DRRR!! Secret Santa!

For @olivenight17.

From myself @lapyn and @demytasse (who’s the best!!)

We hope you like it!

For @dotaccino who wanted ChikageXKyoheiXShizuo, and also a little bit of van gang as well! I’ve never written for Chikage so I hope you’ll forgive my inaccuracies!

Chikage Rokujo happened to be in Ikebukuro that day. Well, he didn’t happen to be there, he had planned on going and came. It was the first time he’d come it seemed without having some serious business to take care of. He took his time, admiring the ladies he saw and stopping in a gift shop to pick up a handful of keychains for the honeys; each a different color to match their individual personalities of course. He wandered around for sometime after that, wondering if there was a café nearby where he could relax when he heard a voice.

“Well well, look who it is,” Kyohei Kadota’s deep appealing voice stuck out of the crowd. “Haven’t seen you around in a while, Rokujo.”

“Kyohei,” Chikage’s smile was completely blasé. “Been a while. You not dead yet?”

“Yeah you wish.” Kyohei grinned and the two men exchanged a high five.

“Oh wow Dotachiin, what a shonen interaction between you two. Don’t you know your audience demands a more affectionate reunion after you haven’t seen a dear acquaintance in so long?” Kyohei’s friend, Erika Karisawa hung out in their typical van off to the side along with the remaining two members of Kyohei’s posse.

“Don’t even start with your jokes,” Kyohei said with a dry frown, but when he looked back at Chikage to apologize he saw the other with his arms outstretched smiling widely at him.

“Come on man, you heard the lady,” Chikage grinned at him, “She wants a show.”

Erika’s eyes practically glittered. Kyohei looked back and forth helplessly between the two.

“Seriously?!” Kyohei demanded.

“What can I say man? I live to serve the ladies. Now bring it in.”

Kyohei looked severely conflicted, glancing back and forth around the street and making sure the van covered them as he went in for a quick hug with Chikage. In the front of the van, the driver Saburo whistled teasingly.

“Ahhhhh, now that’s what I call true male bonding!” Erika gushed, “But you know I think you two should take it one step farther! Lock hands take a long walk through the streets and catch up to each other. Truly get to know each other, and at the end of the day…!”

At this point Karisawa was just teasing Kyohei but said tactic was working perfectly as the other got increasingly more flustered. Chikage chuckled, giving her a good-natured smile.

“It’s good that you have this guy so wrapped around your finger. Kyohei needs a strong-willed woman to keep him in check.”

“Hm?” Erika blushed a little bit before waving him off. “Oh I don’t boss him around or anything! Dotachiin is just so earnest that he’s fun to tease.”

“Yeah I figured that out too,” Chikage grinned in Kyohei’s direction.

“Hey what are you doing agreeing with her? Don’t you know it’ll only make her ten times worse?” Kyohei sighed, but then he recovered greatly so he could ask. “So what are you doing in the city, man?” “Huh? Oh I was just shopping around.”

“Without your girlfriends?” Walker Yumasaki finally spoke up from the van where he had previously been immersed in his manga.

“Huh? Oh yeah, they’ve all got class or work today, and I had some time to kill so.”

“I see,” Kyohei said with an air of seriousness. “Well it’s been quiet around here lately, so it would be a bit of a shame if that were to suddenly come to an end.”

“It’s nothing like that,” Chikage reassured him. “I was actually just in the neighborhood for a good café. You guys know any?”

“Yeah there’s a great place down the street!” Erika gushed, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen. “I’ll write down the address.”

“Oh yeah thanks. I’m not great with directions, but I’ll definitely find it so you won’t have wasted your time.”

“Dotachiin can walk you!” Erika offered.

“Wha-?”

“You two can share a sundae!” she teased, handing the address to Kyohei, who took it dumbfoundedly.

“H-Hey, or we could all just take him in the va…”

“Nope!” Erika insisted, “Saburo is taking me and Yumacchi to a book signing three streets over. We’ll see the two of you in an hour or so!”

“B-But…! H-Hey! Wait a second!” But before Kyohei could manage out so much as a coherent thought Erika shut the door and ushered Saburo into motion. The van started suddenly heading down the road and Kyohei and Chikage looked on with the most exasperated looks on their faces.

“Man, why does she have to make it so weird?” Kyohei grumbled, but Chikage laughed.

“What, you don’t want to share a sundae with me?”

“H-Huh?”

“I’m just kidding man,” but Chikage’s face was more mysterious than it first seemed. Kyohei scoffed.

“Yeah fine whatever, I’ll lead the way, Mr. Bad-with-directions.”

Chikage grinned and Kyohei led him through the streets of Ikebukuro to the café Erika mentioned.

“Erika and Walker drag us to a lot of weird places, but this place is pretty nice,” Kyohei confessed. “They actually make pretty good tour guides of Ikebukuro.”

“You don’t say. So uh, Erika and Walker, are they…?”

“Otakus? I guess so.”

“So not what I was asking,” Chikage laughed.

“Oh sorry, what did you…?”

“I mean it’s just that they’re very similar.”

“Uh huh?”

“And have similar personalities.”

“Hm.”

“And mesh so well together that I thought…”

“Kyohei.”

“Huh?”

            A sudden voice beside them at the café entrance surprised them. Chikage turned to the sound of this attractive voice, nearly as deep and definitely as attractive as Kyohei’s, and nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Oh hey Shizuo. Been a while.”

“Yeah it has.”

“Sh-Shizuo.” Chikage manages. Shizuo raises an eyebrow.

“Do I know you?”

“Uhh… you probably don’t remember.” Chikage admits.

“Huh? Oh yeah, you’re that toramada guy.”

“Toramaru.” Chikage corrected exasperatedly. If this were anybody but Shizuo Heiwajima Chikage would have thought that jip was on purpose.

“Oops. What are you two doing together?”

“Getting a sundae,” Kyohei says, the more laid back one now that Shizuo has arrived. Bastard, Chikage can’t help but think. He couldn’t imagine how anyone could be so laid back against Shizuo Heiwajima of all people. “Wanna join us?”

“Huh? Oh sure.” Shizuo replies, much to both of their surprise.

“Really?” Chikage asks.

“Yeah I like to come here from time to time. I just got a bonus for a job well done this month, so I thought I’d treat myself. I didn’t know you liked this place, Kyohei.”

“Erika and Walker like to come here because they have a leave one take one manga shelf in the back.”

“Oh they do? Huh.”

They sat down at a table in the back and a waitress came to get their order. Chikage had never felt more awkward and cramped in his life. It was so strange being here with two dudes instead of a pack of girls.

But then again, it didn’t feel bad that they were dudes.

“You got a big sweet tooth, Heiwajima?” Chikage asked.

“Hm? Yeah I guess so.”

“Ah, so I guess you want your sundae all to yourself then?”

“Hah? Oh I guess we could all get a different flavor and share them all.”

“Jeez, how much ice cream do you need?” Kyohei said with a raised eyebrow.

“Hm? I guess I’m not used to getting treats that often.”

“Me neither man,” Chikage said, “It’s normally all for my honeys but today I say we do it.”

“Hm? Yeah okay, we can both get big sundaes.”

“Seriously?” Kyohei sighed, “You’re both gonna make me look like a chump if I just get something small.”

“So then don’t be a coward.”

“Watch it. Alright, let’s do it.”

For @justanurbanlegend who wanted Ruri Hijiribe or Shizuo, I gave you both! I hope you enjoy it!!

Ruri was at a complete loss. Yuuhei’s birthday was less than a week away and she had still failed to get him a birthday present. It was so much more work than she expected it to be. The man had no interests outside of acting. She was nearly at her wits end, when she decided to turn to drastic measures. She picked up the phone and dialed the number from her contacts.

“Hello?”

“Hi there. Um… is it possible to meet you somewhere?”

“…sure.”

They met at Russia Sushi. The man she was looking for was standing outside the door. Ruri, who had only ever come here with Yuuhei, dressed in the best disguise she could muster and approached the man with hesitance.

“Hello.” She bowed slightly.

“You know Ruri,” Shizuo Heiwajima said after they sat down in the restaurant, “You don’t have to be so formal. You can just talk to me like normal and call me Shizuo, or even Brother if that’s any better.”

“O-Of course,” Ruri affirms. “It’s just that… your brother always speaks of you with the highest respect.”

“Pff. Kasuka’s just kind like that. I’m nothing special.” Around them there were already whispers about Shizuo being on a date. “You’re here about his birthday present right? You don’t know what to get him.”

“H-How did you…?”

“You don’t gotta be so serious,” Shizuo said, but his face exuded more solemnity than hers did. “Kasuka’s gonna like anything you give him, even if it’s just some store-bought chocolates.”

It was so weird to hear Yuuhei’s birth name being spoken so casually in public, but since this was his actual brother who knew him by that first she couldn’t help feel a little like she was connected to the man she loved’s past.

“What did you get him then?” Ruri asked breathlessly, trying not to show her desperation. All at once Shizuo’s solid facial expression cracked into a pouty scowl.

“I don’t know yet. Guy already has way more than I could ever afford. There’s just no way to know what he wants.”

“Exactly!” Ruri exclaims, so relieved to have someone she could talk to about this. “He needs hobbies. I asked him what he would like for his birthday and all he said was whatever I’d like to give him. As if that’s any help!”

“I know what you mean.” Shizuo sighed, “He’s not very forthcoming when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“I thought about a welcome mat for his house. The old one is worn so ragged by now because of Dokusonmaru scratching it up.”

“Huh. That’s a pretty good idea.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. Probably not something appropriate to give as a birthday present though.”

“That’s what I figured.” Ruri sighed. “But… maybe if we work together, er, Shizuo… we can find something somewhere.”

“You suggesting we go shopping together?”

“Yes just for a little while, if you have time,” she bowed to him, “I’d be so grateful.”

“Shit you don’t have to be… I mean oops, I didn’t mean to say shit.” Shizuo shrugged, “Let’s go then.”

            Ruri paid their sushi bill (after insisting) and they immediately took to the streets to find a shopping center with something appropriate to give Yuuhei for his birthday. Two very different people, whom loved him very much, and were absolutely desperate to get him something meaningful… how could they possibly go wrong? Out in the streets, Shizuo Heiwajima was like a completely different person than he was right now, which was on a mission for his little brother. He spoke more and didn’t scowl so much. Ruri had always envied the fact that Yuuhei had a brother, and this was a very rare instance.

            If there were any people around who recognized Ruri Hijiribe hanging out with the legendary Shizuo Heiwajima nobody said anything. Ruri had on a wig and wore her son glasses in and out of stores, as well as fixed her make up to cover up her obvious facial features. A few people who knew Shizuo even saw them and purposefully didn’t speak to him because they saw them together. Ruri wondered if she was making a bother of herself.

“I-I’m sorry to be taking up your time like this…” she said after a while. “I know it probably seems silly that I, a famous celebrity, can’t figure out what to buy my own boyfriend for his birthday.”

“It’s no big deal,” Shizuo said easily, and then he gave a rare smile, “I’m actually pretty happy.”

“Huh?”

“I thought you were too afraid of me to talk about Kasuka. But you don’t. And I can tell you really love him so… I’m really happy.”

Ruri felt a pink flush coming onto her cheeks. “I… well, I… owe him so much. He’s so good to me, and… and…”

Shizuo didn’t comment on her stuttering. He merely listened.

“And while I was so busy being grateful to him for accepting me the way I am, I guess I sort of… fell in love with him.”

Shizuo waited a moment to ensure that Ruri had indeed finished talking. Then he sighed, sounding almost a little wistful.

“Man, I’m envious.”

“Hm?”

“Of both of you I mean. I wish I had something like that with someone.”

Ruri stared at him with awe. Could he know? Could he tell that she felt the same way about the two of them? She felt the urge to tell him all of a sudden.

“Hey.” Shizuo said before Ruri could open her mouth.

“Yes?”

“What about cat toys?”

“Cat toys?”

“Yeah for Kasuka’s cat. Maybe if he has a lot more toys he’ll stop scratching every damn thing in sight.”

“That’s… a great idea Shizuo! Let’s go pick out some stuff!”

            And so they bought a pile of toys for Dokusonmaru as well as a huge cat tree that Ruri was going to have shipped to their apartment until Shizuo simply slung the box with all the parts in it over his shoulder. They also bought a huge pile of cat enrichment decorations for around the house they thought Yuuhei’s cat could enjoy.

“Now that I think about it,” Shizuo said, “I guess his cat is sort of like his hobby.”

“Cats aren’t hobbies,” Ruri laughed, “But you are right that Dokusonmaru is one of his biggest interests.”

“Aside from you.” Shizuo said, probably not realizing how cheesy he sounded. Even so, Ruri blushed furiously. As they travelled around the block towards Yuuhei’s apartment Ruri gathered her courage.

“Nnn… umm Nii-san?” she asked, and Shizuo snapped to attention looking a little startled. “Um, you did say it was okay to call you that didn’t you?”

“Y-Yeah of course. You just called me Shizuo earlier, so I was surprised.”

“Right. Umm… it’s just that I’ve always wanted a brother.”

“Oh okay. Sounds good.” Shizuo nodded, and it seemed that was that. Ruri smiled a little to herself.

Tags: ShizuoXReader, New Years–themed, hints of hot chocolate and everything nice I hope

Word count: 3,639

Summary: Too many failed and unsuccessful dates with Shizuo Heiwajima should bring in a low expectation for the next, but don't lose hope! If the saying that everything "goes up must come down," then surely its opposite exists too.

(A/N: Drrr Secret Santa gift for Mari, super late Christmas Gift, but I hope I made it up by making it New Years themed even though I also missed my time to post this on New Years asdfghjk)

Dating Shizuo Heiwajima had its positives and negatives, though the biggest downfall was that he didn’t have the most reliable work schedule for us to plan out a successful date. Many of our dates had turned into rain checks; any, if not most, of our romantic outings, had to be put back on the shelf for another day with hopes that Shizuo would either find a day off that couldn’t be interrupted or a firmer schedule that didn’t leave him clocking out of work in the early mornings due to an unruly client that wouldn’t pay up.

Christmas Eve had been one of the many that appeared, at first, to be a good time to go on a date, only for it to crumble like sand in the wind when Shizuo got held up for longer than expected at work. He had apologized multiple times for it since then whenever we were able to meet up for a quick lunch or dinner, but most of it I had waved off with ease. If all things that go up must come down, then, surely, everything that went down must go back up too.

It was now New Years and I find myself standing on one of the many trains that run straight to Ikebukuro without any twists or turns to stop at any other station along the way. I hold my phone in one hand to check the time, keeping a steady eye on the numbers that tick closer to midnight. Both of us were hoping that tonight wouldn’t turn into one of the many that didn’t work out, but I was especially hopeful since Shizuo hadn’t sent any messages yet of a mishap that would cause conflict in the set of plans that were already made. Although, I suppose that if anything did happen, it would be way too much of a hassle to wait for another train to board and go back home. So if any theoretical bad-to-worse scenarios did happen, there was a high percentage that Shizuo would just extend an irrefutable offer to spend the night at his place.

“—This train is currently between Shinjuku Station and Ikebukuro Station. We apologize for the delay, we will be arriving at Ikebukuro station shortly—”

Although it would still be a good way to end the night at his place, I couldn’t stop myself from being hopeful about tonight anyway. It just wasn’t the same if we had to spend a measly hour or two watching a movie before going to bed when instead it could be a few extra hours outside doing who-knows-what at this rate. And besides, we both wanted to see the fireworks together—it was in fate’s capricious hands now, though, in whether or not things would work out in our favor.

“—passengers for Ikebukuro station, this train is now approaching platform one. Please do not leave your luggage unattended on the station—”

The lights inside of the train are blinding white, enough to cause a mild ache to bloom in the back of my retinas and to leave an imprint of color behind my eyelids whenever I close them. My feet also ache a bit due to the long trek from my place, but thankfully I was able to find a free seat before the train was filled with people and tourists alike. The train is more compact than usual, making us appear more like a pack of sardines in a can.

I end up spending most of my time on the train to think, and that’s when I realize that tonight is the first, actual night that Shizuo and I would have off together as well as the day after—a sneaky preparation for just in case tonight doesn’t go well, to be completely honest. With enough time to spare, a feminine voice on the intercom casts out another announcement of the boarding platform that is quickly coming into view with the train’s rumbling squeal of the breaks. When the train comes to its slow stop, the crowd within begins to break into an antsy fidget as everyone waits for the doors to open. I stand up and align myself with the crowd to disembark the train when the doors open. I feel myself get pulled along with the current when it does and I eventually find myself standing outside the compartment of the train and out on the platform.

“—This is a safety announcement. Due to tonight’s cold weather, please take extra care during your time at the station. Surfaces may be slippery—”

I see him immediately when I walk far enough from the danger zone of being bumped into on the platform. It’s that bright mess of blond hair that I see first before that recognizable bartender outfit that he wears daily comes into view. He’s always stuck out like a sore thumb, exuding an aura of coolness and delinquency, even though this time he looks quite different with a long scarf around his neck. Though truthfully speaking, there is also the matter of whether I’d be honest and admit that my eyes always happen to sift him out of the crowd first. It isn’t exactly favoritism. If someone is a sight for sore eyes, wouldn’t you want to look at them as well?

I yell out his name, bringing up a waving arm to catch his attention as I arrive to where he stands by a steel column. I mutter out a quiet, “Hey,” but my breath gets caught in my throat. He looks at me, flashing a soft and warm smile in my direction.

“Hey yourself,” he says with his eyes moderately downcast to meet my gaze.

The corners of his lips quirk up a bit higher, and I wonder if he can see the heat simmering from beneath the skin of my cheeks. I swear that it’s more from the cold than the way he looks at me with a ferocious tenderness, glazing his brown eyes warm like coffee that’s more milk and sugar than the actual fluid substance of caffeine itself.

“I was beginning to think that I was waiting at the wrong station to come and pick you up.”

A laugh of ridiculousness comes out first before I can stop it, and his face brightens with an ounce of smugness in making me laugh. I tell him that it’s impossible, first of all, since there’s no other train that I could’ve boarded other than the one that I’ve come out of that stops directly at Ikebukuro station. He doesn’t comment on it but the glint in his eyes tells me enough. He continues to bring out more subtle jokes, prodding here and there to see if he can crack any more smiles or huffs of laughter out of me until he looks at me again.

“Aren’t you cold?” Shizuo tilts his head to the side, eyes narrowing at the slight shiver in my shoulders that I didn’t even notice. “The temperatures are low tonight, you should’ve worn a thicker coat.”

I tell him that it’s fine, that the cold isn’t too bothersome to have shrugged on more layers of fabric that would just be dead weight that I’d have to carry on the train than anything helpful. The winters here aren’t anything to scoff at, but I’ve faced the wrath of winter in my hometown that’s been much harsher in different ways. Shizuo doesn’t take any refusals that I make on the spot and decides then to take off the scarf that’s been around his neck. He wraps it gently around my neck, tugging at its long length to ensure that the prior warmth in it doesn’t escape, and it feels like a soothing salve against my freezing cold skin. Shizuo grins at me again, his eyes peering through the long length of his lashes before mouthing another set of words that could set ablaze another flash of heat under my skin.

“It looks much better on you than on me.”

Shizuo’s voice is low and deep. He’s still adjusting the scarf around my neck for a bit longer than necessary but I don’t complain. If his thumb brushes against the angle of my jaw and up my cheeks, I don’t say nor mention it—the act of intimacy is sly, sneaky, and barely-there as if it was just another silent breeze of the winter wind and not the hot touch of his fingers against my skin.

He takes my hand then without a word, more of a man of actions than words, and leads me out of the bustling station and into the open street above that’s even colder. I’m grateful for the scarf, then, when the chill gnaws along the edges of my fingers that aren’t within Shizuo’s warm grip and I’m surer than anything that the tips of my ears are frozen. Shizuo leads me further out into the city. The destination is still unknown and the question lingers on the edge of my tongue, but when he takes smaller steps to take in account of the long strides I need to take to match his and presses his body closer to mine, the words float off like embers in the wind.

He squeezes my hand before turning to lower his head down a bit to look at me. The gleams on his sunglasses that rests on the bridge of his nose mirror the colored lights from the multiple store signs that light up the city night.

“I wasn’t sure I’d have tonight off, to be completely honest with you. I got off a bit earlier than usual tonight, but I think Tom-san just wanted to clock both of us out early because he knew that I wanted to go out and spend tonight with you. Well, it isn’t all that unusual since he’s clocked us out early from work before, mostly since it can turn into a waste of time in trying to find some asshole that runs out on us—not that I’m complaining or anything. What I’m trying to say is that…”

Shizuo’s eyes that had drifted off to the side during his ramble of words come back to focus on me. He squeezes my hand, ducking his head to the side to clear his throat before turning back to me with a quiet grumble of words. “I’m glad to be able to spend time with you tonight without being interrupted with some bullshit from work. I know that you said it was fine, but it’s not. I don’t like that my work takes up a lot of the time that I could’ve spent with you, so I want to make it up to you tonight.”

His cheeks have a slight dusting of pink, but whether it’s from the cold or something else is something that I have to work out on my own.

The conversation continues for a bit longer with a note of irritation as Shizuo rants about his day. It starts with how rough it’s been since the debt only gets higher during the holidays and the cowards who owe money usually scurry off to leave their lovers in the dust for several days to deal with the surprise appearance of a debt collector at their door. Shizuo gets a bit more pissed off when he starts talking about how some people continue to believe that they’re in “true love” with girls that they don’t even know. Girls who have a sexual alias for a nickname and can only be seen once a week at an odd place. The mostly one-sided conversation starts to shift when he asks about my day and then it dives back into apologies for the last date that ended up being another dud.

By the time the conversation has once again been turned around into something light, hopeful, and a bit of Shizuo’s gruff additions of how people should be more serious if they’re in love, I find myself at one of the many parks in Ikebukuro. It’s not much of a surprise to see how many people have set up blankets or chairs to watch the fireworks go off at midnight, but it’s still a bit overwhelming to see so many people crowded together in one spot. Shizuo leads me around, eyes searching for any open spots, but even the parking lots of nearby convenience stores are filled to the brim and it’s only by pure chance that there’s an empty curb that no one’s taken up to fill yet. It makes sense that no one’s there since it’s a bit further away from the crowd, further away from the optimal spots to watch the fireworks explode into a variety of colors, but there’s an odd sense of privacy in being further away. It makes the space more welcoming than it should be when Shizuo leads me down to sit beside him.

“—do you want anything from the vendors? They’re selling some cheap drinks and food, and the line isn’t too long right now.”

My attention had been caught on the crowd up ahead, overhearing the noise of useless, friendly chatter and loud guffaws that I didn’t even notice Shizuo speaking to me. His arm had been curled around my shoulders, my head nearly tucked beneath the crook of his neck while my legs were outstretched alongside his on the asphalt. I look up and follow the point of his finger and see the series of small vendors near to the side of the parking lot that is selling a variety of food, drinks, and whatever necessary items to have a fun New Years' night activity. Nothing catches my attention despite the appetizing appeal of eating food, but with Shizuo prodding for me to pick something to consume, I end up going with a simple drink of a creamy, hot chocolate.

Shizuo leaves then with a focused expression that brings a laugh bubbling up my throat, but he’s off in a hurry before he can hear it. I watch him get in line before turning my attention back to the crowd again. Most people are sitting by their car with camping chairs laid out into small semi-circles, coolers tucked somewhere in between that’s filled with food and drinks. And if I look far enough into the crowd, I’m almost sure that I catch sight of a familiar van and a gang of friends that I know well enough. A hand that clasps firmly on my shoulders—as well as a mob of people that block my view—stops me from accurately confirming what I’ve seen and I’m left with a hunch of who it could’ve been. I look up at Shizuo who’s back and settling himself beside me, holding a hot drink and a box of sparklers.

He hands me the drink and I can feel the heat of it warming the colors back into my fingers. I thank him with a reply of paying him back later, but he shrugs it off with a shake of his head.

“Don’t worry about paying me back. I was the one asking you to get something in the first place,” Shizuo says. “How’s it taste? I haven’t had a taste of it yet so I’m not sure if it’s good, but I’ve always heard people say that it tastes way too good for its obnoxiously cheap price.”

I take a sip of the drink at his urging and I’m oddly surprised at the taste of it. The consistency is a bit thick, although creamy and smooth. The sweetness isn’t the normal overload like I had expected it to be in where you can still feel the clumps of sugar crystals on the edge of your teeth half an hour later. It tastes like melted Belgian truffles; the kind that Shizuo bought for Christmas and nearly succeeded in stuffing me full of it to make sure that I was as addicted as he was to the taste of it. I’m not sure what kind of expression is on my face, but when I catch Shizuo looking at me in the corner of my eyes, there’s nothing but a smirk on his face and words dripping with self-satisfaction when he gains back my full attention.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that you like this drink a lot more than you were expecting to.”

He teases me a bit longer before turning away to grab the pack of sparklers beside him, opening it with ease and attentive care. He doesn’t fully turn his head up to look at me when he speaks, but his eyes still look towards me from the corner of his eyes from time to time. “When I was young, I used to watch my dad light up sparklers in the street every New Years until at some point it was just easier to be inside and watch it on TV. He never let us hold it though, said it was a bit too dangerous, but—”

Shizuo shakes the box gently to slide out several sticks, taking out a couple and handing me one to hold. One of his hands dives into the front pockets of his pants, showing a lighter that he mostly uses for his cigarettes and flashes me a boyish grin that’s as bright as the small flame that flickers from the lighter. The flame licks the end of the sparkler and Shizuo holds my hand to make sure the stick is steady enough to catch fire.

“—I always thought it was because I didn’t know how to control my strength when I was that young. So I’ve never really held one before by myself but, well, I suppose there’s always a first time for everything, huh?”

When the stick catches flame, Shizuo backs away quickly to give not only space but also to light one up for himself. The sparkler continues to crackle and flare with sparks of gold spitting off the end. We end up talking, our voices going quiet as we speak and wave around our sparklers to do whatever we desire; whether it be to just watch it crackle or leave an after-image of gold in the air, we did it all until there was nothing else to light up. We sit next to each other, our bodies pressed flush together until I’m sure that I can feel the heat of his body through my clothes.

The crowd is loud as ever, the chuckles of laughter and boisterous yelling surround us as we sit. Our legs are fully stretched out as we lean back together to look up at the night sky and all the used up sparklers are sprawled out beside us. It’s been a good night, and the anticipation to see the fireworks, which are about to start, makes my heart thrum a bit faster. I’m leaning against Shizuo’s side, my head pressed against his shoulder. A couple of minutes of sitting silently as the count down starts, to both the fireworks that will soon fill the sky and to the start of the new year, carries on until he nudges me to meet his gaze. There’s heat in his eyes and a twitch of his mouth that has me alert, even though my body sags with contentment and blissful satisfaction.

He whispers it but it still hits me like a bolt of lightning in my gut.

“Can I‌ kiss you?”

His hair tickles my face while his warm breath fans over my lips. My mouth goes dry, but I somehow manage to mumble out the teasing words of, “I don’t know, can you kiss me?”

The smell of Shizuo’s cologne on his scarf overwhelms me while the sound of the crowd goes wild as the fireworks are launched into the air, exploding with color and lighting up our faces with an abstract wash of colors. He flashes me that smile that sends my stomach flipping into knots. His words of “shut up and come here,” come out as a vibrating growl on my skin as he presses his lips against mine. His strong hands coming up from behind me trails upwards until they’re in my hair, coaxing my head to tilt into a more comfortable position to where he can slot his lips more firmly against mine.

He pulls back after a while and I’m sure that all the oxygen that was previously in my lungs had dissipated long ago. He presses our foreheads together and I can see his half-lidded eyes and the way his lips have settled into a content smile. The hand that’s still pressed against the back of my head stays put, fingers outstretched as if he’s lingering between impossible decisions—as if he’s not sure he should pull me back in for another kiss or not, but I don’t care. He holds me like I’m precious, staring at me like I’m the only person that exists, and my body feels like it’s been set ablaze for centuries to come.

His breathing is surprisingly deep and slow, his eyes full-blown as he drinks me in. I don’t hear the fireworks then, nor the crowd of people up ahead as the night sky is light up with clouds of color, but what I do hear is Shizuo. His voice is as clear as day, and his tone is like caramel—smooth and sickly sweet despite the huskiness in his voice as he speaks.

“Happy New Year to us.”

I mumble a soft, “yeah,” and Shizuo leans back in for another kiss. Everything gets lost in a blur then, leaving nothing but my senses tingling and filled with the essence of Shizuo’s mouth against mine and the smell of his cologne. And I know then that everything that goes up must come down, and surely it comes back up too in the most wonderful of ways.