[One-shot] Santa

[shiroikazex]

Title: Santa
Author: shiroikazex
Pairing: Hikanoo + Inoo's baby sister
Genre: Romance, angst fluff
Rating: PG
Note: AU. Hikaru was asked by Yabu, an intern at a hospital, to dress up as Santa Claus for the day. He got more than he bargained for when he met Inoo Keiri--and then her elder brother. It's been a while since I've written slash, so I apologize for sounding awkward ;~;

"Yabu, I'm the bassist of a rock band, which part of that screams 'SANTA CLAUS' to you?!"

"Just do it," Yabu said while adjusting the fake beard now attached to his best friend's jaw. "You're the only one I know who can juggle and make kids laugh simply by standing in front of them."

"Was that a compliment?"

"You can take it as one."

Hikaru sighed, defeated, and stumbled to the mirror in the nurses' office with his fake pot belly.

"How do I look?"

"Like a kind old man who flies reindeers and hands out presents."

"Perfect."

He wobbled around the children's hospital that day, handing out presents from the big red sack on his back and generally making children happy by doing various card tricks and juggling tricks in front of him. A little boy with pale, papery skin and a knitted beanie over his bald head was beyond delighted that Hikaru had somehow managed to make the card he picked appear below his pillow.

"Santa-san is really magical!"

Hikaru laughed a hearty "ho ho ho" and winked at the little boy before moving on to the next ward. The smiles that he received from the children made up for the embarrassment entirely.

He received a chorus of cheers and gasps as he walked into the next ward. He went round the beds and finally arrived at the one closest to the window. The occupant was a little girl, about 4 or 5, he guessed, looking a little tired with faint, tiny red lines criss-crossing her skin. The young man who was sitting by her bed stood up as Hikaru approached.

"Hello..." Hikaru squinted at the clipboard at the foot of the bed. "Inoo Keiri-chan. Have you been a good girl this year?"

The little girl nodded furiously, her shoulder-length hair flying all over the place.

"Yes Santa-san! You can ask nii-chan!"

Hikaru nodded at the pale young man by the bed (whom he thought was rather pretty, honestly speaking), who smiled and patted Keiri on the head lightly.

"She has, Santa-san."

"Jaa... What does Keiri-chan want for Christmas this year?"

She waved to beckon Hikaru over, and when he leaned in she sat up straight and cupped her little hands around his ear, whispering, "I want a homework machine."

"A homework machine?" Hikaru whispered back, perplexed.

"Yeah," She checked on her brother to make sure that he wasn't eavesdropping. He looked away quickly with a small smile on his lips. When she was sure that he wasn't listening anymore, she turned back to Santa-san.

"A homework machine. To help Nii-chan finish his homework so we can play together. Nii-chan's always busy with schoolwork so we don't get to play much, but if I had a homework machine, Nii-chan will be able to finish his homework quickly and we can play then!"

Hikaru drew back and looked into the girl's wide, innocent eyes. He saw no trace of a joke. She was being serious.

"Ah... That..."

"Keiri, did you ask for something weird again?" Her brother asked. His voice was as soft as his appearance.

"No! She didn't!" Hikaru said quickly. "Keiri-chan, Santa doesn't have that right now. I'll need to ask my elves to make one specially for Keiri-chan, alright?"

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Hikaru was thankful for the beard over his face that hid how strained his smile was.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." It was her brother who answered with a soft smile and a nod. Hikaru moved on to the next patient, his heart heavy.

He returned to the nurses' office to return the costume just as Yabu returned from his shift. Hikaru stripped off the thick, padded cotton coat and pants, and discarded them in a corner of the office.

"How was it?"

"The kids are nice! It was surprisingly fun."

Yabu's smile was a little sad.

"I'm glad."

"You're done for the day right? Let's go for yakiniku--"

"Sorry, not today, Hikaru. One of the boys just passed away, I have to help with... things."

"Oh. Oh shit, sorry."

Yabu shook his head quietly and went to his desk to grab some papers.

"It happens all the time, it's something that we can't always control. You go ahead. We'll go another day."

"...Okay. Seeya."

He gave his best friend a comforting pat as he left the room, bass slung over his back. The sky was just darkening when he stepped out of the clean, white building that was the children's hospital where Yabu worked. A few steps in front of him, descending the steps to the sidewalk was the elder brother from before. Hikaru hurried down the last few steps and tapped the guy on his shoulder. The guy spun around and Hikaru came face to face with, admittedly, the prettiest face he had ever seen--girls included, and as the bassist of a rock band he had plenty of girls to look at during live shows.

"Yes...?"

"I'm the Santa from earlier on."

"Oh!" The other's face eased into a smile. "Hello. Are you a nurse at the hospital...?"

"No, my friend works there. I don't know if you would know Yabu..."

"Ah, Yabu-san. He's really kind towards the kids. Keiri might have a secret crush on him, from the way she blushes whenever he checks up on her. That girl..."

"That's adorable!" Hikaru smiled at the thought. "He just got me to help out for Christmas. He was the smart one who got into med school, there was no way I could have made it."

The young man chuckled lightly, "You seem to be fairing well though."

"It's not too bad."

The words were stuck in Hikaru's throat. It wasn't his business, it wasn't his place to tell the other male to spend more time with his younger sister when Hikaru hardly made time for his family. To add to it, they just met. So when the awkwardness started setting in, Hikaru dropped out of the conversation.

"J-Just... Um, be nice to Keiri-chan. She's lovable. I'll see you around."

He jogged quickly away from the hospital before the other could reply.

"Ne, Yabu, what does Inoo Keiri have?"

"Hmm? Acute lymphoblastic leukemia," Yabu answered without looking up from his papers.

"Speak Japanese, Yabu."

"It's a type of cancer affecting white blood cells. The bone marrow produces too much of them and immature ones multiply without restraint. They start crowding out other cells in the bone marrow and spread around the body."

"That sounds... scary."

"The cure rate is generally high, so I guess it shouldn't be too bad. Though Keiri's was diagnosed at a middle-late stage. She isn't responding too well to the chemo, but she's improving."

For the lack of a better way to respond, Hikaru nodded solemnly while he sipped his beer. Yabu frowned at the gesture.

"You shouldn't be drinking that in here. And why're you asking about Keiri?"

Hikaru told Yabu about her Christmas wish.

"I mean, where am I supposed to get a homework machine?! She's the only kid in the hospital whom I hadn't given a present to."

"You're taking the Santa job really seriously," Yabu chuckled. "Maa, she asked you for it, so you go figure it out yourself."

"A homework machine?!"

Yabu picked up his things from his desk and headed to the door.

"Good luck~"

Hikaru strode into Keiri's ward, passing a vacant bed that he was sure was previously occupied by a bespectacled little boy, just 2 days earlier. He prayed that the kid had been discharged, the alternative was a little too much for Hikaru to take.

Keiri looked up at him with wide eyes as he approached. He put on a friendly smile and sat down by her bed such that he could talk to her at eye level.

"Hello Keiri, I'm Santa."

"Santa-san?" She doubted. "But it's past Christmas. And you're not wearing Santa-san's red coat."

"Santa can't walk around all day in that coat, little kids like you would keep coming to me for presents. I am not like Doraemon, you know."

The little girl stifled a laugh.

"How can I believe that you're really Santa-san? You don't have a beard, and you're not old."

"Santa can change his appearance. And I think I look more handsome without a beard, doesn't Keiri-chan think so too?"

She shook her head while falling into a fit of giggles.

"Ne, Keiri-chan, tell Santa more about that homework machine that you want. I want the elves to make it just right for you."

"Umm I've seen Nii-chan's friends bringing theirs over before. It's small, like, this big," she gestured with her hands a large rectangle, the size of a A4 paper, perhaps. "It has a screen that lights up and has all sorts of things in it that Nii-chan and his friends use for their homework. And when Nii-chan uses it he finishes his homework really quickly!"

"Hmm I think I know what you want."

"Santa-san please get it for me, I really want to give it to Nii-chan."

"Why doesn't your Nii-chan have one when his friends do?"

"Because Mama doesn't have enough money," Keiri looked down at her palm sadly. "Mama doesn't want Nii-chan to work because she wants Nii-chan to focus on school, and Nii-chan doesn't have the money either to buy it."

"Oh," was all that Hikaru could say. He spent the next moment feeling rather stupid.

"But that's okay, because Nii-chan is smart and he always finishes his work on time. I just wish he could finish it faster... He promised me that he would play with me after he finished his work but by the time he finishes, I would be asleep..."

"Aww," Hikaru patted the little girl on her head. "I'll definitely get you that present."

"Really?" Her face immediately lit up with hope. "Would Santa-san really do it for me?"

"Of course, that's what Santas do."

"...and that's what I told her."

"You want me to lend you money to buy a laptop."

"Yes," Hikaru looked at Yabu straight in the eye. "And don't try to worm your way out of this, I know you doctors have money."

"I'm an intern, Hikaru, we don't exactly get sky high pay."

"You earn more than I do."

"Why did you even agree to this?"

"Because you asked me to be Santa, for god's sake, and I have to fulfill this duty or else that little girl in the ward is not gonna believe in any sort of magic when she grows up."

Yabu frowned.

"Hikaru, I can't do this. You can't give her a freaking laptop even though she asked for it. What would the other kids say?"

"I just--"

"You'll figure this out. My break is over."

The next time Hikaru visited the hospital, he luckily caught Keiri's elder brother as he was leaving the ward.

"Hey," he caught the other guy by the arm. "Got a minute?"

Keiri's brother looked at Hikaru quizzically, but nodded anyway.

"If you make it quick, yes."

Hikaru led him to the rest area and purchased two coffees from the vending machine, before seating himself down beside the young man.

"I forgot to ask for your name..."

"Inoo Kei, and you are?"

"Yaotome Hikaru. Pleasure."

Inoo nodded with a small smile.

"What did you want to talk to me about."

"Okay, so here's the deal..."

Hikaru filled him in on what Keiri wished for.

"...so, all she wants, actually, is for you to spend more time with her. And since I can't really afford to give you a laptop as a present... I'll lend you mine for a week or so, do what you need to do, and just come visit her more often. Her operation is in two weeks, right?"

Inoo frowned.

"Even if you do that, I probably won't be able to..."

"Why not?"

"Well I--" Inoo hesistated. "I'm actually working part-time now to help pay for her hospital fees. It hasn't been easy. Don't tell anyone--my parents don't know."

"Don't they get suspiscious that the fees suddenly got lowered?"

"I got the people at the front desk to tell them that there has been a miscalculation. It's an insane sum and I can't let them handle it on their own."

"Well... Could you perhaps ask the hospital if you could pay later? Keiri really needs your support now."

"I'll see what I can do."

Yabu sighed in disapproval when he spotted Hikaru lounging in his chair once again.

"You're spending an awful lot of time here, considering that you don't even work here. How did you even get in anyway?"

"Oh you know," Hikaru wagged his eyebrows. "Ways."

"Did you sleep with Tachibana-san at the front desk? She's a nice girl, lay off her."

"Not quite--but thanks for the idea."

Yabu shook his head.

"Why are you here today?"

"My plan worked," Hikaru grinned. "While my song writing is on hold, Keiri's nii-chan managed to drop by more. He's actually with her now--I saw them on my way here."

"That's nice of you."

"I feel so accomplished."

"Yeah, yeah, now get out. I actually have work to do, unlike you."

Hikaru heard his name being called as he was descending the steps in front of the hospital. Turning around, he found Inoo jogging towards him, pale cheeks flushed red from the exertion.

"Hey, do you have time now?"

"Sort of, what's up?"

Inoo smiled.

"Coffee."

In the quiet cafe near the hospital, they sat near the back in the cushioned armchairs. Inoo insisted on footing the bill.

"As a thanks, for everything you've done for me. I haven't seen Keiri so happy in too long."

"I'm glad, really."

"I'm really happy that I get to spend this time with her," Inoo dropped his gaze. "Before she goes in for her operation, I mean. It means a lot to me too. I just never realized how much. She's my sister--you know--really precious. I don't want her to get hurt in any way."

"I understand."

Hikaru didn't. The youngest of his siblings, how was he supposed to anyway? But what else could he say?

"I'm worried, to be honest," Inoo chuckled nervously. "I mean, I know there isn't anything to worry about since the success rate of her operation is high but... I can't help but worry. And it's scary where I let my mind wander to. I don't want to think about the worst scenarios but I end up--"

Hikaru's body reacted before his mind did, and he laid a comforting hand on Inoo's clenched fist on the table.

"She'll be fine, trust me."

Inoo sighed, without withdrawing his hand.

"I hope so."

"Yabu."

"Hmm?"

"If a guy likes another guy that looks like a girl so much that he could be mistaken as a girl, is the first guy gay?"

"Er, repeat that?" Yabu said absentmindedly as he went through his paperwork.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that I like a guy who really looks like a girl. Does that make me gay?"

"You like Inoo-san, don't you?"

Hikaru fell over in the chair that he was sitting on.

"Okay, got my answer."

"Yabu!"

"I don't really care," Yabu shrugged. "I mean, you just fell in love with another person right? Does the gender really matter?"

"I guess not--but I've been with a lot of girls. A lot of them. Suddenly this one guy appears and I--I don't know. It's strange."

"Well, does it feel right?"

Hikaru kept quiet for a long time.

"It does," he answered quietly. "Somehow, it does."

Hikaru handed him a flyer. Inoo took it and read it through, before looking up at Hikaru with wide eyes.

"You're in a band?"

"Well," Hikaru scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I am. I play the bass."

"That's really cool--is it really alright for me to go?"

"Of course, what are you saying?" Hikaru laughed.

"But Keiri--"

"It's the night before her operation, yes, but come on, you should take a day off. Bring a few friends if you like, we love baiting in new fans."

"I--I don't know. She might want me to stay with her."

"Oh er, in that case, forget it. I just wondered if you'd be interested."

"I am!" Inoo said quickly. "Don't get me wrong, I would love to watch you perform, it's just... The time of this is a little..."

"I understand."

"Maybe next time."

"Whenever," Hikaru stuck his hands in his pockets with a grin. "I'll mail you the details when I get other gigs."

"Sure, thanks!"

Despite his initial reluctance, Inoo showed up. Hikaru spotted him the moment he stepped onto stage--the lone, awkward figure in the corner, obviously unused to the smoky, noisy, rowdy atmosphere of the live house where Hikaru's band usually held their gigs.

Hikaru waved to the crowd--and their eyes met for a moment. Inoo raised the glass in his hand with a smile.

"Hey--" Hikaru met Inoo outside later on, after the show ended. "You came!"

"Yeah, decided to. Keiri slept early tonight, so I could come. You were great."

"Heh, thanks."

"You're kind of high."

"Post performance highs. Always happen," Hikaru hopped from foot to foot on the spot. "Shall we go somewhere quieter? I'll buy you alcohol--"

"Thanks, but I don't really--"

"Come on, don't be a killjoy. Let's go."

Ten minutes later, they were seated on the grassy slope facing the river that flowed through their little part of town, beer cans in hand.

"I hope you had fun," Hikaru chuckled. "It's not what you're used to, right? I saw your face back there."

"It's my first time at that kind of venue, but I did have fun. It's nice to let go once in a while."

"Mm, yeah. Whenever I stand on that stage--I imagine what it would be like 5 years down the road if we go pro. Doing concerts at Budoukan someday."

"I'll go see you guys then," Inoo laughed.

"You had better."

"Ne, Yaotome-kun--"

"Just call me Hikaru. No one ever calls me Yaotome."

"Oh sorry. Well, thanks for everything you've done for me. And Keiri. I can't imagine what it would be like now if not for your efforts."

"Don't say that," Hikaru returned Inoo's smile with a gentle one of his own. Inoo quickly looked away, into the starry sky.

"Can I ask for a small favour?" He asked quietly.

"What's up?"

"Can you be there tomorrow? When she's doing her operation. My parents will be there but... I'm sorry, we don't know each other too well but I feel like everything would be fine if you were there. What am I saying--"

"I'll be there."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I would. I told you she would be fine, right? I'll be there to make sure that it happens. And I love that kid, she's adorable."

Inoo heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

"What are friends for?" Hikaru smiled. “Since you said we don’t know each other too well, why don’t we start now? I’ll ask you one question and you can ask me one.”

“Alright.”

“Okay… let’s see… Are you a cat person or a dog person? Because I’m really scared of cats, I don’t want to get a shock one day if I ever visit you.”

Inoo laughed.

“Dog. I have two at home. My turn-ramen or yakiniku?”

“Ramen. Hands down. I’m not a big fan of meat.”

“You look kind of carnivorous.”

“Yeah I get that a lot… Okay, favourite singer?”

They didn’t part ways till after midnight.

They sat outside the operating room, shoulder against shoulder, and waited. Inoo's parents had gone to the cafeteria to get a bit of food, leaving Hikaru and Inoo to wait.

5 hours.

Hikaru was getting increasingly frustrated. Inoo hadn't moved for over an hour--elbows on his knees, hands clasped so tightly together that Hikaru wondered if there was any blood flow at all to his delicate fingers. But he dared not disturb the other. He looked so tense. Like he could snap--any second now.

The doors of the room burst open and one of the doctors emerged, brows furrowed. Inoo was on his feet in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sorry--something unexpected happened and we're dealing with it now--"

"Is she alright?"

"We're doing out best--"

"Is she alright?" Inoo yelled.

"I'm sorry, we don't know yet. But please don't worry, we'll do everything we can."

The doctor ducked back into the room quickly, perhaps afraid of the flames that were spewing from Inoo's eyes. For a long time, Inoo stared at the "Operation in progress" sign flashing red above the door, not saying anything.

"I-Inoo...?"

"You told me," Inoo said, his jaw tight. "You told me that she would be fine."

"She would be--"

Before Hikaru could react, he was pushed up against the wall, Inoo grabbing him by the collar. The pain and panick in Inoo's eyes was too much for him to take.

"Then why is this happening?!"

"The doctors would be fine--trust me. Trust them. Breathe, Inoo, breathe. She'll be fine."

"It's been 5 hours," Inoo whispered. "What if she isn't coming out--"

"Stop thinking like that."

"It's not your sister in there!"

"She's as good as my baby sister because she is yours," Hikaru snapped. "It's hurting me too--seeing you worrying like this. But you have to believe that she'll be fine."

Hikaru watched the flames burn themselves out in Inoo’s eyes, and then his hands fell to his sides at the same moment the tears started flowing. Without another word, Hikaru wrapped his arms around Inoo.

“She’ll be fine. She will be.”

3 days later.

The bed by the window was vacant. A nurse was straightening out the sheets on it, in preparation for the next patient.

At the receptionist, Keiri’s parents were settling the final bits and pieces of paperwork, while Keiri sat on Inoo’s lap a distance away, playing with a doll that Santa-san had left her. At that moment, Inoo’s phone beeped, and he drew it out to read the mail.

“I’ll be doing a show tonight~ Are you coming?”

It was the first time Hikaru had contacted Inoo since Keiri’s operation. When Keiri was wheeled out of the room, all safe, Hikaru had grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him.

It felt right in all the wrong ways, but Inoo wasn’t about to complain. It was just the thing that stopped his relief from breaking him. The kiss went-luckily-unnoticed by his parents, who followed the nurses around the corner before Hikaru had done that.

When they broke apart, there was silence. Then Hikaru dropped his arms, muttered a quick sorry, and ran.

“I’ll be there. Meet me by the river after you’re done?”

When Hikaru got to the riverside, there was already one lonely figure seated there, a plastic bag from the convenience store by his side.

“Oh damn, if I had known that you’d be buying the drinks, I wouldn’t have,” Hikaru said as he sat down with his own bag.

“The more the merrier,” Inoo chuckled. “You were great, as usual. A little bit on the sexy side this time, huh?”

“Hey come on, it was a spur of the moment thing. The girls loved it when I strip.”

“Sure, sure…”

Hikaru took a long swig from his can, and sighed.

“I’m glad Keiri’s fine.”

“I’m sorry I freaked out on you. You were right. She would have been fine. She's been asking about you, you know?”

"What did you tell her?"

"Santa-san had gone back to the north pole..."

"Great, if she sees me around town--"

"Make something up. You're good at that, right? And running away too."

Hikaru tensed. He swallowed his mouthful of beer before replying, calculating and planning in his head.

“Yeah about that-”

“Are you gonna apologize about the kiss too? Cos I don’t wanna hear it.”

“I’m sorr-”

Hikaru was cut off by Inoo’s sudden kiss. At this hour, there wasn’t a soul in the area, and the kiss lasted a little longer than Hikaru thought it would. His hand ended up tangled in Inoo’s hair, pulling him closer, deeper.

“Thank you,” Inoo whispered against Hikaru’s lips. “Thank you for everything. And thank you for the kiss too-I wouldn’t have dared to do this if not for your kiss the other day. Ever since the day you walked into Keiri’s room I’ve liked you.”

“Even in the big, fat outfit?”

Inoo laughed, his breath tickling Hikaru’s cheek.

“You brought sunshine into that dreary room. And when you showed up without the outfit-that was when I… really couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

“I could deal with that,” Hikaru smirked and kissed Inoo quickly again. “I could live with that. Where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know. But, if you think that it’ll be fine, then it will be, right?”

“Of course. Nothing in the world can be finer than this.”

“Also, do you want your laptop back?”

“No not really.”

“Eh? You sure?”

“Well… if you moved in with me, technically we can share.”

~END~

Merry Christmas~ Will get to requests after I wake up in the morning xD

This was a fic I planned LAST YEAR. And I finally got round to finishing it, omg ;~; I might do another Inoobu this week, but meh, I'm not sure if I would have time. I hope I would!

I know there are a ton of inconsistencies in this fic--like the fact that a 5 year old doesn't know what a laptop is in current times, but meh, leave it be? It's cute. And it makes my life easier. Fics hardly make any sense nowadays anyway |D Enjoy~