Author's Note: For once I'm actually prompt with my Christmas fic! Anyway, this fic is a series insert, which I chose to take place sometime before the Asia Cup. And I dedicate this to all CGT fans, most especially my fellow authors. Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year! Love and peace!
THE ART OF GIVING
by Kazie Solo
The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get but what you give.
In any case, the giving of love is an education in itself.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
"I'm fine with a Christmas party, but this gift-giving arrangement is just insane."
Those words had barely left Kouya's mouth when a powerful force came hitting him on the head from seemingly out of nowhere. He stumbled forward, dazed by the impact and momentarily losing his balance; as soon as he regained it, eh whirled around and found his coffee brown eyes landing on a pretty brunette, whose hands were menacingly positioned on her hips for added impression.
"Kaoru, for crying out loud! What in the world was that for?!" he cried, clutching his throbbing head with one hand and waving his free hand frantically to get his point across. Through the times they've been together, she never seemed to have gotten over that disastrous mannerism of hers. Unfortunately, he was almost always the victim.
The girls' violet eyes narrowed even more at his inquiry. "Do I even need to answer that?!" She then sighed in exasperation, giving up on her attempt to explain the matter to their team's silly captain. "Oh forget it. Just come inside."
Kouya thought the Clubhouse couldn't get any lovelier, but it sure did. The Christmas decors, which were just dumped in a box a couple of days past, were already creatively sprinkled all over the place. Lilika and Kaoru probably worked overtime on it, and perhaps even Fuuko helped out. As the only females in their organization, they were the only ones who he thought possessed the talent for such a task. And the Christmas tree! It was a magnificent piece of furnishing that shone with shades of silver and blue – blue being their club's official color – and heaps of gifts piled underneath it.
"Hey, Kouya," Lilika greeted, looking up at him with her always warm emerald eyes. She was still fixing some of the decors at the bottom portion of the tree. "Did you bring your present?"
He lifted the brown paper bag he was carrying to indicate that he did. Still not over the fact that preparing it had been most tiresome, however, he once again whined, "Whose idea was this anyway? I mean, come on. Nothing's for free in the world now, you know."
The reply he received was another smack on the head.
Their club's deputy owner could only smile at the sight. Though they seemed to bicker and argue all the time, she knew that Kouya and Kaoru were a lot better friends than they seemed to appear to the people around them. "Now, now, you two. It's Christmas." She stopped, her smile widening, as she saw more people arrive, and rather reflexively, she pushed herself up to meet them. "Go enjoy yourselves. You're here to have fun."
He glanced at Kaoru and rolled his eyes. Would he ever, with her around?
-x-
"Finally," Kyousuke muttered, standing up from his seat. The Tobita Club's Christmas party was officially over, and the guests had already filed out and headed home. The only ones left were the core members of the group, and they stayed behind to exchange the gifts they had for each other. Eager to return home and sleep for the rest of the night, the dark-haired, spectacled boy joined his teammates, who stood in a circle in the middle of the room. He was carefully balancing a box with his two hands.
Everyone else had gifts of their own, but in varying containers and sizes. Kouya by far had the largest pouch, Kuroudo only so as much had an envelope, while Jirou didn't seem to have brought anything at all.
"To check if everyone followed the rules," Kaoru began in her authoritative manager voice, scanning the faces of her closest friends, "the recipient must open the gift immediately after receiving it. Suspicious presents will entitle us to interrogate the giver, and he has to prove that he really did not spend a single yen on what he had given. If he did, then he'd have to buy presents for all of us, to atone for his violation of the rules."
Kouya groaned audibly. "Kaoru, can't you just be thankful for a present? Gee, why do you have to make things so complicated? As if life isn't complicated enough already."
"You're such a spoilsport!" Kaoru snapped. This time, she wasn't all composed and unaffected; it seemed as though she was at the point of surrendering to Kouya's nasty tongue. Sure, she had taken his words well the previous times, but it was annoying at how he wouldn't give the issue a rest. To make matters worse, his snide comments on the issue were now aimed directly at her, and she didn't like it. Teasing was fine, but this wasn't anymore.
"Would you two ever cut it out? You fight like a married couple already! Perhaps you ought to get married. I'll be the best man, alright?" Jirou commented with a laugh, the others agreeing with him, and his remark made the two turn red and, consequently, shut up.
"So, let's start? Who's up first?"
"Well, since Kyousuke's itching to get this done with, why don't we let him go on ahead?"
The Gear Master flashed the blonde a scowl, his eyes narrowing drastically at his remark. While it seemed like any other suggestion, he had sensed the hint of sarcasm behind those words. After all, that was who Kuroudo was, the Master of Sarcasm. And the fact that they still weren't in very good terms brought about the tendency for him to be spiteful. And vice-versa. Turning away from the other young man, he held out his gift and said, "I got-"
"No, wait! Describe the person first!" their captain quickly interrupted.
Another scowl appeared on the genius' features. "She's our manager."
Kouya sighed. "Spoilsport."
"So are you," Kaoru muttered under her breath, glancing sideways at the brunette. It seemed as though she had something more to say, probably an insult or two in revenge for his nasty remarks, but she couldn't say anything more as Kyousuke handed over her present. It was quite heavy that she immediately knew it wasn't made out of recycled materials, like her present was. "Thank you, Gear Master."
Her 'Thank you, Gear Master' grew into a shriek as she finished opening her gift. Kyousuke had built her a Gear, her own Gear, though he didn't bother to name it as he wanted her to be the one to. He had created it with spare parts, he explained, and the tools he threw along were extra ones, too, so he didn't violate the rules she had set for their exchange.
She smirked. "And the electricity?"
"That's part of it?!" Kyousuke cried in disbelief.
"Just kidding!"
Kaoru up next, she showed off the medium-sized, handmade paper bag she was holding, grinning playfully as she did so. The others couldn't help but laugh at how shabbily made it was, but she didn't mind. It was what one called labor of love. "This one I have here is for the most annoying, stubborn and dimwitted person in the club," she shifted her gaze to Kouya, who had flinched when she had done so, "who, despite all that, is still my friend. Merry Christmas, Kouya."
Jirou expressed his disbelief that they're just friends by exploding into a coughing fit.
"Uh, thanks, Kaoru. I guess." The brunette took the bag, opened it, and pulled out what was inside. He frowned, his russet orbs narrowing as he attempted to identify what the mass of recycled materials was supposed to be. He was quci to give up. "What's this?"
"It's a teddy bear, dummy!"
Her eyes flashed in anger, and tears glistened at the corners. All her hard work, and yet Kouya was being so ungrateful. However, the sudden pang of pain and disappointment that hit her lasted only for a second; as he smiled in appreciation, so did she.
The 'teddy bear' was cute, he had to admit, though it wasn't the best-looking teddy bear in the world. Its head was made of cloth stuffed with cotton – Kaoru probably used an old dress of hers, or maybe a handkerchief. Its body was a basketball of the smallest size, the kiddy squeezable one; its limbs were made out of felt paper and stuffed with newspaper. On its head was a Santa cap, a cotton ball dangling from the tip, and embroidered near the base was his name.
"It's girly," he remarked after examining it. "But, thanks. Really."
"And the lovers reconcile."
Together, they snapped, "Shut up, Jirou!"
"Oh yeah, my gift!" Kouya carefully put the bear back into the bag and set it on the floor next to him, and then he held out his present. A knowing, teasing expression played on his youthful features. "This present is for someone who had been of great help to the club. We've learned things from him. Well, most especially me. I'm just happy that he decided to join the club. Though, now that I remember it, he wouldn't have joined had it not been for Lilika."
"Hey!"
"Enjoy, Jirou!" He passed the paper bag to him. "I tell you, I spent nothing on that, but it cost me my sweat!"
Jirou, excited to know what their captain had prepared for him, opened his present – and laughed. He took out of one of the red bean buns Kouya proudly announced that he made himself and tasted it. While it was far from being the most delicious ones he had tasted, it was palatable enough for his taste buds. Grinning, he turned to Kouya and asked, with a knowing expression on his face, "Now what are you bribing me for?"
Another round of laughter erupted; Kouya, Jirou and Kaoru remembering the origin of the joke all too well. Kyousuke, being the curmudgeon that he was, quickly pointed out his irritation of not knowing what it was all about, and so Jirou decided to move on with his turn and save the other red bean bun jokes with Kouya for later. He drew something from the pockets of his trousers, and everyone else was amazed at what it was.
It was a piece of paper.
Kouya was going to comment on it, but Kaoru elbowed him on the ribs for him to shut up. She gestured to him to observe Jirou intently, and as soon as he noticed that he was trembling and blushing, he knew exactly who the present was for. There was only one person who could do that to Jirou, after all. "If that's a poem," he told Kaoru with a smirk, "I am so going to die of laughter when it's all over."
The athlete took a deep breath.
"Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika,
For what is Christmas without love?
She's got a heart more precious than gold,
A heart full of kindness, compassion and sincerity.
Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika,
For what is Christmas without beauty?
She's an angel on Earth, grace unmatched,
Her face the mirror of all that is good.
Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika,
For what is Christmas without joy?
Her soul dances to the tune of laughter,
And her spirit touches the hearts of many.
Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika,
For what is Christmas without hope?
The words she says bring light to the soul,
And her voice resonates with the truth.
Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika,
For what is Christmas without her?"
The silence was deafening when he finished, and he was already so embarrassed, he wanted to just melt and evaporate into thin air. While it was no secret that he liked Lilika, he just couldn't think of any other gif that he resorted to one that spelt his death sentence. If he wasn't going to die of embarrassment – or Lilika, for that matter; she was already blushing furiously – then Kouya would die of laughter. He just didn't know what would happen first.
Kouya then erupted in laughter. "Jirou! You – you've got talent!"
"Christmas isn't Christmas without Lilika," Kaoru mimicked in a deep, phony voice that sent everyone else laughing. She was aware that it wasn't good to embarrass their deputy owner like that, but Jirou was another story. He had picked on her and Kouya earlier; it was her turn for revenge. Okay, so it was Christmas, but hey, they were gathered together to have fun, weren't they?
Lilika decided to end the issue, though temporarily, by thanking Jirou and moving on with her turn. But as she began to speak, there was still a rosy tinge on her cheeks. "My gift is something I made myself, even though I haven't knitted in a long time." She lifted her paper bag high enough for everyone else to see, and it appeared to be pretty bulky. "It's for our club's quiet pillar; the epitome of confidence, stability, and reason. Have a happy Christmas, Kuroudo."
As she handed her gift to the blonde Gear Fighter she saw Kyousuke roll his eyes in disagreement to her description of him. She hoped that Kuroudo didn't notice, but the look on his eyes of sapphire blue indicated that he had.
But he didn't show it. "Thank you, Lilika," he blurted out, smiling, and as soon as he pulled out his present from the bag, he put it on to show it off to everyone else. It was a sweater, bluish-white in color with the number 03 – his jersey number – embedded on the upper portion of the right sleeve. Almost everyone commented that it looked good on him, and Kaoru even went as far as saying that it made him look even more dashing and handsome than he already was. That earned a glare from Kouya, but he only smiled in acknowledgment and afterwards acted like he hadn't heard anything.
The only one who didn't have a compliment for him was Kyousuke.
It was also then when the others realized that the recipient of Kuroudo's present was none other than his former best friend and teammate, back in their Griffon years. They watched him intently with curious eyes, wondering what he had to give.
Kuroudo handed the Gear Master an envelope. It was obviously a card.
Kyousuke opened it, showed the design – a pretty painting that made Kouya say that Kuroudo had much too many talents for his own good – and read the dedication silently. He then put the card back in the envelope, and slid it inside his pocket. He didn't smile or show any emotion of appreciation, not even of acknowledgment. The blonde, on the other hand, appeared as nonchalant as ever, and while their teammates wanted to intervene, they knew better than to mess with the two.
To shatter the spell of silence that had fallen upon them, Lilika started applauding, and the rest took the cue. "That was great, guys. The best exchange of gifts I've ever experienced." Seeing the teasing looks on the faces of Kouya and Kaoru, she couldn't help but blush once more. "Thank you for coming up with this, Kaoru. It was really creative. Hopefully you'll be able to come up with something of this kind for next year, so the fun continues."
"I think we should let Kouya decide for next year," the female brunette said, "so he'll stop being such a whiner."
"Whiner?! Who are you calling a whiner?! I'm not a whiner! Why you-!" He started to chase Kaoru around the Clubhouse, the latter screaming and shrieking as he did so. He later on managed to tackle her to the floor, and they wrestled a bit, but then they grew tired of what they were doing and just went back to laughing. They didn't even bother to get up.
"Get a room!" Jirou exclaimed, laughing.
Despite the whining and the bickering, it was still a fun night.
-x-
Having to take the same direction to get back to their homes, Kuroudo and Kyousuke walked home together, but they made sure they were far, far apart from each other. None of them made a sound; all they could hear were the noises of the crickets, their footsteps, and the roaring of the engines, the main road a short distance away. They stayed that way for how many minutes, ten to fifteen perhaps, but when it came for them to part ways at the fork on the road, the silence had to be broken.
The question was, who would put away his pride this time?
"Hey, Kuroudo? Thanks for the card."
The blonde nodded in acknowledgment. "I couldn't think of anything else to give you," he said with a shrug, before he turned his back on the Gear Master. "It's getting late. Wish your dad Merry Christmas for me."
Kyousuke watched, watched him leave, watched him disappear into the darkness. When Kuroudo was out of his sight, he sighed heavily, leaning against the lamppost behind him for support. How long would it have to continue? He was tired, yes, but he wasn't ready to expose to the world, to his ex-best friend most especially, that he was being the martyr again.
Then, not really knowing what tugged at his heart for him to do so, he took out the card to examine it once more. The design was simple, but it was perfect for the occasion; it was a painting of four boys goofing around by a Christmas tree. He couldn't tell if the other two were supposed to be their current or former teammates, but he was sure that the boy wearing glasses was meant to represent him, and the one sitting next to the said boy, with blonde hair, was Kuroudo.
He flipped the page to get to the dedication. It was the fancy kind, a Christmas wish of happiness and good cheer, which he had already read back at the Clubhouse. However, as he stared harder, he noticed that there was another leaf, carefully hidden by the swirl of colors and splotches that was to add beauty and life to the card. Gingerly lifting the page with the said message to make sure that no damage would come upon the card, he found another note.
Kyousuke,
I don't hate you. Or I wouldn't have joined the Club. I just wanted you to know that. I understand that you don't want to have anything to do with me, but Kouya and the rest are nice people. Don't shut them out of your life. Get to know them better. Make them your friends. They'll make better ones than I was.
And just take it easy. Life is short. I don't want you to wake up one day and realize that you've missed out on the best parts.
Merry Christmas.
KuroudoHe held the card against his chest and closed his eyes, savoring the message he had just read. Ever since that day their friendship got frozen in eyes, he had hoped to hear what Kuroudo had to say. Not about the microchip incident, but about them. And finally, after over a year of wondering – and feeding on the bitter words at their last exchange, even – he knew. Kuroudo didn't hate him. Kuroudo was still concerned about him, though he rarely, very rarely, showed it.
Maybe they could be best of friends again.
-x-
"Need a lift?"
Lilika had just emerged from the Clubhouse, having done whatever was needed to be done before leaving it, and to her surprise he found a black limousine parked right in front of it. She raised an eyebrow at the young man who was leaning against it with his arms crossed in front of his chest coolly. "What are you doing here, Takeshi?" she asked. What indeed, was he doing outside the Tobita Clubhouse at such a time? He was definitely not invited to their party, despite the fact that he was the captain before Kouya's takeover – he just wasn't welcome. And he couldn't possibly be just out for a ride.
He pushed himself away from the vehicle and smiled as he approached. "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner. My treat - a gift, a peace offering. It's the least I can do after all the trouble I caused you." He frowned slightly, his tanned features expressing his disappointment. "But you seem tired. Would you allow me to accompany you home instead?"
"No, it's fine."
His voice was soft. "Very well, then."
Nodding at her in farewell, he fixed his jacket and turned away, heading back to his car. She followed him with her gaze for a few heartbeats, but just before he completely slipped out of her range, she went after him and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to a halt. "I said it's fine," she repeated, gazing into his deep brown eyes with her green ones. She felt his gaze on her, too, and she felt the comfort of his presence. "Let's have dinner."
Takeshi smiled. It was going to be a wonderful Christmas.
-end-