He is mine - Viewfinder fan fiction

Chapter 9

~ Christmas Extra ~

~ Seven months ago ~

2.30 a.m.
Takaba dwelled on the sip of beer he was currently having. His eyes aimlessly lingered on the background through the yellow liquid and fell on the landscape picture hanging on the wall but didn't even see it. He put the glass down and heaved a deep sigh.

- "What's with the long face?" Katou bumped his shoulder into his friend's and put him out of his delirium. The blonde startled at first, then looked into the other's smiling eyes and then sighed again looking back at his glass. The alcohol was really making him think too much.
- "I don't know man! Everything is so damn complicated!" He answered tiredly.
- "What is?" The brunet blinked a couple of times and took a sip of his own drink waiting for a reply.

Takaba, Kou and Katou were in Riku's place along with ten more pretty well fired up youngsters. All of them knew themselves either from college or work and they all found it pretty relaxing to spend their time together ... especially on the Holidays. The blonde was sitting on the carpet floor with legs folded under his bottom and his fingers played with the handle of the cup. He had drunk quite a lot tonight but he was still with most parts of his reason. The very reason that was having problems figuring out something right now. Katou still swayed next to him and patiently waited for the other to continue his bitter thought. That handle must sure be interesting if his friend was spending so much time looking at it, the man thought.

- "Nee ..." Takaba finally continued. "How do you choose a present for somebody who already has everything?"
- "Huh? You're so gloomy just cus you want to buy somebody a present?"
- "No! Not exactly ... well ... I mean ..." The blonde mused on his own words. "It is New Year's Eve ... and you're supposed to give people presents then, right? Even if it is somebody annoying, lecherous, traitorous, bossy and perverted and ..." He suddenly paused and warm pink color started to spread on his cheeks ... and it was not from the alcohol. "What I mean is – it's a Holiday! You celebrate it! Despite your misunderstandings!" He emphasized on the last as if trying to blur the feelings that the previous words had brought up on the surface.
- "Let me see if I got this one right? You want to give a present to someone you don't even like?" Katou shook his head in disbelief.
- "That's not what I meant!" The boy had suddenly started gesturing quite a lot.
- "Then you like them?" The other blurted out while lifting his cup for a kanpai with the invisible person in front of him.
- "Yes! I mean No! I don't LIKE them. I suppose I can just bear with them ... sometimes. Ahh ... I told you it's complicated!" With a face of desperation the blonde rolled down on the floor.
- "What is? You either like them or not ... so you either buy them a present or not! You say they have everything ... but nobody does. It's not necessary to be something big you know. It's a Holiday right ... you said it yourself. It's the gesture that's important ... and they'll appreciate it!" Katou winked knowingly to his bemused friend and then while patting him on the back supporting he stood up and went to join the rest who had just fallen in singing mood.
- "Yeah! I wish he did ... for once!" Takaba wrinkled his cute nose and while shooing away the though got up and joined his cheerful friends as well. The moment he was pushed in the middle of the circle to share his musical abilities he had already forgotten that just a minute ago there had been something troubling him.

***
3.30 a.m.
Asami kicked his apartment's front door closed behind his back and with a tired step headed straight for the bathroom. The business cocktail he had had to attend at all costs had just ended and all he got from it was another successful bargain. He had almost forgotten that it was The New Year's Eve that had gathered him and all those high-class people to the same place. It had turned out to be just another deal!

He walked out of the shower covering himself with a cotton bathroom gown and headed for the kitchen while still leaving a wet trail behind. He poured himself a glass of water and threw an empty look through the panorama window. He hadn't even lit up the room's main lamps and from outside the window the city looked dazzling in its New Year's apparel. There were blinking lights everywhere. They illuminated the misty night sky and their colorful lights were even reaching his dimmed cloister in an unsuccessful attempt to brighten the dark place.