Thanks Vergina-spva and MyLadyDay for beta'ing
Also, happy birthday, Izo ^^
Chapter 5
Carelessly, Izo threw the now damp towel on his bed. Pops had told him to take a shower again, though that was probably just an excuse to get him out of the hospital for a bit. However, Izo hadn't questioned it and gone home. He would go back to Thatch as soon as he was dressed.
Out of his closet, he pulled a clean yukata. As he watched himself dress in the mirror, he had to smile when he remembered how often he had scolded Thatch and called him an uncultured swine when he referred to it as a kimono. Thatch knew better, of course, and only called it a kimono to tease Izo.
When Izo had shown interest in his heritage when he was young – his mother had been Japanese – Thach had done some research as well and listened to things Izo had discovered about Japan.
Izo had started wearing yukatas when he was about fifteen, though he didn't wear them to school, just at home. Everyone was perfectly fine with it. Izo had learned early on that his family would support him no matter what. He started to come out of his shell, horsing around with his brothers as much as the others. The first time he participated in a wrestling match, he could have sworn both Thatch and Pops had smiled proudly.
Izo watched himself in the mirror. He hadn't bothered to put on make-up since Thatch had been in the hospital. It would only run if he started crying again.
When he was dressed and about to close his closet, his eye was drawn to the upper shelf. He had stored things there he didn't need often, and he hadn't looked there for a while. But suddenly, he remembered it again. Would it still be there? Of course it would, it was his most treasured possession.
Izo grabbed a chair to be able to look on the shelf, and soon, he had found the box he had been looking for. He stepped on the ground again and sat down on the bed, as he placed the lid aside.
Inside, his treasure was well-kept, and Izo let his fingers run over the smooth painted wood of the music box.
"Knock knock," Thatch said rather than actually knocking on Izo's door, presumably because his hands were full with a large box at the moment.
Izo was just pinning up his hair so it would look perfect today. It wasn't every day one turned eighteen, after all.
Thatch leaned against the doorframe with a smile on his face. "You look amazing."
"I'm hardly done yet," Izo replied, but still rose and twirled around for Thatch to see all of him. He was wearing a new yukata, which had been quite expensive, but totally worth it.
Usually, they would celebrate his birthday along with Marco, as their birthdays were only a week apart, but because it was his eighteenth, they had celebrated Marco's separately.
"What's in the box, anyway?" Izo asked as he started applying his make-up. It hadn't been long since he had started trying it out, but he looked amazing with it and he wanted to look exactly that on his birthday.
Thatch grinned. "It's your birthday. You should know better than to ask such questions." He waggled his eyebrows, but then continued to watch in fascination how Izo worked his magic. "You never let me watch before."
"You never asked before," Izo replied. "Besides, I don't have time to get rid of you, since the party'll start soon."
"True. Most people are here already."
"I know. I'm going for a spectacular entrance," Izo replied.
Thatch started to laugh. "I didn't expect anything less. Well, I'm gonna put the finishing touches on the cake."
Thatch had long ago discovered his passion for cooking. Most days, he cooked dinner, and at least every weekend there was a cake or batch of cookies from a new recipe Thatch had tried. He had tried to teach Izo how to make muffins, but somehow, those didn't seem popular with the rest of the family.
As Thatch left, Izo turned back to the mirror. He was now in this last year of secondary school, just like Thatch. After graduating, Izo knew he wanted to go to the art academy, and Thatch would go to culinary school.
Izo bit the end if his make-up brush. He knew he and Thatch wouldn't stay together forever, but it would be weird not seeing him every day anymore. Thatch had been a constant factor for the past ten years, and while he loved Pops and his other siblings, Thatch was…
Izo didn't know what Thatch was. He was different. He was Izo's best friend. He was…
Izo shook his head. He had never been able to pinpoint what exactly Thatch was to him, but fact was that he didn't want them to live apart, even though he might not have a choice in the matter.
However, those were worries for later. Right now, there was a party waiting to happen.
Izo finished his make-up and looked at himself once more in the mirror. He looked amazing, just like he planned.
He had come a long way since the time he was taken in by Pops. He had become more confident and he didn't allow anyone to mess with him anymore.
None of that would have happened without Thatch.
Feeling the strange tingling feeling he had more often when thinking of Thatch, Izo made his way downstairs.
His attire had the desired effect. For a moment, his family and close friends were completely silent, before all jumping him to congratulate him. Izo was kissed and hugged more times than he could count, and he was happy he was wearing waterproof make-up, though it was no doubt smudged by now.
The party was relatively small, with only their family and some close friends, though some people would still consider it a large amount of people.
Of course Shanks was present; he never said no to a party. He had been a close friend of Marco in secondary school, but he had also befriended the rest of the family. It was hard to dislike Shanks. He was a lot like Thatch in that way, and he and Shanks got along very well too.
Makino was there as well, and Whitey Bay, whom Izo was good friends with, Doma, Jinbei, and several others.
As soon as Izo had been kissed and hugged by all of them, Thatch grinned. "It's time for cake!"
Izo could barely contain himself. Thatch had been mysterious all week, so Izo knew Thatch had something good in store for him, though he had no idea what it was.
When he saw the cake – at least he assumed it was – his jaw dropped.
"It's Mount Fuji," Thatch said proudly as he carried the cake over to the table.
It was definitely a mountain, and Fuji was the first Izo had thought about. Of course it was, Thatch knew how invested Izo was about Japan – perhaps obsessed was a better word.
"That looks great." Shanks slung an arm around Thatch's shoulders. "Made it all by yourself?"
"Yup," Thatch declared proudly.
Fossa took a step forward with his camera and shot several pictures of the cake, while Izo still stared in awe.
"It looks amazing," he finally said.
Thatch grinned. "Alright, enough praise. It's time to blow out the candles."
"Is that still necessary?" Izo protested, but he was pushed forward by several pairs of hands. Apparently, it was.
Izo took a deep breath and managed to blow out the candles all at once.
"Did you make a wish?" Thatch asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Of course."
"What was it?" he pried.
That we'll never be apart, Izo thought, but he said haughtily, "That's none of your business. It won't come true if I tell you."
"You're so superstitious," Thatch muttered. "What if I guess?"
"Just leave it. It's time to cut the cake anyway."
Of course, Thatch didn't leave it and started guessing. He wasn't even close, and Izo only rolled his eyes as he handed out pieces of the cake. It was almost a shame to cut into the beautiful cake, which had no doubt cost Thatch a lot of time and effort to make, but at least it was immortalised in a photograph.
As soon as everyone had cake, and Thatch had finally given up, Izo clapped his hands. "Time for presents!"
He got many gifts, some useful for when he would start to live on his own, art supplies, booze from Shanks, and some other nice things. Izo noticed, however, how Thatch let others give their presents first every time Izo looked at him. Suspiciously, Izo looked at him, but Thatch only grinned back.
Finally, all gifts were given, aside from Thatch's.
"You'd better have bought me something," Izo said threateningly.
Thatch grinned broadly. "I did. I bought something that will knock your socks off!"
Izo gave him a deadpanned look. Thatch always got him something nice, something he had wanted, needed or Thatch had just thought he would like, but Thatch seemed extra confident this year.
"Happy birthday, Izo," Thatch said as he handed him the gift.
The package was about the size of a thick book. Slowly, Izo started to unwrap it, casting suspicious glances at Thatch who just kept grinning.
Everyone around them watched Izo unwrap in total silence.
When Izo had finally torn away the paper, his breath caught. "You didn't," he whispered.
Thatch just grinned.
Izo covered his mouth with his hand as he looked at the small wooden box in his lap. It was painted gold, with cherry blossoms on the right corner of the lid and two common cranes.
What he was holding now was the Japanese music box he had contemplated buying, but had eventually decided was too expensive. And Thatch had bought it for him.
He looked at Thatch, wide-eyed.
"Wind it up," Thatch encouraged him.
With trebling hands, Izo turned the box around and winded the key that was at the bottom carefully. When he was done, he turned the box right side up, and slowly opened the lid. Soft music started to play as a jewellery compartment became visible.
"Cool," Shanks finally broke the silence.
Izo could only nod, not able to form words to describe his gratitude. This was something he had wanted for a long time. Thatch must have been planning for this for a while and saved up for this.
"You like it, right?" Thatch asked, his forehead pulled in a frown. "I've seen you looking at it, so I thought–" He stopped talking when Izo suddenly wrapped his arms around his neck, still trembling.
"Thank you," he whispered. He didn't know anything better to say. No words were enough to describe how happy Thatch had made him. Not just because of the gift itself, however gorgeous it was, but the fact that Thatch listened to him, paid attention to the things he liked, and remembered them. Thatch always did that. Thatch always knew exactly what to say or do.
And Izo loved him.
Oh.
It wasn't brotherly love he felt for Thatch, not just that anyway. He was in love with Thatch, and probably had been for a long time.
Quite an awkward moment to realise this.
"Oi, are you okay?" Thatch asked when Izo still didn't let go of him.
Izo nodded against his neck. Fuck, he was so screwed.
Izo gently caressed the painting of the cranes on the lid of the music box. Looking at it brought up bittersweet memories. When Thatch gave it to him, Izo had realised he was in love with him, now sixteen years ago.
He knew it was foolish. Thatch would never reciprocate his feelings. He was as straight as they came, and even if he hadn't been, Izo was first and foremost as a brother to him.
Izo had tried to get over Thatch so many times. Soon after Izo had realised he was in love with Thatch, Thatch had gotten his first girlfriend, and many had followed. Every time, Izo's heart broke a little more. He was always the person Thatch came to when he had broken up with another girlfriend, though, and had to pick up the pieces.
He had tried to date other people, get Thatch out of his head, but it didn't work. In the end, Izo had decided he was probably better off alone. He never stopped loving Thatch.
Izo looked at the clock and startled. He had been lost in thought longer than he had expected. He should go back to the hospital.
After a moment of hesitation, he placed the music box back in the box he kept it in and carried it under his arm as he made for his car.
During his drive to the hospital, he kept glancing at the box that was placed next to him in the passenger seat.
When he had arrived, he carried the box inside, greeting the nurses he had befriended during his stay. Some asked what was in the box, but they stopped prying when Izo said it was a gift from Thatch.
Thatch was lying the exact same way as Izo had left him, and the small spark of hope that he may have woken up while Izo was away disappeared.
With a sigh, Izo sat down next to the bed, the place he had been occupying all week and, as it seemed now, would be occupying for the unforeseeable future.
Izo took out the music box again and turned it over to wind it up. When he was done, he carefully opened the lid and heaved a sigh of relief when it started playing. Memories of his eighteenth birthday, but also his childhood he had spent with Thatch came back to him, things he had long forgotten or locked away.
When he looked inside the box, he noticed a piece of paper there. Turning it around, it turned out to be a photograph, taken by Fossa on Izo's eighteenth birthday. Izo had forgotten about it. It was taken on the moment Thatch had given him the music box. The way Izo looked at him…
From the photo, it was pretty clear how Izo felt for Thatch. That was no doubt the reason Fossa had given it to him, including the negative. Fossa hadn't asked about it, for which Izo was grateful, but he probably had at least a hunch. Marco was the only one who Izo had told about his feelings, when Thatch had introduced him to his first girlfriend.
There was no need to remind him of his feelings, yet he had saved the photograph.
He closed his eyes and listened to the soft music. It was sad, yet it soothed him at the same time.
Suddenly, a sound interrupted the song, so soft Izo thought he might have imagined it. He opened his eyes, a feeling of hope filling his chest.
Thatch was still lying in the same position, but the corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly.
Izo slammed the music box shut and all but threw it aside. "Thatch? Thatch, can you hear me?!"
Thatch groaned softly.
"Thatch, please, open your eyes! Please…" Izo placed a hand on his cheek, clean-shaven aside from the goatee he was so proud of, thanks to Izo's efforts.
Thatch's eyelids trembled, and slowly, he opened his eyes.
Before Izo knew what he was doing, he had pressed his lips against Thatch's, feeling completely overjoyed.
