22nd December - in class;
When Ashiya had wandered into class one morning only to find Nakatsu nose deep in a book entitled 'Culture, Christmas and You', she wondered why she wasn't surprised. Nakatsu reading in itself was something to be shocked at, even more so something that could better his empathic understanding of the world's many peoples.
Then it occured to her that no, it wasn't that strange- since Christmas was indeed only a few days away. A nostalgic holiday for her, that sadly wasn't celebrated in Japan to the degree that it was in America, something that she missed; though, despite this, she wouldn't exchange it for anything she had now.
After all, coming to Ohsaka High meant that she had decided to make some sacrifices, right? Carols, presents and turkey were just some of the ones that she had made.
Passing the rows of seats to stop in front of Shuichi's desk, Mizuki considered her friend for a few moments, surprised that he hadn't noticed her presence yet- and then decided to try and join in with his reading, attempting to peer over the top of the cover. Unfortunately, she could only make out the first couple of letters at the heading of the page before it was abruptly snapped shut ('Mi') and Nakatsu was looking up at her with a slightly flustered expression. Hiding something, eh?
"A-Ashiya! I didn't hear you come in."
Mizuki jutted out her lower lip and frowned in confusion at the slight blush that had appeared on the other's cheeks, sneaking out a hand to try and pull the 'forbidden book' off of Nakatsu's table. "That's because I didn't announce myself. Perhaps you should listen harder?"
The book was again quickly snatched out of her grasp and it disappeared into the depths of Shuichi's desk- definitely hot material. Mizuki never knew learning about yuletide culture could have such profound effects on people, especially those of Nakatsu's calibre. Perhaps there was something intoxicating about reading about nativity plays. "Idiot. You're just, uh... too quiet. Yeah."
"Even so!" Mizuki protested, pulling up a free seat and sitting herself in it, gazing longingly at the desk where Nakatsu's tome of wonders had been placed. "Forget it. Reading about Christmas, are you?" Looking thoughtful for a second, she realised that it was only three days until the 'big holiday'- it had certainly crept up on them at least.
"Y... yeah. I just thought I should widen my horizons, y'know?"
"Widening your horizons?" A stifled laugh. "What have you done with the real Nakatsu?"
The person in question went just a little more scarlet and tried to cover it with an acidic scowl, thoroughly displeased by the line of conversation.
"Shut up! Can't someone just... read a book on Christmas these days and not be prodded about it? Jeez."
"Okay, okay! Forget I asked! I never knew you were so touchy about matters of the educational kind." Mizuki raised her hands in defeat, only to hear the school bell begin to ring. Following that, Sano and Sekime soon filed into the room, signalling for her to go to her own seat for the start of class. Pulling herself up from her borrowed chair, she gave Nakatsu one last suspicious stare before moving to her own desk, slightly curious.
If Nakatsu were anyone else, she'd say that he had something up his sleeve. But since it was Nakatsu, she'd let it slide.
His sleeves were rolled up, anyway.
24th December - dorm 2's cafeteria;
Looking somewhat dejectedly at her oden, Mizuki prodded it with her chopsticks. She was thoroughly unenthused about anything at the moment, not even the delicious smell that was drifting up from her dinner despite not having eaten all day. Tomorrow was it; doomsday. Christmas. Letting out a sigh, she didn't even notice the rather loud and unsubtle entry of some more people to the table that she was eating at, and was only broken out of her reverie when someone called her name at the top of their lungs.
"ASHIYA! Christ, is there anyone in there at all?" Sekime asked exasperatedly, making the one sitting next to him, Kayashima, wince with the volume. Mizuki quickly ducked her head in apology to hide the telltale red tinge of embarassment on her cheeks, dropping her chopsticks on her tray.
"Sorry, Sekime; I was a million miles away." Did this holiday really affect her that much?
"A million and one, I'd say. As I was asking- how has your day been?" He continued, not really fazed by Mizuki's lack of love for conversation or even food at the moment, selecting a piece out of his oden and eating it with great gusto. Kayashima eyed his dinner companion and then shifted a few inches away to avoid being splattered by said gusto.
Mizuki glanced up and gave a little shrug, her food forgotten. "Pretty ordinary. The only thing interesting that happened was getting a package from home, really." Which I have yet to open, she thought quietly to herself. Perhaps she could still celebrate Christmas in her own small way. "And yourself?"
"Good, good. The track and field nationals are coming up, so training is getting intense, but I can't complain. Kayashima? What about you?"
The psychic refused to look up from his food to join in the conversation so instead talked into his dinner bowl. "It's been alright. A few errands though- which reminds me. I have to take this to someone." He paused for a second and then scooted out of his seat, taking a small white paper package that neither Mizuki nor Sekime had noticed sitting beside him with him and jogging out of the cafeteria. Just the barest hint of green could be seen poking out from the corner of it, but it was completely undiscernable to what it was.
Blinking in confusion, Mizuki watched him exit and then looked back to her fellow dinner-consumer where she met a look of equal confusion.
"I wonder what that was about..." She mused, leaning forward slightly on the table and drifting off into dreamland again, probably thinking about reindeer and fat jolly men. Sekime merely eyed her and then waved a hand in front of her face to check if she was 'still there'.
Receiving no response, he flicked out his chopsticks with surprising skill and began eating Ashiya's oden as well.
Training made youravenous.
25th December (Christmas...) - Nakatsu and Kayashima's dorm;
Knock, knock.
Nakatsu glanced up from his DS to the door to his room, a small grin playing upon his face. Placing the console down on his desk and getting up, the cogs began to turn inside his head. Stretching slightly before going over and finally opening the door, he looked down to see just who he had expected; the endearingly cute face of Ashiya- though his expression wasn't as... cheerful as it usually was. Oh, well; from what he had gathered from what he had nicknamed his 'female intuition', his plan would still be executable.
In his back pocket was tucked his deadliest and most potent weapon, delivered to him by Kayashima just yesterday, in the utmost secrecy. Perhaps it wouldn't win over Ashiya's heart to the extent of which he'd like it, or change his standing towards him at all, painful though it was to remind himself of- but hopefully, it would cheer him up. He had seemed so dejected over these past few days, eyes downcast and caught not paying attention in class more than once, which had surprised Nakatsu; so he had endeavoured to do something about it. Especially since not even Sano had figured out what was eating at her. Potential brownie points could be won here.
His plan might be a little too forward, yes- but at the same time, it was something that he felt that he should do, both for his sake and for that of Ashiya's.
"Nakatsu...? Why did you tell Sano you wanted to see me? Just to leave me out in the corridor?" The object of his 'affections' questioned, suitably lost on the reason as to why he was there. Blinking a couple of times to break himself out of his inner monologue, Nakatsu covered up his blunder with another grin and stepped aside to let the other in.
"Of course not. What's wrong with just hanging out with one of your best friends, huh?" Cheery as always, he watched as Ashiya sauntered in and leaned against the desk he had just vacated.
"Oh, nothing at all. I just thought there was some special reason for it, is all." He replied in almost a monotone, still looking pretty damn depressed. Nakatsu frowned slightly and crossed his arms, considering his companion.
"Is there anything wrong, Mizuki? You don't really seem yourself at the moment."
Ashiya's eyes widened and his head shot up, a giveaway that Nakatsu had hit a bullseye of some sort. "N-no! Why would you think that?"
Nakatsu merely stared at her with a knowing look, and surely soon enough, Mizuki's head dipped back down. "Okay, okay. So maybe something is up. I just miss things from back home, y'know?"
"Like... today for instance?"
"T-... today?"
"Christmas, Mizuki, Christmas!"
"Oh- yes. I guess you could say that. You've been reading up on it, haven't you?" He reminisced, remembering the book that Nakatsu had refused to let him read, no matter how hard he had tried. However, that was completely unrelated to this. Hopefully.
"Somewhat. I'm not much of a bookworm myself." Nakatsu replied, an impish smile on his face. His left hand trailed subtly to the back pocket of his jeans and tugged out his super-secret weapon carefully, taking a few steps closer to Ashiya so that they were now in suitably close proximity. Now seemed a good time to dangle this secret weapon in front of the beautiful boy's face.
The expression of shock was priceless as the mistletoe wavered between his fingers, the miracle of how he hadn't injured himself carrying around something so prickly in a pocket placed in such a sensitive area going unsolved for the moment. Ashiya swallowed slightly as he considered the meaning of this.
"You know what this is, Mizuki?"
"Er, y-yes."
"And what you do under it too, right?"
"Yeah, bu-"
As if Nakatsu would give him time to reply when he knew he wouldn't like what followed. Taking his chance while it was still there, he ducked his head towards Ashiya's and gently connected their lips together, one hand softly cupping his cheek and his other arm still holding the mistletoe above them both. He felt Mizuki stiffen slightly against him, but he didn't look too far into it- he was in bliss. The warmth of the other's mouth against his own was intoxicating, as was the scent of vanilla he could smell from the boy's hair. As each second passed it was getting harder and harder to justify that he was doing this to cheer Ashiya up than to satisfy his own dirty mind. However, for some time, the other didn't respond- but nor did he stop it.
Or so Nakatsu had thought.
Sure enough, Mizuki pulled away from the sudden kiss suitably reddened, though Nakatsu wanted to slap himself. Hard. The corners of Ashiya's mouth were twitching as if he wanted to smile despite his embarassment- something Nakatsu didn't have long to question, as he felt his t-shirt being tugged slightly as he was pulled into a hug.
A... A-Ashiya had... hugged him? Of his own free will?
The mistletoe fell to the floor forgotten as the taller boy looked down surprised at the one tightly encircled around his torso, arms soon pulling warmly around Mizuki's frame to return the gesture. Whilst he had thought his plan had been one devised by the like of a mastermind, he had never expected Ashiya to react in this way, and well- his heart was soaring. Just this was enough to make him deliriously happy, if Ashiya was happy as well.
"Thank... thankyou, Nakatsu." A muffled voice came from his t-shirt, though it didn't sound angry or upset (which Shuichi slowly let out a breath of relief he didn't know he had been holding at.) "I'm happy I got to celebrate Christmas a little, today. Even when I thought that everyone had forgotten, until you, er, well..." More silence.
Nakatsu merely let a content smile spread across his face, one of his hands shifting slightly to sift gently through Mizuki's soft hair in a comforting gesture as he felt his hands tighten once more on his t-shirt, probably still embarassed.
"It was my pleasure."You were doing it for yourself weren't you, you perverted idiot! Kindly telling his mind to shut the hell up, Nakatsu let out a happy sigh, not caring if this were some wonderful dream or not. "Merry Christmas, Mizuki."
Pause.
"...Merry Christmas, Shuichi."
A/N: On that sappy note, merry christmas and happy holidays, everyone. 8D Dedicated to two super-special-awesome friends, Ryan and Nell. Yuletide to you two as well.