Christmas morning
Who: Shiori and Shuuichi.
Where: Minamino household.
When: Christmas morning.
Summary: Special gifts.
His bedroom was concealed in darkness and the silence of slumber was flawless, even in the splendor of the Christmas morning. The snow in the garden formed a neat carpet of puffy white, matching the clouds. Though the weather was icy, in contrast with the day's charming beauty.
Streaks of hair spread around the pillow, gleaming like freshly spilled blood, one of his hands slid tenderly under the pillow, cradling his head peacefully into the white heap. His expression was relaxed and calm, submerged in its own bliss. Fearless, savoring the solitude of the peace and the moment. Warm under the covers wrapped around his body as a gentle cocoon.
Outside the snow fell copiously in a vibrant wintry night, not a soul dared to shatter that landscape. It was perfect, as a painting. That day he had decided to sleep for several hours.
Venturing silently into her house's hallway, Shiori noted that in the holiday's excitement, chibi-Shuuichi was playing idly with his new video games. The mother smiled gingerly and stepped into her oldest son's room, noting that he was /still/ asleep. Well, she couldn't blame him; it was a beautiful day to slumber peacefully. However, in her arms, she clutched a few unwrapped gifts, their ribbons demanding attention from the teen who had yet to even gaze upon them. "Good morning..." Shiori mused aloud.
The sensation of someone stepping into his room reanimated his senses, rolling over to face the door. His eyes fluttered open, into a pair of sleepy emeralds staring at the kind ningen lady. "Merry Christmas, mother," he greeted sitting up on the bed.
"Same to you," she replied softly, placing the gifts neatly upon his bed and smiling still. "I thought I would at least wake you up before dinner." The presents were from Shuuichi's stepfather, from his step-brother... one looked suspiciously like a laptop, from her husband, of course. Her gifts, however, were not among the pile. Despite this, she continued to smile and gestured subtly towards the wrapped trinkets.
It was the first Christmas they spent as a family, he had failed to predict how it would be, perhaps for the best. It was a bad habit from the past.
His eyes widened softly at the sight of numerous presents and gifts wrapped with ribbons and foil paper. "I am very fortunate to have a family like you... thank you." He wrapped his arms around Shiori's neck, resting his chin in her shoulder, followed by soft scent of roses naturally wafting.
Returning the embrace, Shiori bit back any tears that threatened to fall. "I am very fortunate to have a son like you." she replied, voice cracking only slightly. She smiled and released her son, patting his shoulders in a gesture of affection. On his bed side table, there was the endearing Yuudai-kun. Beneath the stuffed animal lay a wrapped tape recorder and small card, signed "love, Mom".
He glanced aside at his nightstand, under the gentle fabric of the kitsune plush and the white tipped tail. A modest tape recorder, his hands enveloped his mother's dainty ones. "...Living with you is more than enough for me. But ... I have to accept I like gifts ...like everyone does. As long as you deprive yourself from anything," he replied looking back at his mother, his lips struggled to remain curved into a smile.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Shiori asked after a small laugh, her eyes reflecting pleasant happiness. "Open them!"
Shuuichi nodded once and picked the smaller one first, the one which seemed to be from his brother. "...Hm, let us see. Shuuichi-kun got me a present too." His hands busied unwrapping it, starting with the tapes.
Beneath the wrapping paper lay a bundle of sweets. Upon seeing the candy, Shiori laughed once more. "Oh, I told him those were your favorite."
A pile of watermelon and raspberry sweets, his expression beamed with tender surprise. "You do know me... mother. I hope he liked the joystick I bought him... what do you think?" Kurama asked as he picked the second gift, it was the heavy box with the dimensions of a laptop, and slowly opened it.
"Apparently so, he's playing his games now." She smiled and watched him open the next present. A card slipped out, which she gently held and read aloud.
"With excellent grades
you do deserve a reward
enjoy, Shuu-i-chi." The mother blinked and sweatdropped before speaking once more. "A haiku!"
"I did not know Hatanaka-san was a gifted poet, though I should have imagined you would marry someone special," he smiled in return. "...I know my gift was ... really small. But I thought he would need a tie exactly like the old one he had, because it is evident he loved it. I know this will not be as special as that one... but it is a resemblance"
"...ah," Shiori shook her head, petting her son's hair lovingly as she grinned. "No, he appreciated your efforts. He actually switched ties just to wear the one you gave him."
"Hmm.. now for the mysterious package under Yuudai-kun... mother you are great at sneaking. ...Someone like you made the whole Santa Clause story believable." Though sometimes he wished he would have believed in it, like every children did. But even if he had the body of a child, an ancient Youko wouldn't find those stories that charming.
"You were quite eager and suspicious as a child." a soft statement that brought along fond memories. "Always questioning." Underneath the mother's elaborate wrapping paper was the tape recorder and a piece of paper that had numbers written in unknown handwriting. "The first is obvious... It is the password to your savings account. It was made before you were born and over the years, money has been placed in it. College, a car, an apartment... Anything you wish. You are mature enough now." She smiled.
A moment later, she took a tape from her robe pocket and clutched it softly, waiting.
"I understand," he held it between his hands carefully, as if studying it. "I thank your effort... mother. This must have been very important to you. And the trust you have in me. I will use it wisely," Shuuichi promised. His verdant gaze fell upon the recorder and the tape. Perhaps it used to belong to Minamino-san? "...A tape.. what is in it?" His hand reached for it with curiosity gleaming across his emerald eyes.
Smiling sadly, Shiori guided her son's hand and placed the tape into the recorded. Softly, the machine clicked and whirred; a red light appearing faintly. "This is…" before she could explain, however, the tape began. "Hello! This is the Minamino residence, sorry we couldn't answer your call, please leave a message!" it was Shiori's chirping voice followed by a mechanical beep.
"Hey! The weather in the States is awful, all of this snow!" it was a new voice, a male's. "Well, the airports are in chaos… I'm sorry, Shiori. I'm going to miss the doctor's appointment." A sigh, and then, "I want to be home and finish the nursery... Is our boy still quite the kicker? Ah, I've got to go,; I love you and Shuuichi so much. I'll see you both soon!"
Silently, Shiori stared at the device with a smile, tears welling up softly.
He instantly perceived the sadness in Shiori's gaze. Even if he barely recalled his voice, he knew it was him. "You wanted me to hear his voice... right?" he asked softly, his voice a mere whisper offering her comfort. It was certain she had continued her life, as Minamino-san would have wanted, but there was always a feeling of guilt. "Father... was in the United States, business trip weeks before my birth..." he deduced easily.
"Yes," it was a reply to both as Shiori wiped her tears away. "Visiting relatives. I could not go because of the pregnancy." She took a moment, a second to just exhale and then, she turned to her son with a smile. "This was a few weeks before the accident and I had kept this tape...but now, I wanted you to listen to it. I am sorry, for keeping it away..."
"You do not need to be ashamed, I understand it must have been a difficult decision to listen to him again." He worked for the Spirit World, where the souls of the dead departed, yet he never had the chance to be rewarded in some way. But it was already too late to desire the life of a dead person. "It was not a secret... and I admire your courage to do it," his hands held his mother's tightly, warm around them.
Shiori shook her head, ashamed of her tears. "Don't mind my grief, Shuuichi." she smiled and clutched his hands softly, sighing as the sobs ceased. "He did love you, a lot. I am sure he is very proud of you right now."
And of you too," he replied in the same voice, the same warm sensation his mother always inspired conquered his heart. "...I would like to call Hatanaka-san ... father but I am certain he understands I do not dislike him."
Shiori smiled and nodded, understanding her son's reasoning. "Don't worry. Little Shuuichi has yet to address me as 'mother', so it is fine. I'm sure he understands."
"I believe it is my time to give you my gift. You are lucky, mother... Christmas presents and a week later, your birthday's ones," Shuuichi gave her a mysterious smile as he shifted away from her, to his desk. He pulled the drawer open and retrieved a long, flat present wrapped in a baby blue paper. A white ribbon decorated it with a small card written in his neat kanji reading "To Yuudai-san, with love, Shuuichi" and he handed it to his mother, taking a step aside warmly staring at her. "Merry Christmas"
"ah, my birthday... Don't remind me!" she joked, rubbing lightly at her eyes to dry the tears before staring curiously at the beautiful present. "My favorite color..." she mused softly, smiling at her son before laughing gently at what the card said. "Thank-you, Shuuichi." Her slender fingers then began to untie the ribbon in anticipation. Gifts were always lovely.
"You will always be the same to me," he replied and stared at his mother unwrap the present. It was a framed painting of a sakura tree, a copy of a the same tree they used to visit when he was a child. It was not a masterpiece, but one could tell the tree and the two small figures under the shade in a radiant Spring afternoon.
Shiori gasped silently, beholding the picture with teary eyes. "That tree..." she stood up and held the picture securely, continuing to stare at arms length with a smile. "Shuuichi... its beautiful." It was her beloved memory, one that she would recall all the times when in the hospital, not knowing if there would be a tomorrow.
"...We never took a picture when we used to visit the park, and we already grew... so I tried to capture that moment in a drawing. It will never be as accurate as a photograph would... but I wanted it nonetheless." His gaze held a warm shade of evergreen, that special way with which he dearly looked at his mother. Between kindness and compassionate tears.
"This is much more accurate than a photograph," Shiori replied quietly, still gazing at the painting with soft eyes. "From your hand to the brush, this painting is from your heart...a camera can not compare."
"...Yes... well," he bowed his head, his gaze behind his fringe sheltering down to the bridge of his nose. "I... agree with you,, just I think you are more beautiful than what I drew"
Shiori laughed merrily as she placed the painting with one hand, the other arm reaching to pull her son into a loving embrace. "Do not worry for things like that... at least you don't think of me as a hag." Releasing him, she ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "C'mon, its lunchtime, and I'm sure you're hungry."
He smiled dearly, closing his eyes as he rested his chin in his mother's shoulder. His gaze secretly shed some tears that had been welling up as they conversed. "I am eager to know what you prepared this year," Shuuichi replied in a fond voice.
Where: Minamino household.
When: Christmas morning.
Summary: Special gifts.
His bedroom was concealed in darkness and the silence of slumber was flawless, even in the splendor of the Christmas morning. The snow in the garden formed a neat carpet of puffy white, matching the clouds. Though the weather was icy, in contrast with the day's charming beauty.
Streaks of hair spread around the pillow, gleaming like freshly spilled blood, one of his hands slid tenderly under the pillow, cradling his head peacefully into the white heap. His expression was relaxed and calm, submerged in its own bliss. Fearless, savoring the solitude of the peace and the moment. Warm under the covers wrapped around his body as a gentle cocoon.
Outside the snow fell copiously in a vibrant wintry night, not a soul dared to shatter that landscape. It was perfect, as a painting. That day he had decided to sleep for several hours.
Venturing silently into her house's hallway, Shiori noted that in the holiday's excitement, chibi-Shuuichi was playing idly with his new video games. The mother smiled gingerly and stepped into her oldest son's room, noting that he was /still/ asleep. Well, she couldn't blame him; it was a beautiful day to slumber peacefully. However, in her arms, she clutched a few unwrapped gifts, their ribbons demanding attention from the teen who had yet to even gaze upon them. "Good morning..." Shiori mused aloud.
The sensation of someone stepping into his room reanimated his senses, rolling over to face the door. His eyes fluttered open, into a pair of sleepy emeralds staring at the kind ningen lady. "Merry Christmas, mother," he greeted sitting up on the bed.
"Same to you," she replied softly, placing the gifts neatly upon his bed and smiling still. "I thought I would at least wake you up before dinner." The presents were from Shuuichi's stepfather, from his step-brother... one looked suspiciously like a laptop, from her husband, of course. Her gifts, however, were not among the pile. Despite this, she continued to smile and gestured subtly towards the wrapped trinkets.
It was the first Christmas they spent as a family, he had failed to predict how it would be, perhaps for the best. It was a bad habit from the past.
His eyes widened softly at the sight of numerous presents and gifts wrapped with ribbons and foil paper. "I am very fortunate to have a family like you... thank you." He wrapped his arms around Shiori's neck, resting his chin in her shoulder, followed by soft scent of roses naturally wafting.
Returning the embrace, Shiori bit back any tears that threatened to fall. "I am very fortunate to have a son like you." she replied, voice cracking only slightly. She smiled and released her son, patting his shoulders in a gesture of affection. On his bed side table, there was the endearing Yuudai-kun. Beneath the stuffed animal lay a wrapped tape recorder and small card, signed "love, Mom".
He glanced aside at his nightstand, under the gentle fabric of the kitsune plush and the white tipped tail. A modest tape recorder, his hands enveloped his mother's dainty ones. "...Living with you is more than enough for me. But ... I have to accept I like gifts ...like everyone does. As long as you deprive yourself from anything," he replied looking back at his mother, his lips struggled to remain curved into a smile.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Shiori asked after a small laugh, her eyes reflecting pleasant happiness. "Open them!"
Shuuichi nodded once and picked the smaller one first, the one which seemed to be from his brother. "...Hm, let us see. Shuuichi-kun got me a present too." His hands busied unwrapping it, starting with the tapes.
Beneath the wrapping paper lay a bundle of sweets. Upon seeing the candy, Shiori laughed once more. "Oh, I told him those were your favorite."
A pile of watermelon and raspberry sweets, his expression beamed with tender surprise. "You do know me... mother. I hope he liked the joystick I bought him... what do you think?" Kurama asked as he picked the second gift, it was the heavy box with the dimensions of a laptop, and slowly opened it.
"Apparently so, he's playing his games now." She smiled and watched him open the next present. A card slipped out, which she gently held and read aloud.
"With excellent grades
you do deserve a reward
enjoy, Shuu-i-chi." The mother blinked and sweatdropped before speaking once more. "A haiku!"
"I did not know Hatanaka-san was a gifted poet, though I should have imagined you would marry someone special," he smiled in return. "...I know my gift was ... really small. But I thought he would need a tie exactly like the old one he had, because it is evident he loved it. I know this will not be as special as that one... but it is a resemblance"
"...ah," Shiori shook her head, petting her son's hair lovingly as she grinned. "No, he appreciated your efforts. He actually switched ties just to wear the one you gave him."
"Hmm.. now for the mysterious package under Yuudai-kun... mother you are great at sneaking. ...Someone like you made the whole Santa Clause story believable." Though sometimes he wished he would have believed in it, like every children did. But even if he had the body of a child, an ancient Youko wouldn't find those stories that charming.
"You were quite eager and suspicious as a child." a soft statement that brought along fond memories. "Always questioning." Underneath the mother's elaborate wrapping paper was the tape recorder and a piece of paper that had numbers written in unknown handwriting. "The first is obvious... It is the password to your savings account. It was made before you were born and over the years, money has been placed in it. College, a car, an apartment... Anything you wish. You are mature enough now." She smiled.
A moment later, she took a tape from her robe pocket and clutched it softly, waiting.
"I understand," he held it between his hands carefully, as if studying it. "I thank your effort... mother. This must have been very important to you. And the trust you have in me. I will use it wisely," Shuuichi promised. His verdant gaze fell upon the recorder and the tape. Perhaps it used to belong to Minamino-san? "...A tape.. what is in it?" His hand reached for it with curiosity gleaming across his emerald eyes.
Smiling sadly, Shiori guided her son's hand and placed the tape into the recorded. Softly, the machine clicked and whirred; a red light appearing faintly. "This is…" before she could explain, however, the tape began. "Hello! This is the Minamino residence, sorry we couldn't answer your call, please leave a message!" it was Shiori's chirping voice followed by a mechanical beep.
"Hey! The weather in the States is awful, all of this snow!" it was a new voice, a male's. "Well, the airports are in chaos… I'm sorry, Shiori. I'm going to miss the doctor's appointment." A sigh, and then, "I want to be home and finish the nursery... Is our boy still quite the kicker? Ah, I've got to go,; I love you and Shuuichi so much. I'll see you both soon!"
Silently, Shiori stared at the device with a smile, tears welling up softly.
He instantly perceived the sadness in Shiori's gaze. Even if he barely recalled his voice, he knew it was him. "You wanted me to hear his voice... right?" he asked softly, his voice a mere whisper offering her comfort. It was certain she had continued her life, as Minamino-san would have wanted, but there was always a feeling of guilt. "Father... was in the United States, business trip weeks before my birth..." he deduced easily.
"Yes," it was a reply to both as Shiori wiped her tears away. "Visiting relatives. I could not go because of the pregnancy." She took a moment, a second to just exhale and then, she turned to her son with a smile. "This was a few weeks before the accident and I had kept this tape...but now, I wanted you to listen to it. I am sorry, for keeping it away..."
"You do not need to be ashamed, I understand it must have been a difficult decision to listen to him again." He worked for the Spirit World, where the souls of the dead departed, yet he never had the chance to be rewarded in some way. But it was already too late to desire the life of a dead person. "It was not a secret... and I admire your courage to do it," his hands held his mother's tightly, warm around them.
Shiori shook her head, ashamed of her tears. "Don't mind my grief, Shuuichi." she smiled and clutched his hands softly, sighing as the sobs ceased. "He did love you, a lot. I am sure he is very proud of you right now."
And of you too," he replied in the same voice, the same warm sensation his mother always inspired conquered his heart. "...I would like to call Hatanaka-san ... father but I am certain he understands I do not dislike him."
Shiori smiled and nodded, understanding her son's reasoning. "Don't worry. Little Shuuichi has yet to address me as 'mother', so it is fine. I'm sure he understands."
"I believe it is my time to give you my gift. You are lucky, mother... Christmas presents and a week later, your birthday's ones," Shuuichi gave her a mysterious smile as he shifted away from her, to his desk. He pulled the drawer open and retrieved a long, flat present wrapped in a baby blue paper. A white ribbon decorated it with a small card written in his neat kanji reading "To Yuudai-san, with love, Shuuichi" and he handed it to his mother, taking a step aside warmly staring at her. "Merry Christmas"
"ah, my birthday... Don't remind me!" she joked, rubbing lightly at her eyes to dry the tears before staring curiously at the beautiful present. "My favorite color..." she mused softly, smiling at her son before laughing gently at what the card said. "Thank-you, Shuuichi." Her slender fingers then began to untie the ribbon in anticipation. Gifts were always lovely.
"You will always be the same to me," he replied and stared at his mother unwrap the present. It was a framed painting of a sakura tree, a copy of a the same tree they used to visit when he was a child. It was not a masterpiece, but one could tell the tree and the two small figures under the shade in a radiant Spring afternoon.
Shiori gasped silently, beholding the picture with teary eyes. "That tree..." she stood up and held the picture securely, continuing to stare at arms length with a smile. "Shuuichi... its beautiful." It was her beloved memory, one that she would recall all the times when in the hospital, not knowing if there would be a tomorrow.
"...We never took a picture when we used to visit the park, and we already grew... so I tried to capture that moment in a drawing. It will never be as accurate as a photograph would... but I wanted it nonetheless." His gaze held a warm shade of evergreen, that special way with which he dearly looked at his mother. Between kindness and compassionate tears.
"This is much more accurate than a photograph," Shiori replied quietly, still gazing at the painting with soft eyes. "From your hand to the brush, this painting is from your heart...a camera can not compare."
"...Yes... well," he bowed his head, his gaze behind his fringe sheltering down to the bridge of his nose. "I... agree with you,, just I think you are more beautiful than what I drew"
Shiori laughed merrily as she placed the painting with one hand, the other arm reaching to pull her son into a loving embrace. "Do not worry for things like that... at least you don't think of me as a hag." Releasing him, she ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "C'mon, its lunchtime, and I'm sure you're hungry."
He smiled dearly, closing his eyes as he rested his chin in his mother's shoulder. His gaze secretly shed some tears that had been welling up as they conversed. "I am eager to know what you prepared this year," Shuuichi replied in a fond voice.