#why did I make such plans on such a flimsy friendship now I’m spending money my parents don’t have to go on a trip I don’t want to go on | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

eeemarvel · 5 years ago

Text

A rant for Hermione Granger

Alright. I know I’m a grown ass adult and the road I'm about to take you down has been travelled a thousand times over, but I have some things to say about Hermione Jean Granger and her lovely best friends. I’ll say that the passion I have for this subject was reignited when I reread the series (for the upteenth time) a few months ago. As I was reading, I began climbing a hill, and now that I’m on the top of this hill, I have decided that this is where I will die.

Hill: It made absolutely zero sense that Harry and Ron were Hermione’s best friends and she deserved far better.

I’m about to take you down a long, rambling, ranting, tea-induced journey, so buckle up.

Now, I am by no means saying that it made no sense that the trio were friends, because I’m a firm believer that people can have, relate to, and cherish all kinds of friends. But best friends??? Best friends are a bit different than “just friends” in my opinion. Best friends don’t just love and cherish you. They support your passions and never belittle them. They have many common interests with you and love spending time alone with you. They speak up for you when someone is disrespecting you/crossing a boundary, even if the person disrespecting you is a mutual friend. Harry and Ron constantly fell short on all accounts.

So obviously Harry and Ron care about Hermione. In the very first book, they risked their lives to make sure that a troll didn’t kill her in the bathrooms, which solidified their friendship. To me, the thing that kept them together through the years was pretty much plot armor. Besides that, I’d say it was their love of mysteries, figuring things out, getting to the bottom of things gone wrong at Hogwarts (more specifically, things gone wrong with Harry which is a friendship red flag, imo. If your friendship is held together by the events of one person’s life, that’s unhealthy. Yeah, he had a lot goin on and he was the boy who lived blah blah blah, but tell me about 3 times out of the whole series when Harry went out of his way to help Hermione with a problem that wasn’t related to him. We could make a flimsy case in which he does this for Ron, but the case is still flimsy.). Hermione usually fought against shenanigans but always ended up coming along for the adventure. She was just as much of a troublemaker as Ron and Harry. I don’t think she’d find too many people at Hogwarts besides Harry and Ron who were willing to illegally enter the restricted section with her to look at Tomes Moste Nasty (she did that alone, but I’m sure they’d be down to come with if she asked). So they do have a connection. I just think that it wasn’t a best friend connection.

Best friends support your passions and never belittle them. Y’all. I don’t care how silly the S.P.E.W. name was. I don’t care that house elves loved servitude. S.P.E.W. was for a good cause. Hermione’s heart was in the right place. It was definitely weird that wizards talked down on house elves and casually treated them like slaves. Hermione wanted to change that. She was clearly extremely passionate about it. And Harry and Ron never. Once. Supported her. They only joined so that they didn’t have to listen to her anymore. That’s not real support. They never even tried to have a respectful and open minded discussion about it because I do actually think that Hermione didn’t fully understand the relationship between house elves and wizards. I think the elves liked service. But cruelty should not be something that they accept from the people they serve. If Ron, who knew more about the wizarding world than his other friends, explained the relationship in a respectful way to Hermione instead of trying to make her feel like an idiot, it’s possible that she could’ve changed her organization’s goal. It was also kind of upsetting that they couldn’t have enough empathy to understand why this issue might be so important to her. I think that it’s possible that as a muggle-born, she felt sympathy for the elves who were being treated the way some wizards would want to treat muggle-born witches and wizards.They couldn’t think outside of themselves for a minute to consider why she was so passionate about this cause.

Side bar: It’s no secret that Hermione Granger is smart as a whip. Brightest witch of her age, she is. That’s why it baffled me that she took such an annoying and aggressive approach to recruiting S.P.E.W. members. From the way her efforts were written, it seemed as if she only shook a collection plate in people’s faces and shamed them for being ok with the treatment of house elves. She never explained how the money would be used. She never explained a plan of action. She didn’t explain the goals of her organization or how people could help. Nothing. That’s very un-Hermioneish if you ask me. This is the same girl who organized Dumbledore’s Army. She would’ve known exactly how to run that organization and exactly what their aims were. She would be able to explain it in a way that is appealing to people, in a way that makes people just as passionate about it as she is. Instead, she was written like an unholy hybrid of the one of the Salvation Army Santas and one of those “YOU’RE GOING TO HELL!” protestors that stand outside of universities. That’s not Granger. She was only written that way to make Ron and Harry look better, to give them an excuse for not being a good friend. And even then, it’s a piss poor excuse. You should be able to give your best friend constructive criticism. “You know, Hermione, you can catch more flies with honey. Why don’t you try…. Instead of….” Rational, fact minded Hermione would’ve welcomed this. Instead, Ron mocked her and the organization and Harry stayed quiet while he did it. They sucked for doing that. Fight me about it.

It didn’t sit right with me how much they ignored her whenever she talked about S.P.E.W. How openly exasperated they got with her. She rarely asked them for much. On the other hand, she was always checking their homework (I have my suspicions that she sometimes did it for them???? Ron made it seem that way. I could be remembering it wrong), always helping them with schemes, always coming to their rescue, and they couldn’t just. Listen to her. Mind you, her concern is that the elves are being subjected to slavery. Slavery is a pretty big deal. Even if that wasn’t exactly the case with the house elves, it wasn’t far off, and it was a cause worth being upset about, worth fighting for, especially since in the muggle world, slavery is a huge ass YIKES. They made her feel like her feelings weren’t at all justified. If my best friend made me feel like I was stupid for taking up a social justice cause and was constantly upset whenever I brought it up in conversation, she wouldn’t be my best friend anymore. Because that would tell me I couldn’t trust her with things that are close to my heart. It would tell me that there’s a possibility that she would belittle me for something I feel passionate about which is a bad, bad feeling. She’d most likely still be my friend… but not my best friend.

Best friends share common interests. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all like… magic???? Yep. That checks out. But Ron and Harry’s thing was quidditch. They related on another level too. They had the same sense of humor, they complained about the same things, and just got along pretty easily. They more or less had the same attitude towards school and reacted to things almost the same way. They don’t have much in common with Hermione though. They rarely joke about things together as a group without one person feeling weird/left out/exasperated. That aside, Hermione was passionate about knowledge. She loved school. She loved books. She loved intricate puzzles like arithmancy and runes. Those are very specific interests that I don’t doubt she would want to talk about. She was positively bursting at the seams in every class to answer a question because she loved the topic so much. And because, let’s face it, our girl’s competitive. She loved being smart. She loved being the smartest. That aside, her desire to be the smartest wasn’t the only reason why she always raised her hand in class. If that was the case, she could take literally any other class at Hogwarts, but she chose arithmancy and runes specifically. She likes the material. She could never talk about school with Harry and Ron without them complaining about how difficult and tedious their homework was. Again, that’s not their fault, because school isn’t fun for everyone. But school was a huge part of Hermione’s heart and she was written as a girl who’s best friends were two boys who didn’t really like working all that much. These are the people she hung out with the most yet the thing she loved the most was information and puzzles and knowledge and figuring things out and she COULD NEVER GEEK OUT ABOUT IT WITH THEM!

There’s a whoooooooooooole house dedicated to clever, precocious minds, but J.K. Rowling wants me to believe that Hermione didn’t have a single close Ravenclaw friend. Not a single Ravenclaw classmate that shared her passions, someone she could run to the lawn to talk in depth about their morning lecture with, to have debates with, to compare notes with, to joke about the way the textbook was written. Not a single one????? For someone as bright and perceptive as her, that must’ve been suffocating. Bright people like to talk to other bright people. They like competing with them. They like hearing their ideas. Even though Hermione was the brightest witch of her age, she wasn’t the only bright witch at Hogwarts. I’m sure there were plenty of students who would love to hang out with her and vise versa, but instead she’s written to always be around Harry and Ron who rarely ever talk about their classes unless it was to complain about them. Even Harry, who’s favorite subject was DADA, rarely geeked out about the subject the way she obviously does about so many other things. It’s the same way the other way around. Imagine if Harry was just as bright as Hermione and they always had in depth discussions about their classes and related to each other on a pretty deep level because of that shared passion. And then there was Ron. Ron who wasn’t that good at school and didn’t really care. Ron who loved quidditch and food but rarely got to talk about it with those two. Don’t you think he’d find someone to talk to about quidditch with???

When Ron was mad at Harry, he started hanging out with Dean and Seamus. When Harry was feeling weird and alone after Voldemort came back, he had Luna Lovegood. When Hermione was feeling alienated by her two best friends she…….. Went to the library???? And even when it seemed like she was making a new friend, Krum, the book made that new relationship about Ron and Ron’s feelings. Ron attacked her for getting close to Krum, saying that she was betraying Harry, and he only did that because he was feeling insecure. How. Is. That. Fair. People? I’m sure she liked Krum well enough to continue to be friends with him, and even if she didn’t, she didn’t deserve to be shamed for simply talking to him. Christ. The boy wrote long, heart-felt letters to her, and even if he wasn’t as bright as her, I’m sure the academic in her loved the gesture of putting feelings to paper, of choosing his thoughts carefully to craft them into a message that was special for her. Even if their relationship didn’t turn into something romantic, they STILL COULD’VE BEEN GOOD GOOD FRIENDS. It’s possible Krum had a passion for literature, something I’m sure Hermione could appreciate. I may be reaching, but that’s still one thing they have in common that she doesn’t have with Harry and Ron. It’s also important to note that Krum, though a bit aloof and moody around other people, opened up to people he became close with, like Hermione. He talked very enthusiastically with Hermione, and Hermione even described him as being kind. Thing is, what is it that Krum would talk about enthusiastically with Hermione? Quidditch? Most certainly not. Hermione couldn’t care less about the sport. Harry’s problems? I doubt Hermione is the type of friend to talk about her friend’s sensitive information to other people. So it must be something that Hermione likes or is equally enthusiastic about. Liiiiiike books and learning!! She had something in common with Krum and Ron made her feel bad about that. I think she turned down Krum’s invitation to visit him during the summer partly because she didn’t feel the same way about him and didn’t want to lead him on, and partly because her “best” friends didn’t really support her. When Harry kissed Cho and was confused about Cho crying during the kiss, who did he tell? Ron and Hermione. Hermione even gave him sound insight into what Cho was feeling so Harry would feel less lost. Hermione would never be able to do that with Krum. If she felt confused about something Krum did, who would she be able to tell about that with Ron being King DickaZoid about her having a relationship and Harry being a weird mute? She could scarcely tell them about her relationship with Krum because those boys were so damn WEIRD about it. Ron immediately got pissy when he suspected that Krum and Hermione were dating, and that sucks. She can’t talk to her best friend about her first real relationship. And because Ron was pissy, Harry shut down and was suddenly unable to talk to Hermione because he felt he would be betraying Ron. It’s not Hermione’s fault that Ron never confessed his feelings to her. ALSO, how tf is she supposed to know that he has a crush on her when his default is to be confused by her very existence? He was constantly baffled by the priorities she had. Constantly baffled by her love for school. Constantly baffled by the expectations she had for Harry and Ron, and that was at his best. Because when he wasn’t just downright confused by the things she did, he was belittling her. That’s why whenever he paid her a genuine compliment, usually for things she did for his sake, it was a huge deal. We were supposed to think that they had a thing going on just because Ron complimented her but. No. You should just compliment your friends when they do good things. Hype your friends up. Respect them on the regular. Instead, the norm was that it was rare for Hermione to openly explore a part of her life without specifically Ron taking issue with it and Harry feebly cosigning Ron’s bullshit. I digress, but the point was that Krum shared more common interests with Hermione than Harry and Ron did and Krum was just a minor character.

This is fine for normal friends. Normal friends don’t usually have a lot of common interests. But it’s rare for best friends. If Harry and Ron were just good friends that Hermione hung out with from time to time, things would be different. It would make sense that they didn’t like the same things. It would make sense if they only hung out because they just kind of got along and shared a traumatic experience that one time in their first year. It would make sense if she often got lunch with her “troll-in-the-dungeon” buddies in Hogsmeade to catch up and joke about their professors. It would make sense if after that lunch, Hermione went back to her best friend, probably some really smart Ravenclaw chick, and told her about her lunch with her troll buddies before diving into a long drawn out rant about a contradictory paragraph in her Ancient Runes textbook. Ravenclaw chick would be like “MERLIN’S BEARD, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!” and she’d rant too, and then they’d laugh, and talk about some other stuff, like their families or maybe Ravenclaw chick’s equivalent of “troll-in-the-dungeon” buddies. That would be Hermione’s best friend. She wouldn’t feel the need to keep her relationship with Krum a secret from this Ravenclaw chick. She’d be able to talk openly about her insecurities or her troubles to her best friend. For example, in the seventh book, Hermione had a pretty nasty bout of jealousy when Harry started doing better than her in potions. She really wanted Harry to come clean and get rid of the Prince’s textbook. I imagined that she was struggling with jealousy and guilt for feeling jealous and lashing out at her friend like that. She would want to talk to someone about it. Just imagine her trying to open up to Ron about that. “You’ve been a right foul, git, I’ll tell you that.” That’s about the picture of it, I’d say. A true best friend would hear her out, and offer sound, non judgemental advice so that Hermione could not only improve herself but also feel good about coming to that friend about negative feelings in the future. That friend could’ve been hypothetical super smart Ravenclaw chick who totally thought S.P.E.W. was a great idea.

And, I wouldn't be mad if over the course of the series, Hermione grew closer to Ron and Harry because she was concerned about them and wanted to help. But they still wouldn’t be her best friends. They would be friends that she cared about. And she would be helping them because they were fighting for a worthwhile cause, the defeat of Voldemort. It’s possible that this hypothetical Ravenclaw chick wouldn’t join them in the 7th book on their extended camping trip, but that’s to be expected. Hermione is a Gryffindor after all, and not many people would be willing to make the sacrifice that she made to be with Harry and Ron (she wiped her parents’ memories and set them up in Australia for Merlin’s sake. That’s bold. And scary.)

Best friends love spending time with you. I think Ron and Harry enjoyed Hermione’s company. The reason why I think that is because they are written to enjoy her company. But it is never actually explained why they enjoy her company. It’s just plot armor that’s backing this up. I think they were impressed by her intellect and drive, but those traits aren’t things that they all had in common. If you ask me, if these 3 existed outside of the context of the books, I’d say that the boys tolerated Hermione’s company because it’s not like they all shared common interests, the same humor, etc. She was also pretty useful to them for school. So yikes. Nonetheless, within the context of the books, they enjoyed Hermione. But Hermione was never really enough for them alone. You never really got scenes where Ron and Hermione met up with Harry after just hanging out and they were smiling and laughing together. The same is true with Harry and Hermione. When Harry and Ron were fighting and not talking to each other, Harry was always in a visibly bad mood, and lamented the fact that he had to hang out in the library with Hermione. He was always more emotionally affected by Ron’s absence in his life than he was when Hermione was absent in his life the year before when Hermione reported his new broomstick to Professor McGonagall (again, a friend trying to keep her friend alive, but whatever. Harry and Ron were constantly gas lighting Hermione which makes me feel like Hermione needed to have someone in her life to vent to about it. Someone who would understand her intentions or give her some kind of advice.) Harry and Hermione, who I feel like were more similar than Hermione and Ron, rarely spent time together and thoroughly enjoyed it, content with each other’s company and not yearning for someone else to be there. That’s not what it feels like to hang out with a best friend.

Later on in the series, we get the sense that Hermione and Ginny started to hang out, but it was implied that they only got close because Ginny had a crush on Harry and Hermione was giving her advice. I think this is kind of sad because Ginny is clearly bright. She’s fierce too. She’s not as book wormy as Hermione, and she’s kind of pranky like the twins, but she could’ve been best friend material for Hermione. But they were only just kind of friends because they spent summers together, they’re both girls, and Ginny has a crush on Hermione’s best friend. Hermione needs a healthy friendship that doesn’t revolve around the boys or her gender.

A best friend speaks up for you if someone is mistreating you, even if that someone is a mutual friend. Now, we all remember how Ron immediately whipped out his wand to curse Malfoy into next week for calling Hermione a mudblood. That plan backfired, but I’m glad he did it, and I’m glad he stopped puking up slugs. But, friends shouldn’t just defend you when you’re subjected to extreme offenses like slurs. Friends should defend you when you’re being mistreated or belittled. Ron often mistreated Hermione by mocking her, and Harry never once corrected Ron. He never once sat Ron down and was like “Hey, mate… I think you should lay off Hermione. You’re being kind of mean…” From the fourth book onwards, it was like Harry took a sacred vow of silence whenever Ron and Hermione argued, whenever Ron took it too far. And you know what? I kind of get it.

These are Harry’s first real friends and the only relationships he had in his life before Hogwarts were toxic and abusive. Even Ms. Figg made sure that he didn’t enjoy his visits with her because she thought that the Dursleys wouldn’t allow him to go back to her if they thought he enjoyed it. An ass excuse, if you ask me, but again. Whatever. Harry likely has zero idea how to handle conflict healthily. He definitely has 0 idea how to be a good friend. What bothered me is that he never tried to defend Hermione. Even if he blustered through it or felt awkward, he could’ve made it known that he didn’t approve of Ron’s treatment of Hermione. But he didn’t. And even though trauma likely made it difficult for Harry to resolve conflict, he handled it pretty gracefully in other situations. Snape, Malfoy, Dumbledore, Umbridge, literally anyone he had an issue with, he found a way to make his feelings known (See “There’s no need to call me sir, Professor,” and “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe Lord Voldemort,” for more details). But when it came to speaking up on Hermione’s behalf? Crickets. If someone made fun of my best friend’s ideas, was constantly gaslighting them, or making them feel weird for their interests, I don’t care who they are, I would tell them to pump the brakes and apologize.

I actually think the trio could’ve treated each other much better, but Hermione constantly got the short end of the friendship stick. I think this is because their “best” friend relationship was forced and was therefore constantly under strain. They had this idea that they were “best” friends so obviously, they had to be interested in the same things (the boys’ sheer disbelief and outrage at Hermione’s indifference to quidditch and Hermione occasionally outwardly expressing interest in a school thing only to be met with blank, unenthusiastic stares). But they just weren’t best friends. I think they’re arguments are a result of them trying to force each other back into an ideal, a picture of what they thought their friendship to be, when they probably should’ve just accepted the fact that they were way too different to trust each other with things that went beyond the superficial stuff. I think you can be the polar opposite of your best friend, but you still have to love spending time with them, respect them, defend them when they’re being mistreated, and support their interests. Harry and Ron didn’t really do that.

They knew Hermione liked to stay in the library. They could’ve gone to find her to make sure she remembered to eat for the day because they know how easily she gets lost in books. I’m sure Hermione had a favorite book. Even if the boys couldn’t stomach reading the whole thing, they could’ve humored her and let her rant about it. They could’ve opened it to a random page, saw a person’s name, and say “This bloke. This bloke here. I don’t like him. Thoughts?” Even if they’re just being playful, they’re showing an interest in things she lovessssssss. They knew that Pansy Parkinson was constantly bullying her. Why didn’t we get scenes where they bashed Pansy and hyped Hermione up in turn? Hermione reassured Harry in the fourth year, telling him he was attractive and it was a no-brainer that girls fancied him. She also reassured Harry that it was likely his kissing skills were fine. She broke her own morals so that Ron could get on the quidditch team. What did Harry and Ron do to make sure that Hermione felt loved and validated????? I think that teenage boys often show affection and appreciation differently from teenage girls, but they still show affection and appreciation. They are still more than capable of it. Harry and Ron just didn’t do it unless Hermione had done something for them first.

Hermione deserved better. She deserved a real best friend. Harry and Ron were best friends. They were the peanut to the other’s jelly, the Merlin to their beard, the dung to their bomb. I still think that their friendship could’ve been improved, but hey. They were still undeniably best friends. Those 2 didn’t have that same connection with Hermione. I just think that considering everything Hermione has been through in the course of the series, she deserves someone that she could relate to without fear of being attacked or belittled.

Now please. Lay me to rest on this hill. I would like my tombstone to read, “Honestly, don’t you two read?”

#hermione granger #hermione #harry potter #harry #ron weasley #ron #hp #rant #not hero reform #not hr #i've been sitting on this rant for ages #idk why i'm like this

6 notes · View notes

darisu-chan · 7 years ago

Text

Christmas Yearning

Hey, this is my present for murasakihime! Again, I’m sorry to take so long, but I wanted your present to be perfect and I’ve had little time due to the holidays. I really hope you like it, and I hope your Holidays were amazing!

You can also read it here.

Summary: Ayato has a crush on his best friend, Amon is head over heels for his boss’s daughter, and Touka has been in love with the same man for four years. Hoping for a miracle, will they be able to confess their feelings during Touka’s Christmas Party?

It was freezing outside. It hadn’t snowed yet, but Ayato thought the biting cold from the wind was far worse than snow. He had had to walk to school and back with a flimsy jacket, ─because wearing one of those puffy coats would totally ruin his reputation─ and now he was shivering, he had a runny nose, and he would most likely catch a cold. Great. Pouting and still shivering, he entered :Re and almost shouted with glee the moment he felt the warmth of the coffee shop.

“Ayato, it’s almost time for your shift!” Touka, his older sister, reminded him the moment she saw him.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Ayato said, and went straight to the break room to change.

“Are you alright, Ayato?” Yomo Renji, his uncle, asked him when the teen passed by the kitchen.

“Yeah, just a bit cold.” He simply answered, and then opened the door to the break room.

The seventeen-year-old boy took off his school uniform and exchanged it for his waiter uniform, which consisted of black pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. He put his school uniform inside of his school bag, and headed to the café area, where his sister was already waiting for him. She gave him a notepad, and nodded towards a table, wordlessly telling him that the couple sitting there was ready to order. Using his best fake smile, he walked towards them.

“Are you ready to order?”

This was his daily routine. Go to school, then go to the coffee shop. Some days, like today, he worked shifts of four hours as a waiter, and the rest he still went to the café, for he lived in the apartment above the place. :Re was a coffee shop co-owned by his sister and uncle, and sponsored by their former employer, Yoshimura. The two of them worked there every day, giving Ayato the opportunity to help them out a few days during the week to make extra money for his personal expenses. Though his sister annoyed him a lot, he was honestly happy to work there, especially since his sister and uncle busted their asses off daily so that he could lead a nice life. Even though his parents were long dead, he had a loving sister, an uncle who gave up everything to raise them, a nice apartment, a family business, and money to spare. He didn’t lack anything at all.

Suddenly, the bell from the café chimed, signaling someone had entered. He turned to the door, and he became breathless.

“Good afternoon!” A sweet, angelical voice greeted them.

“Ah, good afternoon, come in!” His sister greeted the girl back.

“Ayato, good afternoon!” The girl said happily, as she walked to where he was standing.

Although Ayato had everything a lot of people would die to have, there was just one thing, or rather one person who was missing from his life. Her name was─

“Hinami.” He greeted the girl back.

She giggled. “Why do you sound so scared?”

Ayato was about to reply, when his sister interrupted him.

“Ignore my brother, he gets like that when he sees a cute girl.” Touka teased him, and then promptly left them alone.

He blushed, and angrily barked at her. “Aneki, shut up!”

Hinami laughed again.

“You really love seeing me miserable, don’t you?” He asked her.

“Always.” She replied, and then playfully stuck her tongue out.

Ayato rolled his eyes. “Anyway, what do you wanna order?”

“The usual, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Fueguchi Hinami was her name. He had known her for more than four years, before :Re even existed. Her mother was a friend of Yoshimura’s, and she frequently visited Anteiku, the café where Touka used to work. After losing her husband, Fueguchi Ryouko stayed for a few months in Yoshimura’s spare room along with her daughter. During this time, Touka did everything in her power to make Hinami comfortable, including forcing him to befriend her. At first, Ayato was annoyed with this turn of events, especially because Hinami was very shy, but after spending time together doing a school project, he finally warmed up to her. He discovered they had a lot in common, and that they could relate to each other because both missed their parents. After that, they were practically attached by the hip, and became best friends.

Now, they were finishing their second year of high school, and things had changed for Ayato. He was no longer a boy, but was quickly becoming a man, and Hinami was also becoming a woman, a very warm, smart, and beautiful woman. It was natural that Ayato would notice, and sooner rather than later, his opinion of her would change. He had always loved her, mind you, but lately his feelings had strayed from friendship. In short, he was deeply crushing on her, and lately it had been hard to hide his feelings for her. Sure, he could tell her and put an end to his misery. However, he had one little problem.

“Good afternoon!” A man said as he entered the café.

“Onii-chan!” Hinami exclaimed, and stood up to greet the newcomer.

“Oh, Hinami-chan, have you been waiting a long time?”

“None at all! Please sit here!”

Ayato’s problem had a name, and it was Kaneki Ken. They had met him when he started working as waiter at Anteiku. Hinami became close to him when Kaneki had helped her read difficult kanji on a book she was reading. After that, they had started talking about books, forming a close friendship, even when Kaneki was four years older than her. Hinami always said that if she had had an older brother, he would have been like Kaneki. Ayato was no fool, however. It was easy to see that Hinami had a huge crush on Kaneki, which became even more apparent when Kaneki had become a renowned writer. It sucked because Ayato would never be able to compare to him, and his crush would always be unrequited. This was the reason why each time Kaneki came to the café, Ayato’s mood would instantly sour.

“Stop pouting.” His sister whispered in his ear.

“I’m not pouting.” He denied it, although Touka’s shit-eating grin said otherwise.

“Come on, help me with the table over there, while I give Kaneki his coffee.” She said, and made her way to where Kaneki and Hinami were sitting. Ayato watched her as Touka smiled sweetly at Hinami, and then said something to Kaneki while handing him the cup of coffee, to which the man smiled. Touka smiled back at him, and started walking towards the counter, while trying and failing to hide a smile. Oh yeah, he had forgotten to mention it, but his sister was in love with that bastard as well. Oh joy. Kaneki would either become his rival for Hinami’s affections or his brother-in-law. Being Ayato was being in a constant state of suffering

He sighed, and tried to collect himself.

“Ayato!” Hinami called him and he, like a puppy, instantly walked to her.

“What is it?”

“I just wanted to tell you that both Onii-chan and I will be attending Onee-chan’s Christmas Party!”

Ayato internally flinched. He had wanted to spend Christmas Eve with Hinami, and give her the gift he had bought for her ─a hair pin which had flowers on it. However, his plans would be interrupted by Kaneki’s presence. Great, just great.

“Ah. That’s good.” He simply answered.

“Isn’t it? We’ll be all celebrating together!” The girl said, her cheeks flushing in excitement. “Which reminds me that you’ll be getting your present during the party.” She added mysteriously.

Ayato fought back a blush, and smiled at her. “I’ll be looking forward to it, then.”

“Yeah!”

It didn’t really matter if she loved someone else, he’d always love her, no matter what. And maybe, if he could catch a break, he’d be able to tell her his feelings.

“See you in school!” Hinami waved at him before leaving.

“Yeah, see ya!” Still feeling giddy, Ayato watched Hinami go home alone, to his delight. Then, he saw Kaneki move to sit on the counter, chatting rather amicably with his sister.

“Goddamnit.” He hissed. Of course that guy would flirt with two girls on the same day, the only two girls Ayato happened to love too.

Before he could think of ways to slowly murder Kaneki, the bell chimed once again. He turned to look at their new costumers, a tall man with dark hair, accompanied by a pretty young woman.

“Welcome to :Re.”

Amon held his coat closer to his body. It was unusually cold that day. It definitely wasn’t the time to be outside, but alas, as a detective, he had to investigate a rather difficult case. He shivered. He really should have brought a scarf and gloves. He cursed himself for rushing out his place in the morning, merely grabbing a grey coat. Then, Amon turned to his side and glance at his partner. She was doing no better than he was, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.

“Maybe we should rest for a while.” He said, stopping on his tracks.

The woman seemed alarmed. “But we need to solve this case! We can’t afford to rest!” She exclaimed.

“Akira.” Amon said sternly. “Resting is also important for a detective. If our minds are not well-rested, we might not be able to piece everything together.”

Akira contemplated his words for a few seconds, and then nodded. “I suppose we should go somewhere warm. Any thoughts?”

Amon thought and looked at his surroundings. His favorite coffee shop was just a block away. “Yeah, follow me.”

He led her through the streets until they reached an establishment. A sign outside had :Re written on it with black letters. Amon opened the door, listening to the bell chiming. Akira followed suit, observing her surroundings. A waiter, who looked like a teen, welcomed then and showed them to their table. They sat down, and started browsing the menus.

“I didn’t know you knew this place.” She commented. “So, what’s good here?” Akira asked him.

“Well, I’d say everything. They have all types of blends and a wide variety of cakes.”

She nodded. “Oh yeah, for a second I forgot you love sweet food.”

“Yeah, and you like spicy food. Maybe a café wasn’t the best idea for you.” Amon said, thoughtfully.

His partner shrugged. “If you like this place, then it must be good. I’ll just try your favorite dishes.” She said, giving him a warm smile.

Amon gulped. “Well, I really like their chocolate cake, and their vanilla lattes.”

“Then, let’s order that.”

Their waiter, who said his name was Ayato, took their order and left them alone. They talked a bit about their current case, and then proceeded to talk about their coworker Takizawa’s latest stunt at work. Finally, their food arrived. Amon looked at his cup of coffee and found that it was decorated with a dog.

“Oh, my latte has a cat on it. It’s cute.” Akira whispered, her cheeks flushed like they did when she talked about cats. “It looks like Maris Stella.”

“Yeah, it kinda does.” It did look like Akira’s cat, even the whiskers looked like the cat’s own whiskers.

Next, Akira took a bite from the cake, and moaned. “This is actually delicious.”

Amon smiled softly. “Yeah. I think it’s their best cake.”

“You have great taste, Amon.” She said in a tone which appeared to be rather suggestive. Amon blushed.

Akira had been his partner for several years now. At first, the purpose of their partnership was to teach Akira how to lead and continue an investigation. Since Amon had been a detective for five years already, and was a very patient man, it seemed like he was the perfect choice to be young Akira’s new partner. At first, she had given him a lot of attitude, but now they got along quite well, even if Akira was still stubborn as hell, like earlier that day. They had become inseparable, and with their closeness came unwanted feelings.

“So, after we finish this cake, we’ll go back to the case?” She asked him, licking the fork.

Amon tried to ignore the way her tongue licked the metal. “Yes. We must go back to the office and look at what we’ve got.”

“Do you already have a lead on our suspect?” Akira asked him with raised eyebrows.

“I think so.”

“I’ve already looked into the guy that you’re thinking of.” She replied, smirking.

“Oh really?” He shook his head. “Always a step ahead of me.”

“It’s what you love about me.” Akira said confidently, still smirking, while Amon internally screamed.

Looking back, everyone should have seen this coming. Amon was a young, attractive man, and Akira was a young, attractive woman. They had a lot of chemistry, and their personalities blended quite nicely. They were bound to like each other in a non-platonic way. And, even if that wasn’t reason enough to fall for each other, Akira was smart, responsible, diligent, and extremely badass. Amon would be a fool not to be fall for her. However, there was one little problem that kept him from making a move. It wasn’t the fact that he was six years older than her, or that they were coworkers. No. The problem was that she was Mado Akira, the only daughter of Mado Kureo, who so happened to be his boss. And he was Amon Koutarou, the adopted son of a pedophile. He instantly reached for his silver cross hanging from his neck.

“Are you alright?” Akira asked him, clearly concerned. He only reached for his necklace when he felt conflicted.

“Yeah. I think it’s time to leave.”

His partner nodded, though she was clearly unconvinced he was actually alright. He asked for the bill, and a pretty woman, who was the manager of the coffee shop, gave it to him. He put the exact amount the needed to pay, plus the tip for the waiter, and promptly ignored Akira’s protests to pay.

“I invited you, so I’m paying.” He said, while Akira rolled her eyes.

The manager smiled at them and gave them flyers. “The coffee shop is hosting a Christmas Party on the 24th, after closing time with our customers. We would be delighted if you could come.” She explained them.

Amon examined the flyer. It said there’d be free food, music, and karaoke. The party was sponsored by one Tsukiyama Shuu, from the Tsukiyama family. The party did sound nice, and he knew for a fact the manager was nice, for he had chatted with her a few times. Honestly, he was tempted to go, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to, or even if Akira was interested.

“Sure, I’d love to come.” Akira said, giving the manager a smile.

“Great. Then I’ll see you on the 24th. Have a great day!” With that, the manager left them alone.

“You’re actually going?” Amon asked her, quite perplexed.

“Yeah. We need to relax from time to time, right? Besides, I’ve never gone to a Christmas party, so I want to experience being at one.” She explained. “Will you come with me?”

Amon thought about it. He never really did anything on Christmas anymore. The memories from his Christmases as a child haunted him. However, he could make new memories if he went with Akira. And, he thought as he looked at her, perhaps he would be finally able to tell her how he felt.

“I’m going too.”

She smiled at him.

Touka looked as one of his regular customers, Amon, left with the pretty girl he had brought this time to the coffee shop. Then, she turned to look at Ayato, who was grumpily cleaning a table. She snorted. She focused her attention back to the blend she was preparing. This was from a new brand, and she had been dying to try it out.

“You’re playing matchmaker now, Touka-chan?” A voice interrupted her musings.

She looked to her right and acknowledged the man sitting there. “That man has been sulking here for over a year. It was obvious he liked that girl he brought. I’m just doing him a favor.” She explained herself. In reality, during one of her conversations with Amon, he had mentioned being in love with a girl, but being unable to tell her his feelings. So, Touka had seen this as the perfect opportunity to give Amon a chance.

The man looked like he didn’t believe her one bit, but he just shrugged. “Whatever you say, Touka-chan.”

“So, Kaneki, are you coming to our Christmas party?” Touka asked him, trying to appear nonchalant, but she was nervous about his answer.

“Yeah, I am. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He answered earnestly.

Touka hid her blush. “Is that so? Then, I hope you’ll help me clean.”

Kaneki snorted. “Of course.”

He sipped his coffee, while she finished her blend. She decorated the latte with a bunny, and then she gave it to Kaneki.

“Try it.” She commanded him.

Kaneki took the cup in his hands, chuckling when he saw the bunny. It was very cute. He blew the steam off before taking a sip. He closed his eyes, and took his time tasting the new blend. It was different from Touka’s usual blends, but delicious nonetheless. He smiled at her.

“It’s amazing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, taste it.” Kaneki lifted his own cup to Touka’s lips. This time, she couldn’t stop herself from blushing.

“It really is.”

“Is it a new blend?” He asked her, finishing his latte.

“Yeah. I wanted to see if it was good enough to include it on the menu.”

“So I was your guinea pig?” Kaneki joked.

“You can say that.” Touka replied.

They both shared a smile. Kaneki went back to the book he was reading, and Touka started cleaning cups and plates. While she worked, she quietly observed him. He was wearing his reading glasses. He looked very handsome with them. Then, she looked at his black hair. It looked soft to the touch. Next, she noticed the way the muscles on his arms would flex when changing the pages of his book. At first glance Kaneki didn’t look like it, but he was fit. She shook her head, she shouldn’t be distracted by such thoughts.

“So, what have you been reading lately?” Kaneki suddenly asked her.

Touka blinked twice before answering. “A novel I found recently. It’s not really something you’d like. It’s a sci-fi novel.” She explained.

“Tell me all about it.” He told her.

Four years ago, Touka would have never been able to talk about books with Kaneki, for she hated literature. That was her worst subject in high school. She wouldn’t be talking to Kaneki anyway, for she hated him as much as she hated reading. Well, that wasn’t completely true, but she couldn’t stand him. They had met when Kaneki had started walking at Anteiku part time. Touka, at first, had thought Kaneki was too weak and mild. A classic nerd who studied literature in college. But, after spending a lot of time together at work, and learning more about each other, they became friends. Touka discovered he was kind despite the bad situations he had been through, something she admired. He was passionate and strong in his own way. Above all, this stranger cared for her in a way no one ever had before. That fact changed her whole world. Could you fault her for falling in love with him? For falling in love with a bright, handsome, caring man?

She sighed. She had loved him for the past four years. She had watched him grow from a boy into a man. She had been there when he finally published his first book, and started working at the university. In turn, he had been there for her on her high school graduation, and when she and her uncle finally opened :Re. They were together, and yet so far apart. Because, in these past four years, she had never said a word about her feelings. Touka had watched him be surrounding by beautiful women and handsome men. People smarter, stronger, and more attractive than her. She had watched him grow out of his shell, and become his best self. Yet… yet she couldn’t tell him her true feelings out of fear of losing him, losing him to someone better than her. This was about to change, though. Because she had promised herself that, finally, she would confess to him. Even if he didn’t love her back, it didn’t matter. She’d be there for him no matter what.

“I’ll buy it.” Kaneki said after listening to Touka tell him all about her new book.

“Oh?” She smiled. “Speaking of new books, when are you going to publish your new novel?” He had been working on a new novel for about a year now, and she was curious about it.

“Hmmm, you’ll have to wait.” He said mysteriously, and stood to leave.

“What does that mean?” Touka asked, clearly confused.

“Guess you’ll have to find out.” He retorted, equally as mysterious as before.

Touka huffed. “Don’t try to act so secretive. It doesn’t suit you.”

He laughed. “Well, I gotta go, Touka-chan. Thanks for the cake and the coffee.”

“Wait!” She called out to him, and then gave him a bag she had retrieved from behind the counter. “Happy birthday, Kaneki.”

Kaneki stared at her, gawking, and then looked at the bag.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well, what are you waiting for? Open it.”

Kaneki nodded, and opened the bag. Inside he found a bag of his favorite coffee, and the first edition of one of his favorite books. “Thank you so much!” He exclaimed, briefly hugging her. “How did you know I wanted this book?”

“I actually listen when you talk, y’know.” She said, and Kaneki grinned at her.

“Thank you! Really! I’ll treasure it forever!”

With that, Kaneki left, even skipping a little bit, unaware he had left Touka completely flustered after his little display of affection. The manager sighed. Kaneki would definitely be the dead of her.

Ayato grumbled as he moved another chair from the center of the coffee shop to the sides. Today was the day they were holding their Christmas Party. They had closed early to prepare, but that meant that they had had to clean the whole place, rearrange the tables and chairs, and prepare the food for their guests. They had bought a tree, and had decorated it. They put banners and took out their fanciest silverware. Cleaning and decorating was double work, and Ayato was exhausted.

“Cheer up, Ayato.” His sister said beside him. “That was the last chair. Now go on and change.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, aneki.”

Touka shook her head, and let him go to his room.

He reached his room, and took out a pair of dark jeans, a navy shirt, and his favorite leather jacket. He got dressed and then put his boots on. Then, Ayato looked at his mirror and, using a comb, tried to brush his messy hair. Today was important and he needed to look his best. However, he couldn’t find a style that suited him, so he let his hair be. He sat down on his bed, and reached for a bag he had hidden on his top drawer. Inside the bright pink bag rested the pin he had bought for Hinami. He hoped she liked it.

Ayato stood up, and went to his living room. Uncle Renji was already ready, wearing what looked like a suit. Together, they watched TV and waited for Touka to be ready. After half an hour, she came out of her room wearing a little black dress, heels, and makeup. Ayato blinked, and turned to look at his uncle, who was blinking too.

“What?” Touka said, sounding mildly offended.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Ayato asked.

“It’s the first Christmas party that I’ve ever hosted, and I want to look nice. Is that wrong?”

Ayato shook his head. He had never intended to upset her, but her chose of clothes was weird. She was definitely up to something. He stopped himself from thinking about why she was wearing that dress, or rather, who was it for.

“You look pretty, Touka.” Their uncle said.

“Thank you. Now let’s go.”

They made their way to the coffee shop area to wait for their guests. As usual, the firsts to arrive were his uncle’s friends, Uta and Itori. Ayato rolled his eyes at their antics. They were weird. Next, old Yoshimura, and his employees Irimi and Koma arrived. They had brought the cake. One by one the rest of the guests got there. Kaneki arrived soon with his friend, a blond guy, and both made their way straight to where Touka was. Tsukiyama, though he had sponsored the event, arrived fashionably late, accompanied by his friend Kanae. Once he set foot there, he jumped on Kaneki’s back, going on about how happy he was to see him. Nishiki, their old coworker, arrived next with his girlfriend Kimi. Then, a couple Ayato recognized as the one he had served a few days ago, arrived too. Touka’s best friend, Yoriko, and her fiancé arrived next. Most everyone he knew, and a few customers, had arrived, but Hinami was still missing. He texted her but she didn’t answer. After an hour and fifteen minutes had gone by, Ayato was starting to lose hope that she’d actually get there. However, someone opened the door frantically, and Hinami rushed in, followed by her mother.

“Hinami.” He said, awestruck the moment he saw her. She looked beautiful. Hinami was wearing a pink dress, a grey, cozy jacket, and boots.

“I’m sorry we’re late! We lost track of time.” She explained, trying to catch her breath.

“No, it’s okay. Do you want something to drink?”

“Yes, please.”

Ayato gave her soda, and then watched as she greeted everyone she knew. Once she reached Kaneki, he feared she’d stay with the older man, but she turned and greeted other people, before going back to him. They sat down and chatted. Hinami told him about a new book she was reading, excitedly recalling the best parts of the book. Then, Ayato showed her a few songs of a new heavy metal band he had discovered. They talked about school, their families, Ayato’s work, and more. It was like being in heaven.

Next, they ate together, sitting on the same table as Hinami’s mother and Yoshimura. After dinner, the karaoke started, and Ayato was forced to sing a duet with his sister, and then one with Hinami. However, the moment Tsukiyama grabbed the microphone, Ayato took her hand, and let Hinami to the farthest end of the room, close to the Christmas tree.

“What was that about?” She asked him.

“That guy’s voice is super shrilly. I hate it.” He grumbled.

Hinami giggled. “You really hate karaoke, don’t you?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Yet you sang with onee-chan and me.” She said.

“That’s different!” Ayato defended himself.

“How so?”

He scratched the back of his head. “I guess because you two are important to me.” He said, looking down, his cheeks turning red.

“You’re important to me too.” Hinami said, her cheeks as red as his. Then, her eyes strayed to the tree, specifically to the presents set there. “Oh! I almost forgot!” She yelped, and then grabbed a blue package from the tree. “Merry Christmas, Ayato!” She gave him the package.

“Ah. Thanks.” He said, feeling bashful. He opened it carefully, and discovered that inside was a t-shirt from his favorite band. “Wow! Thank you, Hina!” He said, as he got it out.

“Do you like it?” Hinami asked him.

“I love it! How did you get it? It’s super expensive!” He said in admiration.

Hinami looked down. “Well, I saved for it, but really, it was no problem!” She shook her head adorably.

Ayato’s face softened. “Why would you do such a thing for me?”

She grabbed his hands in hers. “Isn’t it obvious? Because I really, really, care about you. As in, more than care.” She confessed.

Ayato opened his mouth, and closed it several times. “But I thought… I mean… why do you even care about me? I thought there was someone else.” He said, partially looking at Kaneki, who was laughing with his sister.

Hinami followed his eyes, looked at Kaneki as well, and then snorted. “Really, Ayato? You should really stop thinking.” She said jokingly. “I care about you because you’re honest, headstrong, and brave. There’s no one I’d rather be with tonight.”

The boy blushed after listening to her words. Then, heart beating fast, he intertwined their fingers. “I care about you too… I… I love you, Hina.” He finally confessed.

Hinami’s eyes widened, and then she laughed. “I’m so glad. I love you too.”

Next, in the blink of an eye, Hinami stepped on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. Ayato stuttered, unable to say anything else. “But… I…”

She giggled. “Come on, let’s sit somewhere.”

Ayato laughed, relieved and ecstatic that Hinami felt the same way, when he realized he had forgotten about his present. “Wait!” He yelled loudly, and then grabbed the pink bag from earlier from under the tree. “Here.”

“Thank you.” She said as she grabbed it. She opened it and gasped when she saw the pin. “Ayato, it is so beautiful! I love it!” Then, she hugged him.

“I’m happy that you do.” He said, while hugging her back.

“Help me put it on.” She said.

Ayato grabbed the pin, and gently put it on her hair. His hand caressed her cheek, and then he leaned down, only to stop on the last second. Hinami shook her head, and then pecked his lips. Ayato blinked twice, and blushed.

“Come on, let’s sit, boyfriend.” She said, and taking his hand, she led them to a nearby table, which happened to be empty.

Ayato smiled like a fool for the rest of the night.

Amon felt more awkward than he had ever felt in his entire life. That morning, he had honestly thought he’d be able to have fun at the Christmas Party. He had gotten up early, gone to the gym, taken a shower, and then eaten healthily in preparation for dinner. He had picked up his favorite pair of black pants and a white shirt with black stripes from the dry cleaner’s. When it was time, he put them on along with his shiny black shoes. Then, he grabbed his grey coat, his wallet and keys, and went to pick Akira up. He had been breathless the moment she came out of her apartment, wearing a maroon dress which showed her legs and gave a nice view of her chest.

“Are you staring at my breasts?” Akira had deadpanned, and from then on things had been awkward.

Getting to :Re had not improved the mood. Although everyone received them warmly, and they were included in all of the activities, it was uncomfortable to be surrounded by strangers who knew each other well. Furthermore, they were still barely talking and it was so frustrating. Amon wanted to scream or do anything that would break the silence.

Suddenly, Akira started giggling.

“What is it?” He asked her.

She snorted. “Look at those too.” She said, pointing to two teenagers who were singing. The girl had a nice voice, but the boy looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

“What about them?”

“He clearly has a crush on her, and that’s why he’s even there.” She said.

Amon raised an eyebrow. “How can you tell?”

“It’s so obvious. Look at their body language.” Akira explained. “He’s trying to get closer to her without it seeming too obvious, which makes it all the more obvious. Besides, he’s blushing.”

Amon observed them. It was true. The boy, whom he recognized as their waiter from last time, was progressively getting closer to the girl, but every time she turned to look at him, he would trace his steps back. He chuckled, remembering when he had been that age and had liked a girl for the first time. Good thing he had outgrown that stage.

Akira, then, laughed at the new karaoke participants, and his heart stopped. Had he actually outgrown that stage? It didn’t seem like he had, for he hadn’t even been able to tell her about his feelings. He glanced at Akira. She was smiling as she clapped along with the song, her eyes sparkling in amusement. Would she be happy if he confessed his feelings to her? Would that ruin their partnership? What would his boss say? Shaking his head, Amon rid himself of such thoughts. There was no use in thinking about it, when he was there, at a Christmas party, and Akira looked more beautiful than ever.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Akira asked him suddenly.

“Yeah. What about you?”

“Me too. I’m glad we did this.” She said honestly.

“We could do it again sometime.” Amon asked, feeling uncertain.

She smiled again. “I’d like that.”

The manager of the shop suddenly appeared, smiling at them. “Hey there, how’s it going? Would you like some wine?”

Amon looked at his partner, who nodded. “Yeah, thank you.”

“Here you go.”

A few drinks later, Akira had gotten him to sing on the karaoke. She was tone-deaf, ─not that he’d ever tell her─ and he wasn’t doing any better, but still, everyone clapped and hooted as they sang. After their song ended, they got a standing ovation, and both sat down still laughing.

“I’ve never done anything like this in my entire life.” Akira exclaimed. Amon nodded. She was always so serious that he really couldn’t see her singing in public, of course, until tonight that is.

“I actually have.” He admitted. “When I was a child, we would sing in the orphanage when we got bored. Haven’t really done it since, well… you know.”

She looked at him, her eyes boring into his. “You should do it more often. You have a great voice.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re drunk.”

“Maybe.” She answered, an amused smile gracing her lips.

Amon chuckled, and sipped his wine. Then, he turned around and saw the two teenagers from earlier sitting together on the farthest end of the shop. They were holding hands, and were whispering in each other’s ears. Amon gasped. He’d be damned! The boy did what he hadn’t been able to.

“Oh, will you look at that.” Akira said. “What an interesting turn of events.”

She looked too pleased with the fact those two were together now, apparently. “You seem pretty invested in their love lives.” He said.

“Hmmm… I suppose… It’s just, there’s nothing sweeter than young love.” She said wistfully.

Amon didn’t know if he was too drunk or feeling braver, but he asked her, “Have you ever been in love?”

Akira stared at him with an undecipherable look on her eyes. “I have. What about you?”

“Perhaps.”

They continued drinking in silence, observing the people around them. The manager seemed to be very busy, chatting amidst a lively group if people. Amon couldn’t help but see as a man with black hair stood way too close to her. He smiled. Good for her. She deserved to be love. Speaking of love, the two teens on the back weren’t the only couples in the party. Amon could see many couples everywhere, and he started to feel self-conscious. Were Akira and he being mistaken for a couple? What would people think if they realized they weren’t together? But what if they were together? What would Akira think about it? Would they be holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears like the two teenagers?

“Here.” Akira said, giving him a bag.

“What’s this?” He asked the moment he took it.

“It’s obviously your Christmas present.” Akira said. “Come on, open it.”

It had been years since he had last received a Christmas present. It was common in the Catholic orphanage he had lived at as a child. Every Christmas, all of the children would receive a small gift. But, he soon learned all those gifts he had received, and even his very stay in the orphanage came at a high price. Amon resisted the urge to grab his cross, and instead opened the bag, discovering a high-quality watch in it.

“Akira… you really shouldn’t have.” Amon said as he examined it. It must have cost her a lot of money.

“Of course I had to. It’s so you’re always on time.” She joked. “Try it on, and say thank you.” She added when she realized Amon kept staring at his present.

“Yeah, of course. Thank you very much.” He said, and started to put it on, only to be stopped by Akira.

“Let me put it on.” She said and, taking his hand by the wrist, he started putting the watch on.

Amon flushed at the contact. Her hand was warm and soft to the touch.

“There.” Akira said, admiring her handiwork.

It actually was a pretty nice watch. It was silver and big enough that it fit perfectly in his large arm.

“Thank you.” He said earnestly. She smiled.

“Anytime.”

“Oh, that reminds me, here’s your gift.” He said, pulling a velvet black box from his pocket. She looked at him wide-eyed, and he realized what that looked like. “Wait, it’s not what you think.” He began explaining himself, but she laughed.

“Just give it to me.”

“I hope you like it.” Amon muttered as he watched Akira open the box. Inside, there lay a silver necklace he had bought for her. It had a pendant in the shape of a cat.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Akira exclaimed. “The cat looks like Maris Stella.”

“Yeah, I thought so too when I bought it. Do you like it?”

“I love it! It’s perfect.” She said as she looked at it. Then she handed the necklace back to him. “Help me put it on?”

Amon swallowed, and then stood up, walking towards her until he reached her back. He grabbed the necklace and gently put it on, his fingertips gracing the skin on her neck.

“There.” He said, praying his cheeks weren’t red.

Akira took his hand. “Thank you, Amon. I really love it.”

He nodded. “I’m glad you do.”

Looking at his new watch he noticed it was almost midnight. It was late already, and tomorrow they had to work.

“I think we should leave.” Akira said, reading his mind.

“Yes. It’s getting too late. Let’s just say goodbye to the manager, and then I’ll walk you home.”

Together, they walked to where the manager was standing. She looked at them, and made her way to the couple.

“Leaving already?” She asked them.

“Yeah. We should head home.” Amon answered.

“Well, I’m glad you came. I hope you had fun.”

Akira looked at her partner. “We definitely did. And if you host anymore parties, we will surely come.”

“Then, I’ll host more parties.” The manager said, and then her eyes widened when she looked above their heads.

Amon followed her eyes and his own widened. Was that…?

“Oh, mistletoe.” Akira said, recognizing the plant.

“I put them there for decoration, honestly hoping someone else would end up under one.” The manager said, briefly glancing to where the two teens were sitting. “So, you don’t have to do anything.”

Amon silently thanked her. He was beginning to sweat from how nervous he was feeling at the moment. They could have laughed it all, and left the party. He could have walked her home, and said a friendly goodbye, not changing anything. However Akira, as unpredictable as ever, changed the course of the night.

“Well, it is tradition. I’d hate to break the rules.” Akira said, making Amon choke. Then, she grabbed him by his tie and, standing on her tiptoes, kissed him. It wasn’t just a peck, she was actually kissing him. His mind went blank for a second, and then he reacted, grabbing her back and pulling her closer.

“Oh my.” The manager said, although she was smiling at them.

When they pulled back, they smiled shyly at each other. Amon then coughed.

“We’ll be going now.” He said.

“Again, thank you for inviting us.” Akira said, clearly unfazed by the kiss.

“Anytime. I hope to see you soon!”

They walked home in silence. Each deep in thought. Amon resisted the urge to touch his lips. He had kissed girls before, but this had been on a whole other level. He felt electricity flowing from her skin, and it made him warm all over.

“Are you gonna say anything?” Akira was the first to break the silence.

“Well… I… I mean… I…” Amon stuttered, making her laugh.

“Are you always this eloquent?”

“Akira.” He half-whined.

“I’m just kidding.” She said, and then stopped. “But you know, I thought the kiss would clear things up.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, if I need to spell it out, I’m madly in love with you. Head over heels. Going crazy.” Akira said with her same monotone voice, but her bright red cheeks betrayed her.

“Wow.” Amon murmured.

“Wow? That’s all you have to say?”

“No, I mean, I’m just surprised about this turn of events. Shocked even.” Amon said and Akira scoffed. “But, yeah, I feel the same way.”

“The same way?” The minx asked, clearly wanting for him to say those three words.

“I love you.” He proclaimed simply.

Akira smiled. “That’s good, because now you won’t be able to get rid of me.”

“I wasn’t counting on it.”

They walked the streets of Tokyo hand in hand.

Touka watched the couple exit the shop with a smile on her face. She resisted to urge to sigh. That kiss had been very romantic. It was more than what she had expected. This definitely had been quite a night.

“Playing match-maker again?” Kaneki whispered from behind her.

Touka turned to look at him, a glint on her eyes. “Whatever do you mean?” She feigned ignorance.

He chuckled. “Well, your plans worked nicely. Your customer got to kiss his crush, and it seems we have a new couple around here.” He said, turning to look at where Ayato and Hinami had been hanging for a while, their hands intertwined.

“Then I’d say everything’s been a success.”

They smiled at each other.

To be perfectly honest, the night had gone better than she had expected. Touka had purposely hung mistletoe all over the place hoping Ayato and Hinami would end up under one. She wasn’t no fool, and she had clearly noticed the moment both of them had fallen in love. However, she had been frustrated at their lack of development. However, her plan had entirely failed, except for the fact the two of them had kissed on their own. Yes, Touka had seen it. Call her an overprotective older sister, but she was looking out for both of them. Yet, her plan hadn’t entirely failed for her customer, Amon, and the girl he had brought to the party, were the victims of the mistletoe and they had kissed. Touka was sure that the next time she saw Amon, he would bring the girl again.

Now that her matchmaking plans were taken care of, she needed to think about her own plan to confess. If luck would have it, there’d be three couples that night instead of two. Everything was going well on that account. From the moment Kaneki had arrived at the party, he had remained by her side, and on his own accord too. She was glad of that, for he looked extremely handsome that night. He was wearing a white and black suit, with a nice black shirt which made his muscles more visible. His hair was also slicked back, showing his beautiful eyes. Okay, she was getting side-tracked. The point was that she had been truly enjoying herself, and she didn’t want the night to end. Speaking of which, most everyone had left already and she was running out of time to confess.

“Hey, where’s Hide?” Touka asked him noticing that his best friend was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, he left a while ago.” Kaneki answered.

Touka was almost sure that, at some point, Hide had clearly given her a thumbs up, as if knowing exactly what she was planning to do. Hide, sometimes, was too perceptive.

“Yeah, almost everyone’s gone.” She said, inspecting the room. Even shitty Nishiki had left already.

“It’s getting late. It’s almost midnight.” Kaneki said, looking at his phone.

“I suppose I should start cleaning soon.” She said, then she looked at him. “And remember you promised to help.”

He sighed. “Hai, hai.”

Then Touka started walking towards the buffet table with the purpose of cleaning up a bit, when she didn’t notice there was wrapping paper lying around and, since she wasn’t used to wearing high heels, she tripped on it.

“Watch out!” Kaneki yelled, and managed to grab her in time.

Touka felt Kaneki’s arms wrapped around her. Looking up, she could see his eyes staring right into hers. Both were panting, and she couldn’t help but blush when she noticed how close they were. If she were to move her head forward, their lips would meet.

“Are you alright, Touka-chan?” He asked her, his arms still wrapped around her.

“Yeah, thanks.” She breathed out, still looking into his eyes. God, she could get lost in them.

Then, he looked down and stared right into her cleavage. Touka had actually chosen to wear that dress because it showed her boobs nicely, but now she was second guessing her decision as Kaneki’s eyes stared right into them. Both blushed and quickly separated.

“I’m… I’m glad you’re okay.” Kaneki muttered, still completely red.

Touka smirked. So, he had liked her breasts. That was progress. Now, all she needed to do was to find the courage to get him alone so that she could confess her feelings already, and hopefully they would be kissing too.

“Hey.” Kaneki said suddenly. “I was wondering if…” But he couldn’t continue, for he was interrupted by a loud yell.

“KANEKI-KUN!” A wasted Tsukiyama screamed.

“Oh God.” Touka muttered. Of course Tsukiyama of all people would be the one to interrupt them.

“Yeah?” Ever kind, Kaneki said, approaching the karaoke machine where Tsukiyama was standing.

“You need to sing one last song before we leave!” Tsukiyama slurred, barely standing. Kanae was having a hard time keeping him upright.

“I don’t think so.” Kaneki answered.

“But I don’t want to be deprived of your angelical voice! Please, sing for me!” He yelled again.

Kaneki thought about it for a moment before answering. “Fine, but only if Touka-chan sings with me.” He said, looking at her with a small grin.

“Wait, me?” Touka asked, dumbfounded.

“Yeah.” Kaneki nodded, still smiling.

“But─”

“Come on, Kirishima-san, sing with him!” Tsukiyama exclaimed.

Thinking that it’d be a bother if Tsukiyama kept making a ruckus, Touka accepted, although she was internally shaking. The only time she had sung with a boy who wasn’t her brother, it had been Nishiki as a dare.

Kaneki chose the song, a romantic duet which got everyone raising their eyebrows. Next, he took her hand and led her to the center of the room. As they sang, Touka couldn’t help but question his actions. The karaoke wasn’t the first weird thing Kaneki had done all night. First, he had never left her side all night. Secondly, he had flirted with her all night. He had touched her arm and hands on repeated occasions, had whispered in her ear and had laughed at every single one of her jokes. Now, they were singing a love song. Touka didn’t want to get her hopes up, but what was she supposed to think. The only logical explanation was that he returned her feelings.

After singing, and after Tsukiyama finally went home ─Thanks, Kanae!─ they started cleaning. Everyone else, reading the atmosphere around them, thankfully left them alone, as Touka, jokingly, forced Kaneki to help her clean up. They both talked and laughed as they cleaned. Touka was feeling nervous yet again. She wanted to confess, but was second-guessing herself. Had she read the situation wrong? She cursed herself. She couldn’t go back. She had to tell him.

“Kane─”

“What do we do about the tree?” Kaneki interrupted her, staring at the tree she had set up.

She swallowed. She’d get another chance. “I think we need to take it down.” She said.

Kaneki kept looking at the tree. “Yeah, but before that, look, there’s a present underneath!” He pointed to a blue bag which was hidden under it.

“Oh, you’re right. Let me get it.” Touka said, crouching to get it. “I wonder for who is this.” She said out loud.

“Why don’t you read the tag?” He said gently.

Touka did so and she gasped when she read the tag. From: Kaneki To: Touka-chan was written in bold black letters. She turned to look at Kaneki, and found him staring at her with an intense look in his eyes and a warm smile.

“Merry Christmas, Touka-chan.”

“I… Kaneki… you shouldn’t have.” She said.

“Open it, come one.” He gestured towards the bag.

Touka nodded and started opening it, only to find a book. The cover was black, and in gold letters she could read The Tragedy of The Like-Minded Souls and A Black Centipede by Sasaki Haise. As expected, the title didn’t tell you that much about the book, and could even be said it was pretentious, but it exude the literary prowess Kaneki was famous for. It was signed by his penname, because he hated the attention in his day to day life.

“It’s your new book.” She whispered as she touched the cover.

“Yeah. And you get the first copy.” Kaneki said happily.

“When did you finish it?” Touka asked him, still admiring the novel in her hands.

“A while ago. But I didn’t want to say anything so it’d be a surprise.” He confessed.

Touka looked at him softly. “Thank you. I love it.”

“And that’s not the best part, open it.” He said.

Touka raised her eyebrows, and then opened the book. She swiftly found the dedication page. She skimmed through it, and then gasped loudly, her hands trembling as she read it.

For T:

These past four years you have always been by my side, supporting me and telling me when I’m being stupid. Thank you for listening to my rants, for encouraging me in your own unique way, for reading my drafts, and for giving me copious amounts of coffee. I would never have finished my past novels without you. Thank you very much!

I dedicate this novel to you for not only being the best co-worker I ever had, but for being my best friend, and always having my back. There’s no one like you in this world, and I hope you know I’ll always be grateful for everything you’ve done for me. And I hope that someday I not only get to call you my best friend, but my wife.

Love,

S.H.

Tears streamed down from Touka’s eyes as she read the dedication. All this time of wondering if Kaneki loved her back, and he had been as in love with her as she was in love with him, even more if he had basically proposed to her on the dedication.

“I take it you liked it?” Kaneki asked, cheeks completely read and looking more handsome than ever. She just nodded. “Good, because I wasn’t sure if─”

She didn’t let him finish, she crashed her lips on his, pouring all her love for him through the kiss. Kaneki closed his eyes and pulled her close to him, even lifting her a little. After breaking the kiss, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

“Touka-chan, will you be my girlfriend and, eventually, my wife?”

Touka’s eyes lit up. “Yes.”

They kissed again and held each other for what seemed like hours.

“But this doesn’t save you from cleaning duty.”

“I know.”

The following year would find Hinami and Ayato preparing for entering college next semester, their relationship going stronger than ever, and Ayato already planning to ask Hinami to move in with him after college. On this same date, Amon would make a fancy dinner for Akira, and after it was over, he’d take a black box from his pocket, and this time it’d be a ring, to the delight of a very proud father and boss. Meanwhile, Touka and Kaneki, with matching rings and matching smiles, would be preparing for the arrival of their first child and Kaneki’s upcoming novel in a matter of four days titled Coffee, Books, and Complete Happiness.

#tgsecretsanta2017 #touken #ayahina #akiramon

52 notes · View notes