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Dec. 25th, 2015 03:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiramaru7Title: The Best Christmas Ever
Author: kira
Genre: slice of life, romance
Characters: Japan, Taiwan
Pairing: Japan/Taiwan
Rating: G
Word count: 1960
Warning: none
Summary: Kiku spends the day with his friend Mei…
Author’s Note: Thanks to my beta Kat for looking this over for me.
For zen, Merry Christmas…
Kiku Honda finished lacing his skates, and looking over to his left, he said, “Xiao-san, are you ready to go?” He was on a date of sorts with his friend Mei Xiao, and they were at the mall’s ice rink for an hour of skating, followed by lunch and Christmas shopping. If all went well, Kiku was going to invite her back to his place for a simple dinner and afterwards he hoped she would help him finish decorating his Christmas tree.
Mei giggled in reply and Kiku felt his cheeks heating up. He coughed and said, “Let’s go.” Getting up, he took two steps and stood in front of her, holding out his hands. Mei took them and he pulled her up. They paused, gazing into each other’s eyes, the hubbub of the world around them fading away. Even though the moment stretched into eternity, it was over in a blink of an eye.
“You promise to hold my hand and keep me from falling?” Mei said, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards in a smile.
“Of course.” Kiku smiled shyly at her.
“Good!” She giggled. “I guess it’s now or never, hunh?”
“Yes.”
The two of them slowly made their way over to rink. Kiku, a former Olympic hopeful in figure skating, stepped onto the ice first. Turning around he held out his hands and helped Mei. Much to her amazement and delight, he skated backwards as he held her hands. Kiku coached her the way he coached his young pupils when giving skating lessons. It did not take long for Mei to feel confident enough to let go and try skating on her own.
“You’re doing great, Xiao-san.”
“Thanks, and please-” Mei wobbled a bit, before landing on her butt. She sat there on the ice, heedless of everyone stares, laughing. Kiku looked so adorably cute, with his concern for her well being clearly seen, but all she could do was laugh as he helped her up. Together, they brushed the bit of slush clinging to her backside. Holding onto his arm, they slowly skated around the rink. The rest of the hour passed by without incident, despite the young boys who skated at breakneck speed, or so it seemed to Mei, as they chased each other around the rink. Finding a quiet corner, they leaned against the rink’s railing and watched the other skaters.
“I wish I could do that,” Mei said as a little girl skated past and went into a spin.
“It’s not that hard to do and if you notice, she’ll spin faster, when she draws her leg in closer.”
“Oh yeah…”
“Now watch,” Kiku said. “She’ll open her arms and bring her leg out again, which’ll slow her down.”
Mei was amazed when the little girl did just that. “How…?”
“I’ve been figure skating since I was five.”
“Really?”
Kiku nodded. “Now I teach it.” He smiled shyly at her and finding a break between groups of skaters, he repeated the little girl’s moves. Pushing off on one leg, he held his left leg out and bent his torso parallel to the ice as he slowly spun. Straightening up, he skated back to her.
“I bet you could have gone to the Olympics!”
Kiku nodded. “I was supposed to go to Sochi, but I got in a car accident and broke my leg the week before.”
“I’m so sorry.” Mei blushed as she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid.
“It’s alright. It just wasn’t meant to be. Besides, I like giving lessons much better. And,” he said, “it’s great to be home all the time and not having to worry about this competition and that one.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah.”
Since their session was almost over, they skated back around to the opening in the rink, while Kiku entertained her with tales of youth as a figure skater. After turning in their skates and getting their shoes back, Kiku and Mei headed to the food court. They stood in line at the place that served American style burgers, waiting for their turn to order.
“I’ll have two burgers with cheese, please, and two fires, and…?” Kiku looked over at Mei.
“He’ll have two chocolate shakes,” she told the girl behind the counter.
Five minutes later, they were sitting down, enjoying their lunch. Kiku told her a bit more about his childhood and Mei listened raptly. She wished she had known him then as the figure skating seemed very exciting compared to her own childhood. Mei sighed softly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Mei smiled and ate her lunch.
“Are you sure?”
Mei looked away and back. “Well,” she began, “I was just thinking… Oh, it’s stupid.”
“I’m sure it’s not, but if you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay.” Kiku finished his burger.
“You had just a cool childhood and mine was so normal…” Mei said softly.
“I’d have given anything for ‘normal.’ Seriously, Xiao-san. It might seem glamorous and exciting, but it was hard work and I was rarely allowed to be a child.” Kiku frowned. “And it was all for nothing. I was supposed to go to the Olympics, but a stupid car accident a week before ruined it.”
“I’m sorry.” Mei felt terrible about bringing it up again.
“It’s okay and I’m sorry I upset you.”
“I’ll be fine once I take my foot out of my mouth,” Mei said ruefully.
Kiku got up and gathered the remains of their lunch. “If it makes you feel any better, I can’t see your foot from here.” He smiled.
She laughed and got up as well. “Let’s finish our Christmas shopping and, Kiku, would you like to come over for dinner? I thought maybe we could wrap our presents too.”
“Okay.” Kiku could not believe his luck. He was wondering how to invite Mei over for dinner without seeming too pushy when she beat him to it. “Be right back.” Kiku put their trash in the garbage can and left the tray on top with the others, before walking back over to the table. “Ready to go?”
“Yup!”
Arm in arm, they wandered the mall, stopping at various stores to buy gifts. Kiku insisted on carrying the bags as they shopped and by the time they were finished two hours later, he was loaded down like a pack mule, not that he minded. It took them a bit to find his car as the parking lot was full. After putting the shopping bags in the trunk, they got inside and Kiku drove off.
Mei turned on the car radio. Kiku had it tuned to a station that was playing Christmas music and she sang along. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…”
Kiku joined in, “With every Christmas card I write…”
Together, they sang, “May your days be merry and bright… And may all your Christmases be white…”
“You have a beautiful voice, Xiao-san.”
“You’re not half bad yourself.”
They sang whatever came on the radio and it was not long before they reached her apartment complex. Kiku parked the car and they got out, and this time Mei helped carry their packages inside. They had a bit of an awkward moment, when they walked under the mistletoe hanging in the doorway leading to the living room. Blushing and giggling, Mei stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Kiku also blushed.
“Ummm…”
“Uhhh…”
“How about we put all this stuff down and I start dinner?” Mei said. She walked into the living room.
“Isn’t it a bit early for that?” Kiku said as he followed her.
“Yeah…” Mei shrugged and set her shopping bags down. She took off her coat.
“We could wrap the presents.” Kiku took his off as well.
“Okay! I’ve got a ton of wrapping paper, if you need it.” Mei took his coat and hung in the front hall next to hers. She was back in minute, making sure to breeze through the doorway so that he could not get up in time to kiss her, as tempting as it was to linger under the mistletoe.
“Thanks.” Kiku mentally sighed at the missed opportunity.
Mei walked over to the TV and switched it on. Handing him the remote, she said, “Find something good, while I go get it.” Mei headed towards her bedroom.
While she was gone, Kiku found Miracle on 34th Street. It was a good movie and one of the ones he looked forward to at this time of year. When Mei came back with the wrapping paper, she sat down next to him.
“Looks like a good movie.”
“It is. It’s one of my favorites,” Kiku said. “I watch it every year.”
“Yeah? I never figured you for the old movie type.” Mei grabbed some wrapping paper and one of the pair of scissors she brought, and began wrapping a gift.
“Oh?” Kiku did the same.
Mei nodded. “I figured you’d like more modern stuff like How Murray Saved Christmas, Elf, Home Alone. Stuff like that.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah….”
“Well, my mother liked old movies and I remember watching them when I was little. Watching them reminds me of her, I’ve spent a lot of time away from home, Mei, so that became a kind of I don’t know, security blanket?”
“Oh, for a minute there, I thought you were gay, not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Kiku made a little sound of amusement, midway between a laugh and a cough, which Mei found adorable. “I’m sorry, I get that all the time and it’s become sort of a running joke. But no, I’m not gay.”
“You have a girlfriend? I hope she’s not upset you spent the day with me.”
“No, but I’d like one. What about you? Is there some boyfriend I don’t know about that’s going to kick my butt for hanging out with you?”
“I wish! Not that I’d want him to kick you, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah…”
“So, you want to?” they chorused and laughed.
“I think it’s sign,” Mei said with a smile.
“What is?”
“That we’re saying the same thing at the same time…”
They leaned a little closer to each other.
“Oh…” Kiku said as he tilted his head to the side.
“Yeah…” Mei mirrored his actions and closing her eyes, she met him halfway for a kiss.
It was short and sweet, and a very chaste kiss, not that either of them minded. They finished wrapping the present they started with, before handing it to the other.
“Merry Christmas!”
They kissed again, before they opened their gifts. Mei squealed with delight at the pretty bracelet he got her. “Thanks, Kiku! It’s beautiful!”
“You’re welcome and thank you, Xiao-san,” he said when he opened the box she gave him and took a blue sweater.
“Please call me Mei or Mei-Mei. Xiao-san sounds so formal, not that I didn’t like it.”
“Okay, Mei-san. I mean Mei-chan.” Kiku blushed.
“Mei-chan… I like that!” She giggled and leaned on him.
“I like it too…” Kiku could not believe she was now his girlfriend. It was like what his friend Alfred would call a “Festivus miracle” and he could even hear his friend’s voice booming in his head about how awesome it was that Santa got him a girlfriend. This was turning out to be the best Christmas Kiku ever had and he was filled with a happiness he had not felt in a long time.
Mei was also bubbling over with happiness. She couldn’t wait to tell her best friend about her special Christmas present. This was the best Christmas ever in her humble opinion and she never wanted it to end. Mei had a sneaky suspicion Kiku felt the same way when he kissed her again.
Author: kira
Genre: slice of life, romance
Characters: Japan, Taiwan
Pairing: Japan/Taiwan
Rating: G
Word count: 1960
Warning: none
Summary: Kiku spends the day with his friend Mei…
Author’s Note: Thanks to my beta Kat for looking this over for me.
For zen, Merry Christmas…
Kiku Honda finished lacing his skates, and looking over to his left, he said, “Xiao-san, are you ready to go?” He was on a date of sorts with his friend Mei Xiao, and they were at the mall’s ice rink for an hour of skating, followed by lunch and Christmas shopping. If all went well, Kiku was going to invite her back to his place for a simple dinner and afterwards he hoped she would help him finish decorating his Christmas tree.
Mei giggled in reply and Kiku felt his cheeks heating up. He coughed and said, “Let’s go.” Getting up, he took two steps and stood in front of her, holding out his hands. Mei took them and he pulled her up. They paused, gazing into each other’s eyes, the hubbub of the world around them fading away. Even though the moment stretched into eternity, it was over in a blink of an eye.
“You promise to hold my hand and keep me from falling?” Mei said, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards in a smile.
“Of course.” Kiku smiled shyly at her.
“Good!” She giggled. “I guess it’s now or never, hunh?”
“Yes.”
The two of them slowly made their way over to rink. Kiku, a former Olympic hopeful in figure skating, stepped onto the ice first. Turning around he held out his hands and helped Mei. Much to her amazement and delight, he skated backwards as he held her hands. Kiku coached her the way he coached his young pupils when giving skating lessons. It did not take long for Mei to feel confident enough to let go and try skating on her own.
“You’re doing great, Xiao-san.”
“Thanks, and please-” Mei wobbled a bit, before landing on her butt. She sat there on the ice, heedless of everyone stares, laughing. Kiku looked so adorably cute, with his concern for her well being clearly seen, but all she could do was laugh as he helped her up. Together, they brushed the bit of slush clinging to her backside. Holding onto his arm, they slowly skated around the rink. The rest of the hour passed by without incident, despite the young boys who skated at breakneck speed, or so it seemed to Mei, as they chased each other around the rink. Finding a quiet corner, they leaned against the rink’s railing and watched the other skaters.
“I wish I could do that,” Mei said as a little girl skated past and went into a spin.
“It’s not that hard to do and if you notice, she’ll spin faster, when she draws her leg in closer.”
“Oh yeah…”
“Now watch,” Kiku said. “She’ll open her arms and bring her leg out again, which’ll slow her down.”
Mei was amazed when the little girl did just that. “How…?”
“I’ve been figure skating since I was five.”
“Really?”
Kiku nodded. “Now I teach it.” He smiled shyly at her and finding a break between groups of skaters, he repeated the little girl’s moves. Pushing off on one leg, he held his left leg out and bent his torso parallel to the ice as he slowly spun. Straightening up, he skated back to her.
“I bet you could have gone to the Olympics!”
Kiku nodded. “I was supposed to go to Sochi, but I got in a car accident and broke my leg the week before.”
“I’m so sorry.” Mei blushed as she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid.
“It’s alright. It just wasn’t meant to be. Besides, I like giving lessons much better. And,” he said, “it’s great to be home all the time and not having to worry about this competition and that one.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah.”
Since their session was almost over, they skated back around to the opening in the rink, while Kiku entertained her with tales of youth as a figure skater. After turning in their skates and getting their shoes back, Kiku and Mei headed to the food court. They stood in line at the place that served American style burgers, waiting for their turn to order.
“I’ll have two burgers with cheese, please, and two fires, and…?” Kiku looked over at Mei.
“He’ll have two chocolate shakes,” she told the girl behind the counter.
Five minutes later, they were sitting down, enjoying their lunch. Kiku told her a bit more about his childhood and Mei listened raptly. She wished she had known him then as the figure skating seemed very exciting compared to her own childhood. Mei sighed softly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Mei smiled and ate her lunch.
“Are you sure?”
Mei looked away and back. “Well,” she began, “I was just thinking… Oh, it’s stupid.”
“I’m sure it’s not, but if you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay.” Kiku finished his burger.
“You had just a cool childhood and mine was so normal…” Mei said softly.
“I’d have given anything for ‘normal.’ Seriously, Xiao-san. It might seem glamorous and exciting, but it was hard work and I was rarely allowed to be a child.” Kiku frowned. “And it was all for nothing. I was supposed to go to the Olympics, but a stupid car accident a week before ruined it.”
“I’m sorry.” Mei felt terrible about bringing it up again.
“It’s okay and I’m sorry I upset you.”
“I’ll be fine once I take my foot out of my mouth,” Mei said ruefully.
Kiku got up and gathered the remains of their lunch. “If it makes you feel any better, I can’t see your foot from here.” He smiled.
She laughed and got up as well. “Let’s finish our Christmas shopping and, Kiku, would you like to come over for dinner? I thought maybe we could wrap our presents too.”
“Okay.” Kiku could not believe his luck. He was wondering how to invite Mei over for dinner without seeming too pushy when she beat him to it. “Be right back.” Kiku put their trash in the garbage can and left the tray on top with the others, before walking back over to the table. “Ready to go?”
“Yup!”
Arm in arm, they wandered the mall, stopping at various stores to buy gifts. Kiku insisted on carrying the bags as they shopped and by the time they were finished two hours later, he was loaded down like a pack mule, not that he minded. It took them a bit to find his car as the parking lot was full. After putting the shopping bags in the trunk, they got inside and Kiku drove off.
Mei turned on the car radio. Kiku had it tuned to a station that was playing Christmas music and she sang along. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…”
Kiku joined in, “With every Christmas card I write…”
Together, they sang, “May your days be merry and bright… And may all your Christmases be white…”
“You have a beautiful voice, Xiao-san.”
“You’re not half bad yourself.”
They sang whatever came on the radio and it was not long before they reached her apartment complex. Kiku parked the car and they got out, and this time Mei helped carry their packages inside. They had a bit of an awkward moment, when they walked under the mistletoe hanging in the doorway leading to the living room. Blushing and giggling, Mei stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Kiku also blushed.
“Ummm…”
“Uhhh…”
“How about we put all this stuff down and I start dinner?” Mei said. She walked into the living room.
“Isn’t it a bit early for that?” Kiku said as he followed her.
“Yeah…” Mei shrugged and set her shopping bags down. She took off her coat.
“We could wrap the presents.” Kiku took his off as well.
“Okay! I’ve got a ton of wrapping paper, if you need it.” Mei took his coat and hung in the front hall next to hers. She was back in minute, making sure to breeze through the doorway so that he could not get up in time to kiss her, as tempting as it was to linger under the mistletoe.
“Thanks.” Kiku mentally sighed at the missed opportunity.
Mei walked over to the TV and switched it on. Handing him the remote, she said, “Find something good, while I go get it.” Mei headed towards her bedroom.
While she was gone, Kiku found Miracle on 34th Street. It was a good movie and one of the ones he looked forward to at this time of year. When Mei came back with the wrapping paper, she sat down next to him.
“Looks like a good movie.”
“It is. It’s one of my favorites,” Kiku said. “I watch it every year.”
“Yeah? I never figured you for the old movie type.” Mei grabbed some wrapping paper and one of the pair of scissors she brought, and began wrapping a gift.
“Oh?” Kiku did the same.
Mei nodded. “I figured you’d like more modern stuff like How Murray Saved Christmas, Elf, Home Alone. Stuff like that.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah….”
“Well, my mother liked old movies and I remember watching them when I was little. Watching them reminds me of her, I’ve spent a lot of time away from home, Mei, so that became a kind of I don’t know, security blanket?”
“Oh, for a minute there, I thought you were gay, not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Kiku made a little sound of amusement, midway between a laugh and a cough, which Mei found adorable. “I’m sorry, I get that all the time and it’s become sort of a running joke. But no, I’m not gay.”
“You have a girlfriend? I hope she’s not upset you spent the day with me.”
“No, but I’d like one. What about you? Is there some boyfriend I don’t know about that’s going to kick my butt for hanging out with you?”
“I wish! Not that I’d want him to kick you, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah…”
“So, you want to?” they chorused and laughed.
“I think it’s sign,” Mei said with a smile.
“What is?”
“That we’re saying the same thing at the same time…”
They leaned a little closer to each other.
“Oh…” Kiku said as he tilted his head to the side.
“Yeah…” Mei mirrored his actions and closing her eyes, she met him halfway for a kiss.
It was short and sweet, and a very chaste kiss, not that either of them minded. They finished wrapping the present they started with, before handing it to the other.
“Merry Christmas!”
They kissed again, before they opened their gifts. Mei squealed with delight at the pretty bracelet he got her. “Thanks, Kiku! It’s beautiful!”
“You’re welcome and thank you, Xiao-san,” he said when he opened the box she gave him and took a blue sweater.
“Please call me Mei or Mei-Mei. Xiao-san sounds so formal, not that I didn’t like it.”
“Okay, Mei-san. I mean Mei-chan.” Kiku blushed.
“Mei-chan… I like that!” She giggled and leaned on him.
“I like it too…” Kiku could not believe she was now his girlfriend. It was like what his friend Alfred would call a “Festivus miracle” and he could even hear his friend’s voice booming in his head about how awesome it was that Santa got him a girlfriend. This was turning out to be the best Christmas Kiku ever had and he was filled with a happiness he had not felt in a long time.
Mei was also bubbling over with happiness. She couldn’t wait to tell her best friend about her special Christmas present. This was the best Christmas ever in her humble opinion and she never wanted it to end. Mei had a sneaky suspicion Kiku felt the same way when he kissed her again.
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