[Special occasion. It rebounds to the front of Hikaru's mind, this quiet, husky sound of Touya saying something about how he's been waiting to wear the kimono he's wearing now. Hikaru blinks a few times, wondering if the special occasion is about the holiday or more so about him. It'd be presumptuous to ask straight up. He wants to ask about it so bad. He wants to ask if Touya asked him to come here because he was lonely without his parents or because he wanted to be with Hikaru or just whatever else. Almost as soon as Touya sat down, he started wringing his hands together like he's worried about the fact they're sitting here. This shouldn't be worth a second guess, or any regrets.]
Oh, don't worry about it, [says Hikaru, though it's skeptically said, because he hasn't looked forward to family get-togethers for several years now.] I'll go see my grandpa sometime this week, and he's the only one I'd want to talk to, anyway, about Go and stuff... [He can't remember the last time his uncle Daisuke didn't make a drunken fool of himself, or his cousin Kyoko didn't pressure him about his lack of a love life.] You know, in the Heian era, with everyone spread out all over the place, they'd just send nengajo to one another and that was good enough. No real reason to sit in the same room all night. Self-reflection was more important. [Sai was pretty amazed to learn that nengajo could be transmitted in an instant via email. Sai was pretty amazed about a lot of things...
Hikaru's eyes finally trade the periphery for looking directly at what Touya is doing with his hands. After we pray? he wonders, too, and then he realizes Touya is talking about a New Year's visit to the shrine. That's another one of those timeless, unforgettable practices both Sai's era and this one share. Kind of incredible, when he really thinks about it. Tradition. Culture passing through the ages. His family never went to the shrine together.]
Hmm, that sounds good to me. Opening our gifts at the same time--yeah, I'd like that. [The longer he watches Touya punish his own fingers, the more it annoys the hell out of him. Those fingers are responsible for arranging the most beautiful patterns and shapes Hikaru has ever seen. Casually, like it's natural at this point, Hikaru reaches over and insists on interrupting the monotony of cracking knuckles. His fingers curve around and into Touya's, and they're still chilly from the cold air outside.] You didn't have to get me anything, though, [he adds, flashing a real smile. Materialism stopped being the goal a long time ago.] But are you gonna give me any hints about it?
no subject
Oh, don't worry about it, [says Hikaru, though it's skeptically said, because he hasn't looked forward to family get-togethers for several years now.] I'll go see my grandpa sometime this week, and he's the only one I'd want to talk to, anyway, about Go and stuff... [He can't remember the last time his uncle Daisuke didn't make a drunken fool of himself, or his cousin Kyoko didn't pressure him about his lack of a love life.] You know, in the Heian era, with everyone spread out all over the place, they'd just send nengajo to one another and that was good enough. No real reason to sit in the same room all night. Self-reflection was more important. [Sai was pretty amazed to learn that nengajo could be transmitted in an instant via email. Sai was pretty amazed about a lot of things...
Hikaru's eyes finally trade the periphery for looking directly at what Touya is doing with his hands. After we pray? he wonders, too, and then he realizes Touya is talking about a New Year's visit to the shrine. That's another one of those timeless, unforgettable practices both Sai's era and this one share. Kind of incredible, when he really thinks about it. Tradition. Culture passing through the ages. His family never went to the shrine together.]
Hmm, that sounds good to me. Opening our gifts at the same time--yeah, I'd like that. [The longer he watches Touya punish his own fingers, the more it annoys the hell out of him. Those fingers are responsible for arranging the most beautiful patterns and shapes Hikaru has ever seen. Casually, like it's natural at this point, Hikaru reaches over and insists on interrupting the monotony of cracking knuckles. His fingers curve around and into Touya's, and they're still chilly from the cold air outside.] You didn't have to get me anything, though, [he adds, flashing a real smile. Materialism stopped being the goal a long time ago.] But are you gonna give me any hints about it?