Forgive me.

Tooru became so excited when she heard what Ritsu was calling for.  How kind of him to think of her as someone who would be able to help!  And how sweet of him to go buy Christmas gifts for everyone and to be so concerned about getting something they’d like.   She wasn’t 100% sure what Shigure or Hatsuharu would want, but she was definitely sure she’d be able to help Ritsu find the perfect gifts for Kyou, Yuki and Momiji!

Besides… maybe she could weasel out of Shigure what he was wishing for Christmas during dinner tonight.  He was strangely quiet when it came to talking about material possessions.  As insane as his room was, sometimes Tooru had the feeling that he wasn’t the type who was into material things.  And she might be able to get some information from Yuki about Haru, too.

A blush came over her face when his words finally sunk in.  Ritsu thought that she was close enough to the Sohmas to know what they would want for Christmas?  Her heart absolutely soared.  She certainly hoped that would prove to be true!

“I am so honored you would invite me to go along with you!” she said excited, bouncing a bit on the heels of her feet.  “I’m so excited!  I need to finish up my own Christmas shopping too, so this is absolutely perfect.  You have great timing!”  And maybe she’d be able to figure out the perfect gift for Ritsu in the process. 

So, with the date, time and location set, the plan was made.

     “As for what I’m doing at this hour, I was interested in seeing the stars. I was staying in a hotel not too far from him, and I became restless; in that restlessness, I wanted to seek comfort in seeing the night sky. I quite adore stargazing.” Especially since he felt an attachment to them.

   "Oh, of course. I don't mind." He never really did; he was training to be the host of an onsen, so putting the needs of others before his own came naturally. Especially when he had to apologize for everything he did.

“I suppose…. but, seeing him was honestly not my main objective.”

What a confusing statement that seemed to be though, he wasn’t entirely certain what he thought his spying mission would actually accomplish. ‘I’m just here to try.’ Admission of his lack of his familiarity with his older brother’s likes, dislikes, life in general felt a tad awkward to make when it was just a kind inquiry.

   Still! When Yuki mentioned they should go somewhere warmer he snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh! Of course," he glanced around briefly, then checked the road and crossed the street, bag of mended kimonos clutched to his chest protectively. Once inside and seated Ritsu pulled his hair around the front and fiddled with it a bit, "It's good to see you, Yuki. It's been a while." It might be noted he was fairly calm right now-- a rare occasion, but Ayame tended to do that to him; made him so happy he briefly didn't feel as... tense.

     His gold eyes darted along the many parts of the café, further checking out the décor. It really was cute, wasn’t it? It seemed the type that teenagers would love to lounge in for dates or to have simple girl time. How nice. His thoughts broke off once he heard the bout of nervousness that could only belong to Ritsu, returning his gaze to him. “Am I not allowed to spend time with my lovely cousin? Oh, you wound me so!” The snake laughed his obnoxious laugh from his flamboyant response, moving to rest his chin on his hand. “There’s no special occasion; I can assure you,” he tried again, not wanting to hint on the fact that he had been feeling a little lonely lately.

   "Tea?" Oh, right, the reason they were here, tucked away into this cozy little café in the first place. "Oh, yes, with sugar. Three lumps." Normally he'd say two to anyone else, but with Ayame, he didn't mind saying three. Ayame didn't typically criticize his feminine side since he was a man of the arts and a bit flamboyant himself. It was so easy to be around him, his earlier breakdown of apologies and nerves had already mostly melted away.

     How long has it been since he’s seen the anxiety-ridden monkey? It feels like ages since he last affiliated with someone that wasn’t in the Mabudachi Trio or Yuki; why was this guy an exception, he wonders. Oh… right, it’s the fact that he tends to be just as apologetic as his mother. But, he really didn’t seem to be a good guy. Actually, he would be a really good candidate to try out some of his more calming costumes since he had a pretty nice shape. Now that this was in mind, the idea of hanging with cross-dresser became more and more appealing by the second.

   [ 不安 ] "Ayame-niisan!" Ritsu really hadn't expected to see the snake any time soon but he was thankful nonetheless. "I'm doing fine," He mumbled in that soft, hesitant voice. "I'm glad to hear you're doing so well." He was just swept away when his cousin dragged him out, demanding they have tea. Of course he didn't mind, but he was in a bit of a whirlwind. Ayame was his idol, his hero, and probably his favourite person in the world; big shoes to fill but he always seemed right for the role and then some.

Yuki walked the slightly busy streets staring at a few shop windows as he passed by. It was a chilly evening though not too unexpected this time of year. The streets were more packed than normal at this hour, people walking by with shopping bags in hand. Likely a sign of the incoming holiday.

Shoving his handing into his pockets, he winced as a gust of cold wind blew a few strands of gray hair against his face. He always hated the winter. The cold never much agreed with him or his asthma, though the past year or so he had been adjusting to it better. He certainly had an advantage over his brother’s sensitivity to the cold. The reminder of him caused him to release a rather deep sigh. He was after all the reason he was out here so late in the evening.

What did you buy someone like him for Christmas that he couldn’t get for himself? It was a question that had been stumping him for the past two weeks. He’d never bought Ayame anything ever before. There was never any reason to. But, this year… part of him felt he should. With all the borderline obnoxious effort he’d made this year to establish some sort of relationship, it seemed like the least he could do to show some level of appreciation.

Peering forward, violet eyes scanned the store front one last time, mentally preparing to go in to his brother’s shop. This seemed like the best place to gather some ideas. Not that his presence wouldn’t likely be somewhat suspect but, there seemed to be no way to really avoid it.

Standing in front of the glass door, he looked mildly startled as the doors opened before he was able to pull them towards himself. The vaguely familiar face caught him a bit off guard.

Once all the work on his outfits was finished, he gathered up the items, attempted to pay but of course was declined, and left. Or rather, he was about to but as soon as he opened the door, there was Yuki starring wide-eyed at him. Luckily Ayame was already in the back, which prevented his hysteric outburst about how his baby brother had come to his work place!