Chapter Ten: Holly

Scolding Rei as he'd done had clearly been the right choice. Throughout the month of November, the lawyer had treated Nagisa like a god, serving him at his every whim and fancy, practically kissing the very ground upon which he'd walked. Though the topic of sex was still a sore point in his mind, the blond certainly didn't protest all this extra attention he'd been receiving. They were spending more time together than ever before and though less and less of their time was spent under the veil of infatuation, though their make-out sessions had practically dwindled to nothing, they were happier than ever. Rei and Nagisa both felt that they could at last claim to be a couple as what began as a crush faded into a genuine friendship. Though they hadn't had sex, they often spent the gradually cooling nights cuddling on Nagisa's couch with hot chocolate, a blanket, and a movie until they fell asleep in each other's arms. That Friday night, however, the blond knew that nothing of the sort would be happening.

At least, not on his couch anyways.

The writer was rapidly rolling his fingers upon his desk, shifting his weight constantly, and flicking his gaze between his laptop and the already black sky outside. Rei was working on a particularly difficult case and currently was in court giving his closing statements and wouldn't come to pick up Nagisa for another two hours. It would be the first time he'd ever seen his boyfriend's apartment and damn him if he wasn't more excited than he'd ever been about such a thing - especially knowing that there wouldn't be any sex whatsoever. He wondered if his eagerness was unwarranted, but who could blame him for being curious about the lawyer's lifestyle?

"Oh my God, calm down," Gou instructed, peering over the screen of her computer. "You're just a ball of nerves tonight. You said so yourself that you aren't even gonna have sex."

"Aw, Gou," Nagisa teased, grateful for a chance at being distracted, "are you jealous?"

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, slamming her laptop closed and shoving it into her bag. He'd struck a nerve. Nagisa grimaced.

"Don't worry about it," she said before he had the chance to say anything, "I have to go anyways." He waved her off apologetically, and her shrug told him that she wouldn't hold it against him. Besides, her brother was single; they planned to spend the holidays drinking their sorrows away with one another while their mother wasn't looking like they had every year. He was aware that she'd lost her father in an accident many years ago - it was a situation that very well could have been his own, and he thanked his lucky stars for it. He could empathize with her, though, and she with him. Sobered slightly by the thought, he buckled down and refocused himself on his work.

The November column had been written on handbags after October's scarves, but December was a special holiday issue - he'd been working on an all-encompassing jewelry column. It'd taken Ms. Amakata some convincing to write about earrings, bracelets, and necklaces in one column, but his holiday party argument was a sound one - what with Hanukkah, Christmas, and then the New Year, it would be a perfect guide. After seeing the first draft, the boss was feeling delighted with the idea as a whole! She'd only just paid him the compliment earlier this morning, so Rei didn't know yet, but the need to tell him only added to his impatience.

"Nagisa!" came a bright, excitable cry. He was jolted out of his work and glanced up to see Momotarou Mikoshiba, Ms. Amakata's new assistant, coming towards him while brandishing a formidable folder. The bright boy was certainly quite a sight. One minute, the post was empty and the next, everyone knew about Momo the secretarial wonder. He was young, only around 19, and much like Nagisa was a student at a nearby university - his alma mater, in fact. The ginger and the blond became fast friends. He was glad of having another young man around like himself - they both had quite the liking for women's fashion, among other things. Hana and Gou were great friends of his and all, but he felt a sort of camaraderie with Momo that he hadn't quite shared with the other girls. "These are the reviews for your November article," the assistant stated, handing off the folder to Nagisa. "Ms. Amakata is really happy!" The blond smiled at him, took it, and waved him off.

"Thanks, Momo!" he said happily, "Have a good evening!" The ginger said his goodbyes, gathered his stuff and took his leave as the clock struck five. Most everyone was heading home, leaving the office dark save his lamp and a light at the end of the hall - Ms. Amakata was usually the last to leave. Feeling impatient and perhaps a tad nostalgic, he shut his laptop and made his way to her glass-paneled office. He knocked twice, pulling her out of a trance, and she waved him in.

"Yes, Nagisa?" she asked him, turning her chair to face her visitor. For a moment, he felt rather shy - she had done so much for him in his early years of working here, and now Momo had replaced him. It wasn't as though he felt special or anything in particular, he just supposed he felt grateful to her for caring for him.

"It's nothing, I just wondered if there was anything I could do for you," he replied politely, straightening up as though he were still a 20-year-old intern. She grinned wryly at him, taking off her reading glasses and leaning back.

"Mikoshiba got you feeling reminiscent?" she inferred, grinning at him warmly. He gave a bit of a snort and informed her:

"A combination of that and boredom, I suppose." She laughed, gesturing to the seat opposite of hers, and he sat down.

"Of course - it's the talk of the office, you're going to your boyfriend's place tonight." He colored pink - the talk of the office? It was embarrassing that his boss knew! She chuckled at his reaction and continued, "Gou let it slip when I asked why you looked so impatient. I imagine he's picking you up soon? You haven't got a car, after all." He nodded earnestly and she grinned. It was an admirable trait of hers, her attention to others. Some would call her a gossip, especially considering her field, but she was kind and caring more than anything else. She tapped a pen on her desk, staring thoughtfully at the illuminated exit sign where her intern had left not long ago. Abruptly, she wondered aloud, "Do you think Mikoshiba's settling in well?" Surprised, Nagisa glanced up and shot a glance that way as well.

"Yeah, I think so. He gets along well with Gou, but I think Hana's a little annoyed by him. Everyone annoys her, though - she kind of treats him like a little brother," he reported. The woman frowned and shook out her hair a little, her pearl necklace rattling pleasantly.

"Keep an eye on him for me. He looks up to you." The blond beamed at the compliment her words carried, but in his pocket his phone buzzed, and immediately the thought of anything else flew out the window. He checked the message and was delighted to see a text from Rei.

From: Rei Ryugazaki

Court got out early. I'm on my way.

Nagisa grinned like an idiot, to which the brunet woman raised a brow and waved him off, and jogged to his computer. He saved the draft, shut it down, and began packing his things hurriedly.

Nagisa used the mirrors in the elevator to ensure his physical appearance was perfect. It was good that he did - he was an absolute mess after the whole day of work. He knew nothing was going to happen, but he simply couldn't help wanting to show himself off for Rei. It was a special occasion anyhow, wasn't it?

When he stepped outside, it wasn't raining but the frosty wind bit at him violently. Through his faux-fur lined aviator jacket, he shuddered, wondering if in fact his outfit wasn't a bit impractical. Rei was rubbing off on him. But he couldn't help it - his camel, off-the-shoulder sweater with its trendy, ivory Nordic pattern was to die for! And of course, his favorite dark wash jeans and English riding style boots were the perfect accents. So what if the burgundy scarf was thinly woven? It looked great, it was just what he wrote about in his column. Nonetheless, when he saw Rei's car pull over for him, he whispered a quick "oh thank God" and hopped in as fast as he could. Rei opened his mouth, a tiny smirk on his face, but Nagisa wouldn't let him have it.

"Don't you dare!" he warned jokingly as Rei put on his turn signal and pulled back into traffic. He shoved his aching, pink fingers into the heaters.

"Now, don't be rude," he chastised humorously in reply, turning on the seat warmer for his chilled boyfriend. "I texted you this morning to tell you that a frost was coming and to dress warm, didn't I?" The blond pouted and shook out his cool hair.

"So? It was your fault for being late. And here I was, thinking you were a gentleman, but you left me waiting out there for forever!" he declared dramatically. Rei, having grown used to his jokes, glanced over in his amusement.

"I was here early ?" he prompted the blond, who rolled his eyes at the chuckle that followed. They ceased their bickering and Nagisa peered curiously at the window - he didn't even know the remote location of his boyfriend's residence. It could be any one of the little side streets tucked in the city of London. The sky outside held that peculiar cast of violet clouds, low and dark, reflecting the yellow-orange light of the city below. It was the color of a held breath; the shade of that tenderness of heart that came with the winter season where people were most content despite the dark. The blond snuggled against the window, eyes glittering with the reflection of the decorations that had only been put up the night before, all over the city. Every now and then, Rei glanced his way, pleased with the childish delight in his eyes. Unable to help himself, he asked of his boyfriend, "Are you excited?" Nagisa shifted his gaze back to him.

"Of course I am," he replied. "Besides, I'm sick of you nagging me to clean my house." The lawyer fixed his attention to the road, making a turn down the busy A201. They passed their coffee shop, both smiling fondly at it. He was expecting it to take them out of the inner city, but was rather surprised when he turned onto The Victoria Embankment along the River Thames, leading them further in. They drove straight through the Buckingham Palace Gardens, then wove through Park Lane and onto Baywater Road. Nagisa didn't know the area particularly well, but he would've been half mad if he didn't recognize it as Hyde Park - and he was certainly convinced Rei was crazy when he went down another little street called Palace Court and parked along the curb. The blond figured his beau lived a high class lifestyle, but this exceeded all rational thought - he was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from Buckingham Palace on one side, and not five minutes' walk to Kensington Palace on the other! Piccadilly Circus was a stone's throw away and the bigger roads were decorated with flags signifying embassies all around. While Nagisa sat enthralled in the car, the attorney made his way around and opened the passenger side door for him.

"You coming?" he prompted, taking his dainty hand to help him out. The blond nodded, for once rendered speechless by the splendor. "It's actually a bit farther down, but I couldn't see any parking there. It'll be a bit of a chilly walk." Regaining his composure, he slipped an arm through Rei's, cuddling up to the warm man in his woolen coat. Charismatically, the blond insisted, "An autumn stroll is so sweet, though!" His boyfriend chuckled, patting his hand kindly.

"You'll make a romantic of me yet if you keep on using these little moments as opportunities," he informed the shorter one, proceeding in the direction they'd been driving in. The only response Nagisa saw fit to give was pressing himself even closer than he'd been before.

The street was relatively narrow, as many were in London, but made more so by the towering, five-storey apartments and cars crammed on either side in parking. The street was dominated by Regency style architecture, layered with flower boxes and faded brick. They walked along the row from 1 Palace Court, closest to the gardens, until the street came to a T and ended at Moscow Road (Rei informed him it was named so because of the nearby Russian Embassy). Looming nobly across the way was a six-storey terraced apartment complex, likely having been an entire mansion at one point, made with clean red and yellow stone and beautiful white windows. The front face was guarded by an imposing wrought-iron gate, in which the building dipped to a U-shape to allow room for a small courtyard set in flagstone.

The lawyer strode purposefully across Moscow Street, dragging his awestruck companion with him, and pulled a set of keys out by the fence, swinging the heavy, black gate open for Nagisa. He made no move to enter the enclosed garden, instead eyeing Rei incredulously.

"You're joking," he protested, gesturing half-heartedly to the powerful home. The man rolled his eyes and made reply:

"Of course not, don't be silly. Besides," he pointed out rationally, laying a hand on the blond's back to urge him inside, "I wouldn't have the key otherwise." At last convinced, he shyly allowed himself to be ushered through the gate and into the gentrified complex.

There were three doors embedded in the round face of the building, each of them black and identical, and set in round, white frames. Rei brought his boyfriend to the one on the far right, where the lights still shone on the first level. Before he reached the porch, the heavy door groggily swung open, revealing a rather imposing doorman.

"Welcome back, Mr. Ryugazaki," he greeted, standing aside to allow him through. Confidently, the brunet dragged his frozen date through the doorway, nodding to the man at his side. The door was shut quietly behind the couple as they came in. Nagisa thought it seemed absurdly formal, like some hotel in an overdone movie. He couldn't help staring even as Rei led him to a set of wide stairs. He expected the man to bring him to one of the set of doors around here, but the night was full of surprises it seemed, and the attorney only brought him farther up to the third storey. They turned right down a hall and Rei pulled out a set of keys to the farthest door down.

"I have four neighbors," he explained as he opened the door for his boyfriend and ushered him in, "the family I told you about earlier, a musician that owns the three floors below, and an older, retired couple next door to her. I think the wife is an author and the husband is an artist. They sell books together, but I haven't talked with them much." The younger man made the assumption that the other two sections of the building were divided up likewise and he was impressed that so many people could afford such upscale living.

The brunet flicked the lights on to reveal a classic facade decorated with surprisingly sleek and modern furniture as a complement. The walls were all white and would have been plain were it not for the depth and interest of the moulding all around. The windows were of course as old as they looked but offset by monochrome-patterned silk curtains dropping like a thin sheet of steel. There was an ornate, gold-painted fireplace in the wall to his left and a seafoam and gold accented sofa - modern as the curtains - faced it. A sleek television hung above it. The kitchen was to his right - probably where the front of the building was - and a dining area was right beside it, including a breakfast nook by the corner, where windows on either side met.

"Whoa," he concluded simply, stepping into the warm light of the house. Rei slipped his coat and shoes off by the door and Nagisa copied him politely, noting the sparse collection his boyfriend had, and allowed his feet to sink into the plush carpet. He removed his scarf as well, leaving him in just his jeans and his pretty camel sweater.

"You look lovely," Rei complimented. Nagisa was about to blush until the man proceeded, "Even if it's an impractical outfit." He rolled his eyes instead.

"Would it kill you to give me a straight compliment every now and then?" he protested, swaggering toward the couch with a hand on his hip. He was being dramatic, he knew, but when he asked, Rei could really lay it on thick.

"I was so sure that you knew," the attorney muttered, loosening his tie and undoing the button the button at his throat. He approached the pouty boy and wrapped his arms around his waist, his blue eyes glowing warmly and informed him, "I think that you're the most beautiful, sophisticated, and complex man I have ever met." His each successive word, he kissed the blond somewhere new - on the left cheek, then the right, and finally on his forehead. "Now," he proceeded with the utmost efficiency, having burned out his supply of pointless affections, "what do you want for dinner? I don't suppose you'd want to do anything too fancy, and I'm not much of a cook, anyhow." Nagisa shrugged the comment off.

"We can just order take-out, right?" Rei looked positively affronted at the suggestion and he amended, "But whatever you have is good, too!"

"Well, if you insist that's fine, then so be it," he grumbled. The blond laughed at him - it was his fault for not planning ahead! His giggles faded, though - he knew that Rei must have been looking forward to it if he'd forgotten something stupid enough like feeding him. It was interesting, too, as Nagisa realized the both of them likely relied on leftovers. Well, at least the blond did when he had some. Rei walked over to his fridge, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, and brushed a few things aside. Gentle clinks of glass came from his direction and Nagisa daintily sat himself at a counter, wondering just what it was Rei liked. On their first date, he once said he'd liked seafood, but they'd never actually asked about meals much beyond that. What a strange thing not to know!

The lawyer set a green paste on the counter before systematically working his way over to the pantry. Nagisa examined it: he might have guessed it was wasabi were it not for the oily substance coating it in various places and... were those onions? "Don't worry," Rei soothed without looking back, "there aren't very many in there."

"What is it?" The writer asked curiously, dipping a pinkie in to taste it. It was a little like hummus, he thought, but he couldn't quite place the flavor.

"It's called muzawwarat." He snorted and shook his head. It wasn't bad by any means, but it was quite cold from being stored away. His boyfriend popped something in his microwave and came back over to the blond.

"That told me nothing," he replied sassily, placing a finger in. Rei flicked it out and made a scolding gesture before turning back once the beep sounded and collecting the mystery food. At least it was recognizable - warm, steaming pita bread!

"It's an Arab dish. I made it for my mother a few weeks ago - it's one of her favorite dishes. She always told me they made it often when she lived in Lebanon." Awestruck, the younger man brightened curiously and asked,

"She used to live in Lebanon? That's amazing! Does she speak another language?" Rei scoffed, tearing off a piece of the bread and dipping it in the mixture.

"Of course - we speak Arabic. Well - my mother and brother and I do, at least. My father's tried for many years, but he's still terrible." Nagisa blinked, taken aback by the information, and tilted his head to the side quizzically. Rei, noticing his darling's reaction, questioned, "I haven't told you that I'm Arab?"

"No!" Nagisa exclaimed emphatically. "That's so cool! You speak three languages - you know three alphabets! You're amazing, Rei!" Thinking on it, he wasn't fully surprised. The man had a natural, deep tan that he'd never have gotten from his Japanese heritage or the abundant English sunshine. The blond eagerly grabbed at the food and tried it - the chilled muzawwarat went perfectly with the hot, dusty pita. More than onions, he could taste a delicate mixture of olives and beans with a surprising bite of lemon. "'s good," he informed Rei gratefully as the grinning lawyer grabbed another dish from the fridge and tossed it into the microwave. He busied himself with grabbing a couple dishes from the cupboards, handing his young partner a plate for his pita and a fork for whatever else he was cooking. Graciously, he set out wine glasses as well - no dinner would be complete without that, of course. He pulled out nothing other than a California Syrah, pouring his boyfriend a bit to taste first. "I trust your judgement, dish it up," the blond joked. He sipped daintily at the edge; it was a full, fruity flavor, and he was glad to know how quickly Rei picked up on his tastes. The man poured himself a glass as well and set a place beside Nagisa before collecting the main course.

"Couscous," he told his boyfriend. "Not exactly Lebanese, but I've always liked it nonetheless." He dished up a portion for the blond - he spied a bit of chicken, several types of vegetables, and was certain there were at least five spices - and for himself, then sat down beside him. "I made it myself a few days ago - it tastes fine cold, but I thought you'd like something to warm you up."

"How considerate," he replied thankfully, shoveling some of the home-made cooking into his mouth. He was surprised that it was quite good - Rei underestimated his cooking ability. He was about to say so before the man cut him off.

"Don't compliment it, my mother had to fix it after she tried it." He let out an impressive snort, accidentally spitting some of the couscous out, and the quiet room rang with his beautiful laughter.

The rest of the meal continued in a similar fashion, with the blond taking every chance he could to make a jab at the lawyer and the latter accepting it with incredible grace - he wouldn't have said so out loud, but he would do anything to keep those pretty giggles filling the silence of his home.

When they finished, Nagisa insisted on helping Rei with the dishes, though the brunet was the one to load and start the washer. They left the wine glasses out and shared another round while the older man turned a large stereo on to play quiet Christmas tunes. For a moment, he left the boy to change into his pajamas - the blond kept his sweater on, but switched his jeans out for striped long johns instead. When the attorney returned, he wore a fitted, long sleeved shirt rolled up to his elbows and plaid pants.

"And here I thought everything you owned was grey," the little one snickered, commenting on their red color.

"Don't be such a grinch," Rei retorted as the very song came over the speakers. Easily, they approached each other, the writer wrapping a hand over one of the taller man's shoulders while the other firmly hooked his partner's waist with an arm. They clasped their free hands together and in a moment, playfully swayed with one another across the plush living room carpet.

"You're calling me a grouchy grinch?" he protested, looking up into the brunet's soft, dark eyes. He'd taken off his glasses, and Nagisa swore he saw stars in their lovely night depths. His plump lips parted gently and his boyfriend smiled tenderly, seeing the dawn in his gaze. He leaned down and met his mouth in a delicate kiss, allowing his lips to dance across Nagisa's face - his cheeks, his jaw, his neck- as they themselves danced across the room. He thought that they would stop dancing, but Rei kept him drifting in that warm embrace, hiding his bare face in the crook of his sweetheart's shoulder. The songs ranged from Charlie Brown to Bing Crosby to the Sussex Carol, but for the longest time, neither would let go. His cheeks had reddened like holly, and there was a warm desperation ringing in his chest. He wanted to whisper, "I love you, Rei," but he had promised to wait until the man himself was ready to say it too. His nightmare still haunted him; he did not want to lose the man here in his arms.

After what turned out to be well over an hour, their tired legs tripped onto the couch in synch, still not releasing one another. The lawyer turned on the TV on to the 1947 movie, Miracle on 34th Street and though Nagisa hadn't ever been particularly fond of old, black and white movies, he was enchanted by the fact that Rei had an odd affinity for them.

"They're like wine," he insisted about 15 minutes into the movie, having pulled a comfortable throw over them (Nagisa had realized that the apartment was subtly decorated for Christmas - the blanket was ivory with light brown reindeer on it - simple and classy). "They get better with age." At this point, Rei had really stopped paying much attention to his boyfriend and was entirely focused on the movie, but the blond didn't really mind. Occasionally, he'd flick his gaze over the television and watch a bit, but for the majority of the time, he was examining the room curiously. There wasn't much out, but he did decorate a staircase with garlands and holly and there was a plain tree in the far corner. He guessed that he must've just got it. After all, December had barely begun.

He was jostled slightly out of his thoughts when Rei - subconsciously, it appeared - draped an arm around Nagisa's waist and tugged him closer. The writer obligingly snuggled into his boyfriend's side before looking at the rest of it. The fireplace was lit with a cheery warmth and through the curtains was a dim, yellow glow - most of the apartment itself had been darkened at this point.

The younger man's head thunked pleasantly against the lawyer's shoulder and he responded in kind by rubbing his thumb absentmindedly over his hips. Again, the soft words of affection tickled the blond's lips like feathers, but he held back. To distract himself, he glanced out the window - drowsily, snow had begun to fall, white until it hit the golden-lit streets. For a moment, he was gently delighted, and the warm coupled with the soft sounds of the movie led him to sleep there upon Rei's shoulder.