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Winter was the least enjoyable season for Eichi by far. Sure, it had the holidays and even his birthday at the start of the new year, but the frigid cold outside would leave anyone more prone to getting sick, especially him. As such, the winters before Wataru came around had been unbearably quiet and lonely.
Wataru was a man of many words and quite a bit of noise. It was something that other people found intimidating, perhaps. but for Eichi it was a pleasant occurrence. He wasn’t loud in the obnoxious ways of Hiyori or the immature ways of Tori (although the latter had certainly come a long way), rather, his voice was a constant and welcome presence. Such was the case as he hummed a melody to himself, balancing on a chair to finish stringing lights across the panoramic windows at one end of Eichi’s StarPro office.
Eichi questioned Wataru’s decision to spend New Year’s with him like most people questioned Wataru’s everything. Even to someone like Eichi, who felt like he knew Wataru like the back of his (left) hand, the other man’s motives were as mysterious as always. Perhaps he couldn’t bear the thought of Eichi being lonely? Wishful thinking, but it was a line that filled the emperor with a certain warmth nonetheless. That warmth was enough to block out the annoying cold as Eichi made his way from the dormitory to the StarPro offices, where he’d agreed to meet Wataru at eight P.M. sharp on New Year’s Eve. A local fireworks show would be visible from the office, and it was certainly safer than standing out in the cold.
Before he even pushed the door all the way open, he knew Wataru had arrived early, thanks to the soft humming that flowed through the cracked door as he pocketed the door’s key and loosened the soft scarf around his neck just a bit. Other people might have been surprised, or even put off by an ‘intruder’ in their workspace, but Wataru being in his office could hardly count as a surprise at this point. He certainly must have learned to pick a lock, or perhaps he was disarming them using some sort of magic. Either way, it was clear he had been in the office for some time, evidenced by the strings of lights draped across the windows, the iridescent and metallic balloons tethered to one of the office plants in the corner and reading 2021 in their various colors.
“Eichi-kun~ punctual as ever!” Wataru moved with grace, long hair trailing behind him some sort of silvery-blue aura as he stepped down from the office chair and swerved through the unmoved furniture and stopped in front of Eichi, bowing slightly as he took the Emperor’s hand in his own. The soft kiss pressed the back of the bony hand left Wataru’s nose tickling from the fabric lining the ends of Eichi’s winter coat, a silly sensation that he grinned away while straightening up.
“To what do I owe such a pleasant surprise, Wataru? I didn’t expect to see my office prettied up so nicely.” Eichi returned Wataru’s small smile with one of his own, neatly placing his scarf and jacket on the desk next to where he saw Wataru’s lying. He took a good look around the office to see what Wataru had done so far: there was a small, folding table piled with mochi and other quick snacks and sweets on the far side of the nearest couch, boasting a pile of neatly-folded, warm-looking blankets. Then, there were the lights that Wataru was finishing up and the oversize balloons near the door. Knowing him, there were a few more tricks hidden up the other’s sleeve as well, given that they still had four more hours until the new year was set to roll in.
“A New Year’s celebration is incomplete without matching decorations, Eichi-kun,” Wataru informed, beaming as he moved onto the last section of the window and Eichi made himself comfortable with a few of the blankets. They were almost unreal in their softness, and he’d have to ask Wataru where he got them later. Knowing him, the likely answer would be something like Shu making them. “This is simply another tide of fortune to help us ring in the new year together. Quite... amazing, wouldn't you say?”
Well, Wataru’s enthusiasm is certainly contagious.
As if on queue, a single, deep red rose materializes in Wataru’s hand as he steps down from the chair and neatly pushes it into the corner. It’s like he doesn’t walk, rather, he glides as he makes his way to the light panel by the entrance to dim the overhead fluorescents, grabbing the remote that controls the lights off of Eichi’s desk for good measure and finally stopping in front of Eichi once more and offering the rose with a grand flourish of his free hand around the office. The hospital rooms he’s stayed in during New Years’ never really decorated for the holidays, but Wataru is entirely right about the ambience such things create. He wonders if his eyes are shining as he takes in the full room, now that the office lights are dimmed and the little strands of fairy lights on the windows sprinkle golden flecks of light across the room.
He could wax poetic forever about Wataru’s beauty in the tinted light, how the metallic-colored rays make him look like the statue of a god, things that were best filed away for later when Wataru wasn’t flitting around like one of his doves. Such lighting made him look ethereal even when doing the most mundane of things, this time fiddling with an electric kettle warming on the table of overflowing snacks. He carried that angelic image of fine equal parts wonderfully and subconsciously, even while returning with two cups similar to those you’d get at a chain coffee store, complete with the cardboard handguards. It was likely he planned it down to the minute, having the water be ready as soon as Eichi was to arrive—even the smallest of details didn’t go unnoticed. Even the little table had been catered to convenience, he thought, as he watched Wataru tug it over. There were definitely wheels on it.
Wataru finally stopped busying about the room, handing a warm cup of tea to Eichi. The blonde was careful not to disrupt the rose resting on his thighs as he threw one of the blankets over his shoulders around Wataru’s as well. Wataru always smelled faintly like roses, like he was secretly made of them or hiding them just under his skin, and that night was no exception.
“Do you celebrate like this every year?” Eichi asked, leaning carefully against Wataru. He was sturdier than Eichi, definitely less bony and more comfortable to rest on. He could picture it easily—Wataru with the rest of the Oddballs, gathered in someone’s room or out in the snow with fireworks blooming bright above a crowd of awed faces. If he were less human, perhaps that would have made him feel less jealous than it did, which was more than he really should have.
“Of course! The turning of the pages into a new year is always to be celebrated—and, Natsume-kun makes a wonderful fireworks display.” There was a light laugh gracing Wataru’s cheerful voice and Eichi nodded in agreement. Natsume with fireworks seemed like both a wonderful idea and a national threat. He didn’t doubt the younger’s ability to dabble safely with all sorts of strong-smelling and horribly named chemicals, but Eichi would prefer not to be involved with such concoctions, if possible.
“Fireworks? I’m amazed you still have all of your limbs.” The jab was light-hearted in nature, and the upturned corners of Wataru’s smile assured that the message had been received clear as day.
“Rest assured, Eichi-kun, Natsume-kun would never blow my limbs off!” Ah, he had a fair point there, didn’t he? And so, their conversation spiraled quickly into a discussion about the best types of fireworks (Wataru loved the colorful ones, Eichi was intrigued by the ones that made funny noises when they spiraled off), the best places to watch them, the theoretical ‘best way’ to spend a New Year’s Eve.
So effortlessly, their small talk fills the room for hours. Wataru is one of those people that could make any conversation interesting, and someone who never runs out of things to keep talking about. Even if he spoke of the driest, most bland subjects, he would still find a way to capture Eichi’s attention entirely. He could make the worst, most boring history lecture feel like a privilege to attend. When he talks about celebrating before coming to Yumenosaki and meeting the oddballs, it feels like the world lights up. For as loud and seemingly open as he is, Wataru isn’t easy to read and even someone like Eichi, who could claim to know him so well, would often be left in the dark trying to piece together what he was like before school.
He indulges in those tales of fireworks viewing and shrine visiting like it’s his own nostalgia, the memories he never got to make as a sickly little boy. They may as well be his own, with how vibrantly Wataru can paint a scene. In another life, he must be an internationally-acclaimed playwright, captivating minds worldwide with his stories. In his mind’s eye, Eichi too is blowing warm air onto his frozen hands as starbursts decorate the sky with the ringing bells and the cheer of others celebrating. He too is dressed in formal wear and making five-yen offerings at a shrine, beaming as he imagines his own childish wishes. He too is trying his best to make mochi with his parents and laughing as they make a mess of a kitchen too small for the cold mansions of the Tenshouin family.
“I’d like to celebrate properly with you, one year,” Eichi muses, the rim of his third cup of cooling tea pressed against his chin. “With my health permitting. I’ve always wanted to experience a real hatsumode .” And of course, it never hurts to throw in an extra wish for good, no matter how superficial it may be in the end.
“Of course, Eichi-kun~ perhaps we should visit Keito-kun’s family temple and pay him a visit one of these years?” The implication that Wataru wants to stick around Eichi for years to come doesn’t go over his head, and he finds himself nodding a little too enthusiastically (does it even need to be said that he feels the same?). He can already see Keito giving him and Wataru a fond glare as they prepare for a new year full of fortune. Keito would never act improperly at his family’s shrine, but the imminent lecture about bringing Wataru into such a special place already lingers in his mind.
Of course, Eichi will always promote the gentle harassment of Keito, and he nods in quiet agreement at that proposal.
As he’s opening his mouth to make a further suggestion, a sudden, muffled crack makes Eichi jump ever so slightly, head head whipping towards the window. Have they really passed so much time talking about the most mundane of things? The office clock agrees, displaying 11:50 on its pristine face, and the dimmed lights turn off the rest of the way with a quick press of the remote in Wataru’s hand.
Just like everyone else, Eichi was familiar with fireworks, but he can’t remember the last time he’s gotten such a good view of them, if ever. Red and gold dance across the starry sky, poking bright holes into the deep blue backdrop blanketing the city and surrounding areas. Like a child who’s never seen them before, he’s entranced immediately, lips parting in awe at the myriad colors splattering across the sky. There’s a beautiful rhythm to this display, one that must follow the beat of a song gone inaudible from their distance. Soon, the red and gold sparks have extended to encompass the full spectrum of the rainbow, shapes varying from stars to circles to that distinct firework shape exploding with pops that rattle even the building they’re in.
“I want a closer look,” Eichi says suddenly, and it’s a bit of a childish request, but as soon as the words are out he’s standing up with a blanket draped over his shoulders. The blanket is long enough to drag on the floor behind him, and Wataru hurries to join him, taking care to not trip over their (now half-eaten) snack cart. At Eichi’s side once again, Wataru tugs the blanket back up over his shoulders--the unpleasant chill from the cold air outside leaks ever so slightly through the glass.
Wataru’s barely watching the fireworks anymore, instead watching Eichi’s microexpressions as the waves of fireworks are launched. His face is so close to the glass that it fogs below his lips, and his fingertips leave prints where the press against the glass. The bright flashes of light highlight his face and reflect off of his eyes, the hue changing with the beats and booms outside. At the window, the two can just barely hear the music that filters from the streets below, filling in the gaps of the scene that were missing just at the other end of the room.
As the time until the new year ticks closer, the show grows even more magnificent and showy. Brighter colors, more fireworks launched at once, the tempo of the music under their feet growing faster and faster. By the time there’s thirty seconds left of the old year, the cheer of the crowds watching the fireworks on the street below. Fifteen seconds, and the sky glows fervently with white and gold, lit up so much that the street appears the same way it does during day time.
Three...two…
Wataru hears Eichi amused gasp as the fireworks spell out the new year in the sky, and the cheering on the road below carries up into the office. Closing his eyes for a moment, it almost feels to Eichi like he’s down on the street too, looking up at the glittering sky as the last few fireworks ring out with deafening echoes, cementing the turning of a page in everyone’s book of life.
Warmth at his cheek startles Eichi from that daydream, and he meets a grinning Wataru when he turns towards it. Ah, another New Year’s tradition he’d heard of time in and time out--giving the first kiss of the year to the person you hope to stay in love with at the turn of the year. For the first time, Eichi tears his eyes from the encore of the show to return that kiss softly and properly, one that tastes of the tea and sweet candies they’d shared in the hours prior.
“Happy New Year, Eichi-kun~ May this year bring even bigger and better things for fine and StarPro as a whole!” Wataru’s forehead presses against Eichi’s and the movement is enough for the blanket to awkwardly slip halfway down Eichi’s back. Despite the nuisance of the newly-introduced cold, Eichi doesn’t bother to fix it, a smile already beginning to light up his face.
“Happy New Year, Wataru~”
This is the most genuine smile Eichi Tenshouin thinks he’s ever had.