Title: Christmas Lights
Pairing: Sakuraiba
Rating: G
Warning(s): None, I guess.
Note:.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!! Hehe I hop you enjoy this fic!! I liked writing it. I guess it goes a little fast, but eh. Whatever. Sakuraiba is just so freaking cute! :D

——

Aiba breathed out a puff of air which turned to white smoke in the chilly night. It was he 24th, his birthday and Christmas Eve. He couldn’t help but wonder why he was alone. The note had said, “Under the big Christmas tree; 24th.” He’d been sitting under that tree for at least a half hour now, and was cold. As the breeze brushed past him, he shivered and nuzzled his face into the scarf he wore around his neck. His outstretched legs bounced with impatience and nervousness, fists clenched in his pockets around the mini-teddy bear that the card had been sitting in. Looking at the clock, it said 7:00pm. He would wait another 30 minutes, an hour at the most, before he would leave the brightly lit square.

 

            Walking through the streets, Christmas floated around. Even at work the people buzzed with talk of Christmas and cake and presents and loved ones. Sho sat through this. Not in the least untouched, but pretending to be so. He had already decided on the gifts for three of the other members in Arashi. Yes, Jun, Nino, and Riida were simple, and amazingly so. The problem was Aiba.

            On Aiba, Sho’s mind lingered and stuck. For this one man, he couldn’t figure out what to get, though her know he should be the easiest. Sho pondered many possibilities but none seemed good enough. At times, he would think about the presents for the others remembering how easily ideas for their presents slipped into his mind. He would feel bad, almost guilty, because for some unknown reason anything he considered good enough for the others was not so for Aiba. Aiba stood out. Aiba glowed. Aiba deserved something great. Plus, Christmas Eve was his birthday.

            As Christmas Eve neared, every day going by faster and faster, Sho became finicky. At last, he decided to go out and shop for gifts figuring he may find something for Aiba on the way.

            For Nino, who was very simple indeed, he bought one of the newest DS games, knowing the stingy man would never buy it for himself. For Ohno, who was also very simple, he bought new paints in various bright colors. And for Jun he bought a new manga series that he would most likely enjoy.

            Even so, walking with the bag and the items inside, Sho could not think up or find anything for Aiba. Brow furrowed, he pulled out his cell phone and went straight to Aiba’s name in his contacts, thinking of calling Aiba to ask the ever popular question ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ Just as his finger was about to hit the dial button he halted. That hesitation made it impossible for Sho to call.

            Sighing, the phone went back into it’s case and Sho trudged on gloomy-faced. He walked around the square aimlessly with a blank mind. He would enter stores and look at things just to walk back out with the same one bag in hand.

            He finally gave up and sat down under the big Christmas tree, shivering. He hadn’t realized that he had already been out for hours and that it was starting to get late. He closed his eyes for a minute, breathing in the cold air and reminiscing as it burned his lungs like cold fire. When he opened them, everything was lit up beautifully. The Christmas tree glowed and twinkled like fairies played on its leaves. The lights on the stores made the square seem like a living fairytale.

            Sho smiled and stood, bag in hand. This was where he would take Aiba for his birthday. Quickly he ran into a store and grabbed a mini-teddy bear with a card holder. He jogged out of the square towards the train, spotting lights that were in the form of a teddy bear. Aiba would love that.

 

            Sho could see Aiba sitting under the tree, his legs bouncing. Sho suddenly felt stupid for doing this. His actions were of those of a childish girl in love… and he was definitely not a girl. He bit his lip at the ‘in love’ part. He clutched the two steaming coffees in his hands, one of which was Aiba’s favorite. He decided not to mull on the thought of being in love until much later and started on his way over to Aiba’s side.

 

            Aiba looked at the clock. It was now 7:30 and shivers racked his body relentlessly. He stood up and rubbed his palms together, attempting to warm them up, mini-teddy sitting in his pocket. He looked up to see his friend Sho coming towards him and his face brightened involuntarily as he started running towards him. “Sho-chan! What are you doing here?” The man’s face was red and he looked down at the two cups of coffee in his hands. The smile drooped a little on Aiba’s face and he shuffled his feet. “Were you meeting someone, Sho-chan?”

            “Er yes…no… I guess not anymore…? You look cold. Here.” He held out the warm drink to Aiba who stared blankly at the cup.

            “Isn’t it for whoever you were meeting?” Aiba asked, reluctant. He didn’t want to take something that was not originally his. His hand unintentionally went to the little bear in his pocket.

            Sho sighed. “It’s for you.” Aiba’s hand jerked and then he reached out and grabbed the cup in both hands. It warmed his hands and caused his tongue to tingle as it slid down his throat. It was his favorite type of coffee. He wondered if Sho had actually bought it for him… “So, Sho-chan. What’re you here for?”

            “Are you waiting for somebody?” Sho asked, dodging the question and still not looking Aiba in the eye.

            Aiba looked back to the spot where he has been sitting and reached into the pocket with the teddy bear again, fingering its mini Santa Claus hat. Was Sho the one who had given it to him? “Not anymore, I guess,” he replied haltingly.

            A smile twitched on Sho’s lips. “You want to go for a walk then?” he asked, finally looking Aiba in the eyes.

            “Yes!” Aiba yelled, bouncing. “Let’s go look at the lights! And those little teddy bear lights! How do they even make those?…” He rambled on but stopped short when Sho’s face suddenly neared his.

            “I knew you would like them,” he said, then kissed him on the cheek. He pulled away and grabbed Aiba’s free, freezing hand into his own. “Happy Birthday, Masaki.” Aiba stared at him wide-eyed. So it was Sho who had given him the letter and the teddy bear! But why…. No he would think about that later. “Let’s go see the teddy bear lights.” Sho suggested, looking at Aiba with eyes that warmed the cold mans body.

            “H-hai,” Aiba stuttered and was pulled along by the hand of the older man. To him, the lights shone brighter that year than any before.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS~!

メリクリスマス～！