Retreating into a corner, he removed the spork that was stuck into the cake slice and began treating himself to the melting ice cream.
~*~
"Time to open the presents!" roared out the elder Saehara.
Most of the guests attending gathered around their ten-year old classmate and the table of gifts.
A certain blue-haired boy remained back at a polite distance, only partially hiding his interest in the procedure. It was, after all, the first time he had ever witnessed such an event.
Takeshi eagerly took the first gift on the top of the lopsided pyramid. He grinned at the message in the attached note, and then set himself upon the task of taking apart the wrapping paper. The boy held it up gleefully, a microphone to attach to his computer from his father. Alongside it was an armband with "Reporter" written in kanji. "Sankyuu!" Going through the rest of them, he unwrapped various recording devices, a book on managing cameras –
Someone else detached from the ring of people to hide behind him. Satoshi looked over his shoulder, about to frown at the other person, when he saw that it was the red-head. His expression softened. "Niwa-kun?"
"He found it," whispered Daisuke, his voice conveying fear and worry. "What if he doesn't like it?"
He was reading the red-head's card. Finally, Takeshi looked up to his friend hiding behind his blue-haired classmate. He grinned, pocketed it, and went on to undo his last gift.
~*~
The guests were filing out, waving good-bye to the birthday boy as they went. In a few minutes, the only ones left were Niwa and Hiwatari.
"Daisuke, I'm sorry about that," said Takeshi ruefully. "I thought my dad coulda sent you home, but he's gotta get to work."
He glanced over at Satoshi. "It's okay. I don't think Hiwatari-kun will mind if I go with him," replied the red-head.
The dark-haired boy relaxed. "That's good. Hey, about what you wrote." He pulled the card out. "You'll do anything for me?"
Daisuke nodded.
"Well, I overheard my dad saying something big would be up next week, but I've got cleaning duty then. Would you mind doing it for me?"
More nodding.
"Dude! Sankyuu!" He took him up in a friendly one-arm hug. "Now I can use aaall that equipment!"
A taxi pulled up to the blue-haired boy. "Sayonara Saehara-san, Saehara-kun," he said.
"Bai Saehara-kun! Thank you for everything Saehara-san!" The red-head jogged over to his new friend's side. With was safely in his bookbag after feasting on a particularly large strawberry his owner taken off his slice of cake.
~*~*~*~
GD~ I stink at pacing things, don't I?
Chibi Veru~ *more nodding* And, GD, for crying out loud,
GD~ *sigh* Ah well. Chibi Sato opens up his present soon enough... And then I'll post the alternate ending in one go after that.
Chibi Veru~ You only wan' tha' alternate ending because of Dark and Krad appearing.
GD~ *starry eyes* Who wouldn't like seeing that?
Chibi Veru~ *sweatdrop* You're mad.
GD~ ^^;; Aren't we all?