Work Text:
New Year's Eve – a saniwa-approved excuse for their swords to take a break from their assigned tasks, whether it's regiment battle rounds, expeditions or fieldwork. New Year's Eve – even the most hard-working Heshikiri, Tomoegata or Hyuuga are used to taking small breaks and clustering with other sword boys (no one can stop their lingering concerns about their overdue paperwork from Christmas, but they knew they couldn’t leave the year-end party in the main room either).
The same for Yamanbagiri Chougi; after days of daily missions followed by weekend clerical work from dusks to dawns, he is fully aware that he deserves a break. Like other swords taking charge of clerical work, he can't resist his overthought about the delayed tasks – but the real matter lingering persistently in his thoughts is neither Daihannya's attempt to make him try the champagne he got from this year's Black Friday sale several weeks ago, nor Azuki and Kenshin's invitation to their dango-and-tea gathering: he unexpectedly finds out that he couldn't see Hakusan Yoshimitsu, his sole co-worker when it comes to governmental paperwork, anywhere in this crowded party room. The party has just started for thirty minutes, but his senses (and, of course, his impatience) are certain that his teammate is neither there, nor intending to come over anytime soon.
"Seven S-ranked waves. Three A-ranked waves. First team, regiment battle... December 24th and 25th. Three, four..."
Five o'clock on a winter's eve, no wonder it is getting dark outside. In a corner far from the main room, Hakusan's laptop screen outshines the oil lamp on his right side. Hakusan is still focused on his work – he has been so concentrating on all those big numbers and percentages for hours that his Awataguchi members - even including Ichigo – hasn’t managed to distract him for just a bit. Beside Hakusan lies his fluffy fox, not fuzzing even a bit, and making absolutely no sound unless the government needs him to transmit any necessary information.
This year's battle records is due in a few hours but the government probably wouldn't touch it until the first weekday of the upcoming year. Most of the swords working in aruji's secretary room are aware of that - and it's not like no one had told him that even the government takes breaks sometimes. Yet, since he's a relatively new sword arriving from a recent Underground Treasure Chest event, it's reasonable he hasn’t got the gist of a year-end holiday that quickly – especially for a diligent Hakusan who takes full accountability for important governmental tasks with incredibly boundless stamina, and it's not like all the paperwork danshi has to deal with constant mails and calls from the Time Government either. Still, it takes him a little determination and too much responsibility to stay very unbothered by the loud runsteps of running tantous or the rich food smell from all the kitchens around the citadel.
Meanwhile, in the main room jam-packed with footsteps and noises, Chougi drifts himself even more faraway from the center of the room, thinking over and over, his nervous feelings are crafted on his face – but never for that long before a series of impulsive actions take over: pacing his way to the kitchen, and asking Shokudaikiri Mitsutada for some cool lemon slices. Very impulsive, and very easy to decipher: of course, Mitsutada would give him a large melon dish, and even some melon soda bottles aruji got from a convenient store near their real-life workplace. He leaves the kitchen with exchanged glances and whispers behind his back: Mitsutada knew, Kasen knew, aruji knew, and everyone had figured out.
Chougi knows where Hakusan stays – it isn't like he was hiding anywhere; he even leaves his doors open. He rushes to that particular room in the corner and the Awataguchi sword is obviously there, straight sitting pose, very focusing eyes – yet his thoughts are not as comprehensible. Stepping inside, Chougi hastily places the melonful dish and bottles in front of his teammate, with a slight nod from the blue-haired tsurugi in response.
- … I like melon, a lot… this one is, for me?
- It’s not like the deadline is dead-fixed, maybe rest a bit, take some melon slices and join our year-end party.
- … year-end party?
- We all have been working hard, we deserve a break and New Year’s Eve is-
Suddenly, Hakusan’s fox makes a light jolt and froze when his eyes met Chougi’s concerning scowl.
- Oh come on, your fox is being tired-
- Sorry… he’s getting a message. From the Time Government. We need a moment….
- … Okay so somehow… missing-
- So how can you still work while everyone else is enjoying the holiday season?
Chougi is a bit harsh in his tone, and Hakusan stares at Chougi, very perplexedly. After a minute, Hakusan breaks the silence, but unable to form a full sentence:
- I… holiday season… We. Still work. During the 31st. Before…
Several months in this citadel has yet to make all the terms and life phenomena clear to the tsurugi, but it's been more than enough for his observant self to catch some decent grasps of others’ emotions and feelings – which is clearly showed through how his voice was getting lower and smaller as he tried to explain himself. And Chougi has also realized something; probably something else.
He has an idea.
He creeps all the way to his room on the opposite side of the citadel; his haste walk and his sneaky grip onto his device stirs the passing-by Koryuu Kagemitsu’s curiosity and suspicions. He returns to Hakusan’s room, obviously not aware of his Osafune-mates and the kitchen team members’ following eyes.
“How about working on this together?”
A slow and light nod from the Awataguchi tsurugi.
“Before that - some melon soda.”
Some melon soda sips, several (rather awkward) exchanged melon slices to each other’s bites, and small glimpses between the two screens full of numbers and charts – Chougi probably has misunderstood what Hakusan was trying to say earlier, but it seems like his interpretation had worked this time as they are getting a lot less tense and nervous than their usual interactions during midnight paperwork sessions are. They manage to finish a week’s work in several hours, and Chougi unknowingly forms a smile as he hears Hakusan’s quiet t-thank you and catches the relief inside his eyes while he himself is trying to decipher the strange and endearing (rather than the usual haughty) pride he is feeling.
“What’s that again…, y-year-end party?”
“I think we still have like, some minutes before this year ends… come with me” – as soon as Chougi stands up, he firmly offers Hakusan a hand to lift him up. The blue-haired tsurugi almost stands up on his own, but he stares at the hand bigger than his, looking back at his hand and then becoming even more puzzled again.
“Your hand?”
“Ah, hold my hand. This is what humans sometimes do… I’m going to lift you and you stand up, and we’re heading to the main room. Everyone is waiting for us.”
“Sure.”
Hakusan places his fox onto his left shoulder, then holds onto Chougi’s hand and lifts himself up. Once both of them are no longer sitting, Chougi tries to release his teammate’s hand by a little while Hakusan loosens his own hand a bit more slowly – but somehow the Osafune uchigatana doesn’t feel like telling his teammate to have his hand immediately removed, and the dumbfounded tsurugi wouldn’t release his hand if the uchigatana doesn’t either. Therefore, they end up holding each other’s hand as they walk through the door.
Twelve at night – firework blasting, eyes watching, and light crimson fainting on their cheeks as some dozens of big and small, tall and short swordmen peak out from different nooks and crannies of the citadel and pack the hallways and surrounded them with their very wide smiles, leaving the two of them speechless.