(no subject)
For Drelfina, who had a birthday! WOOT! Happy birthday, Drel! :D
A Courtship in Fugly 1/1
"Happy birthday!"
Genma stared at the most hideous lamp he'd ever seen. It look like a dog had puked and someone had wired it for light. "You forgot my birthday, didn't you?" he said blandly, already knowing the answer.
Raidou's smile faltered. "No…"
"Yes, you did." It was the only explanation.
"I saw this and thought of you!" Raidou gestured to the monster hopefully.
Genma stared at it. "You saw the ugliest thing in the world, and you thought of me?"
"Yeah…? I… it's a gift. Because you’re my best friend?"
Genma looked up at his long time partner at last. "…Okay," he said simply.
Raidou grinned.
**
(Several months later)
"Happy birthday!"
Raidou pulled the lid off the box and peered inside, looking rather constipated. "Didn't I give this to you for *your* birthday?"
Genma smiled pleasantly.
"I did."
"And it's still the most hideous thing ever," Genma said happily. "And now it's your most hideous thing ever." He clapped Raidou on the shoulder. "Happy birthday."
**
(Several months after THAT…)
"What this?" Genma asked, taking the awkward package with one hand and settling it on his lap, over the hospital blankets.
"A get-well gift," Raidou answered, his smile slightly twisted by burn scars as he pulled up a chair and sat down.
Genma tore it open excitedly. Paused when he could see what it was. Chuckled. "You dickhead," he said in all fondness, pulling out the puke-lamp.
Raidou grinned. "But I also brought you dinner." He held up two take-out bags.
"You're forgiven," Genma said with heartfelt sincerity.
Raidou laughed and started spooning out food. "Wow. Gifts, dinner… it's almost like a date." When he glanced up, Genma was watching him.
"Yeah?" the other ninja said softly.
Raidou smiled nervously and ducked his head. "Well… it could be." He stared at his hands, busy with food, until Genma's fingers brushed his knuckles.
"Yeah."
**
(And… you get the idea.)
"Aw, that's sweet," Raidou said, looking at the gift Genma was holding out to him. "What's it for?"
"We started dating a year ago," Genma said, and wiggled the object. Raidou still hadn't taken it.
"Really?" the burn scarred man said. "You don't normally remember anniversaries."
"I remembered this one. Here." Genma shoved it toward him.
Raidou didn't take it. "But, funny thing, it looks about the size of that lamp."
"Is not," Genma said, surprised. "It's a different weight."
"Sadly, I'll never know that, because as soon as I take it you'll bolt. I'm not getting stuck with that thing." Raidou smiled cheerily.
Genma's eyes narrowed.
**
"Sign here," the kid drawled, slope-eyed and bored.
Raidou signed, curious as to who from Sand was sending him things. He didn't recognize the address…
The kid shoved the box at him, took the signed paperwork, and headed off down the drive.
"What is it?" Genma asked, slouched on the couch, his stockinged feet up on the coffee table, having spent the night. Bad mission. Bad missions meant spending nights.
So did late nights.
And good missions.
And good news.
And bad news.
And--you get the idea.
"A package." Raidou pulled a kunai out of a hip pocket and sliced the box open. He looked in stunned amazement at the puke-lamp.
From the couch, Genma smirked at him.
**
Genma slid through the shadows, muttering internally about stupid thief missions for stupid objects that weren't even properly described…
And paused at the designated location. Son of a bitch. He couldn't leave it here, because it was a MISSION and he'd have to report it failed.
Annoyed, and with grudging admiration for his lover, he picked the lamp up and slunk back out of the house.
**
Raidou looked around the bar, grinning at familiar faces, catching Genma around the waist and pulling him close. This was a great birthday. Exactly the kind he'd needed, and somehow his lover had known just that.
"Lots of people," Genma murmured into his ear, making his skin prickle.
Raidou smiled and nodded. "You gonna stay at my place tonight?" Alone in a sea of laughter, they spoke quietly and quickly, knowing that in a moment another friend would want Raidou's attention.
"I stayed last night."
Raidou leaned in to place a soft kiss on Genma's temple. "Stay tonight. And the night after. And the night after that…"
He felt Genma shiver, nod. "Yeah," he said faintly. "I--yeah."
"Raidou?"
He jumped and glanced over at Ebisu, who was holding a large bag with colorful paper stuffed in the top.
"I have to go, but I got you this gift. I hope you appreciate it." He smiled and offered the bag.
"Thank you, Ebisu-san," Raidou said, surprised and touched that the man would have done such a thing. He took the bag and pulled out the paper--
Oh. He stared at the lamp. Then at Genma.
Genma smiled and sipped his beer.
**
"What is the point in trying to give me that?" Genma laughed, backing away from the box labeled "Dog Puke." "We live together now, no matter who has it." They'd even outgrown the apartment after a few months; the house was bigger. It should last them a while longer. But there would never be room for that lamp. "We should just toss it."
"It's the first time I ever remembered your birthday!" Raidou said in horror, standing in the middle of boxes and crates.
"You remembered my birthday thirty seconds before you saw me! It's the first thing you found! C'mon, tell me I'm wrong."
Raidou looked guilty.
"See?" Genma grinned. After well over a year of dating, he knew his partner pretty damn well.
"Well. Yours now," Raidou said, grinning. "Catch."
"Hell no!" Genma snapped, and kicked hard at the box as it came sailing toward his head. He was NOT taking responsibility for that thing!
It hit the ground. It didn't shatter.
Surprised, he peered at the box. Finally bent to open it. Inside was a rock to lend it weight, and a single sheet of paper with two words. 'Marry me?'
Genma looked up.
Raidou grinned.
**
The wedding party had been a rousing success; their house was full, their yard was full, and ninja and civilians both had been coming and going for almost two days. It was wonderful.
Raidou found Ibiki standing in front of their lamp, staring at it in fascination.
"Like it?" he asked cheerfully, knowing damn well it wasn't possible for ANYONE to like it.
"It's… unique."
Raidou grinned. "It's Genma's."
"Is not! Don't even think about attributing that to me!" Genma said loudly, hurrying over.
"I gave it to him as a wedding gift," Raidou added.
"You gave me a NOTE that said it was mine. Doesn't count unless the lamp actually changes hands, and I'm not picking it up." Genma stood on Ibiki's other side, glaring at the offending bit of furniture.
"Well, like you said, it doesn't really matter who's the owner since we live together now."
"It matters!" Genma snapped. "I'm not the owner!"
"If neither of you particularly care for it," Ibiki said slowly, frowning, "why don't you get rid of it?"
Raidou looked at Genma. Genma looked at Raidou. They both turned to look at Ibiki, eyes gleaming like hyenas sensing a kill.
Somehow, Ibiki didn't notice. It was probably the effects of the lamp.
"You know," Raidou said slowly, "that isn't a bad idea."
**
"Ibiki?" Shizune said, sticking her head around the corner. "This package just arrived for you…"
--End
A Courtship in Fugly 1/1
"Happy birthday!"
Genma stared at the most hideous lamp he'd ever seen. It look like a dog had puked and someone had wired it for light. "You forgot my birthday, didn't you?" he said blandly, already knowing the answer.
Raidou's smile faltered. "No…"
"Yes, you did." It was the only explanation.
"I saw this and thought of you!" Raidou gestured to the monster hopefully.
Genma stared at it. "You saw the ugliest thing in the world, and you thought of me?"
"Yeah…? I… it's a gift. Because you’re my best friend?"
Genma looked up at his long time partner at last. "…Okay," he said simply.
Raidou grinned.
**
(Several months later)
"Happy birthday!"
Raidou pulled the lid off the box and peered inside, looking rather constipated. "Didn't I give this to you for *your* birthday?"
Genma smiled pleasantly.
"I did."
"And it's still the most hideous thing ever," Genma said happily. "And now it's your most hideous thing ever." He clapped Raidou on the shoulder. "Happy birthday."
**
(Several months after THAT…)
"What this?" Genma asked, taking the awkward package with one hand and settling it on his lap, over the hospital blankets.
"A get-well gift," Raidou answered, his smile slightly twisted by burn scars as he pulled up a chair and sat down.
Genma tore it open excitedly. Paused when he could see what it was. Chuckled. "You dickhead," he said in all fondness, pulling out the puke-lamp.
Raidou grinned. "But I also brought you dinner." He held up two take-out bags.
"You're forgiven," Genma said with heartfelt sincerity.
Raidou laughed and started spooning out food. "Wow. Gifts, dinner… it's almost like a date." When he glanced up, Genma was watching him.
"Yeah?" the other ninja said softly.
Raidou smiled nervously and ducked his head. "Well… it could be." He stared at his hands, busy with food, until Genma's fingers brushed his knuckles.
"Yeah."
**
(And… you get the idea.)
"Aw, that's sweet," Raidou said, looking at the gift Genma was holding out to him. "What's it for?"
"We started dating a year ago," Genma said, and wiggled the object. Raidou still hadn't taken it.
"Really?" the burn scarred man said. "You don't normally remember anniversaries."
"I remembered this one. Here." Genma shoved it toward him.
Raidou didn't take it. "But, funny thing, it looks about the size of that lamp."
"Is not," Genma said, surprised. "It's a different weight."
"Sadly, I'll never know that, because as soon as I take it you'll bolt. I'm not getting stuck with that thing." Raidou smiled cheerily.
Genma's eyes narrowed.
**
"Sign here," the kid drawled, slope-eyed and bored.
Raidou signed, curious as to who from Sand was sending him things. He didn't recognize the address…
The kid shoved the box at him, took the signed paperwork, and headed off down the drive.
"What is it?" Genma asked, slouched on the couch, his stockinged feet up on the coffee table, having spent the night. Bad mission. Bad missions meant spending nights.
So did late nights.
And good missions.
And good news.
And bad news.
And--you get the idea.
"A package." Raidou pulled a kunai out of a hip pocket and sliced the box open. He looked in stunned amazement at the puke-lamp.
From the couch, Genma smirked at him.
**
Genma slid through the shadows, muttering internally about stupid thief missions for stupid objects that weren't even properly described…
And paused at the designated location. Son of a bitch. He couldn't leave it here, because it was a MISSION and he'd have to report it failed.
Annoyed, and with grudging admiration for his lover, he picked the lamp up and slunk back out of the house.
**
Raidou looked around the bar, grinning at familiar faces, catching Genma around the waist and pulling him close. This was a great birthday. Exactly the kind he'd needed, and somehow his lover had known just that.
"Lots of people," Genma murmured into his ear, making his skin prickle.
Raidou smiled and nodded. "You gonna stay at my place tonight?" Alone in a sea of laughter, they spoke quietly and quickly, knowing that in a moment another friend would want Raidou's attention.
"I stayed last night."
Raidou leaned in to place a soft kiss on Genma's temple. "Stay tonight. And the night after. And the night after that…"
He felt Genma shiver, nod. "Yeah," he said faintly. "I--yeah."
"Raidou?"
He jumped and glanced over at Ebisu, who was holding a large bag with colorful paper stuffed in the top.
"I have to go, but I got you this gift. I hope you appreciate it." He smiled and offered the bag.
"Thank you, Ebisu-san," Raidou said, surprised and touched that the man would have done such a thing. He took the bag and pulled out the paper--
Oh. He stared at the lamp. Then at Genma.
Genma smiled and sipped his beer.
**
"What is the point in trying to give me that?" Genma laughed, backing away from the box labeled "Dog Puke." "We live together now, no matter who has it." They'd even outgrown the apartment after a few months; the house was bigger. It should last them a while longer. But there would never be room for that lamp. "We should just toss it."
"It's the first time I ever remembered your birthday!" Raidou said in horror, standing in the middle of boxes and crates.
"You remembered my birthday thirty seconds before you saw me! It's the first thing you found! C'mon, tell me I'm wrong."
Raidou looked guilty.
"See?" Genma grinned. After well over a year of dating, he knew his partner pretty damn well.
"Well. Yours now," Raidou said, grinning. "Catch."
"Hell no!" Genma snapped, and kicked hard at the box as it came sailing toward his head. He was NOT taking responsibility for that thing!
It hit the ground. It didn't shatter.
Surprised, he peered at the box. Finally bent to open it. Inside was a rock to lend it weight, and a single sheet of paper with two words. 'Marry me?'
Genma looked up.
Raidou grinned.
**
The wedding party had been a rousing success; their house was full, their yard was full, and ninja and civilians both had been coming and going for almost two days. It was wonderful.
Raidou found Ibiki standing in front of their lamp, staring at it in fascination.
"Like it?" he asked cheerfully, knowing damn well it wasn't possible for ANYONE to like it.
"It's… unique."
Raidou grinned. "It's Genma's."
"Is not! Don't even think about attributing that to me!" Genma said loudly, hurrying over.
"I gave it to him as a wedding gift," Raidou added.
"You gave me a NOTE that said it was mine. Doesn't count unless the lamp actually changes hands, and I'm not picking it up." Genma stood on Ibiki's other side, glaring at the offending bit of furniture.
"Well, like you said, it doesn't really matter who's the owner since we live together now."
"It matters!" Genma snapped. "I'm not the owner!"
"If neither of you particularly care for it," Ibiki said slowly, frowning, "why don't you get rid of it?"
Raidou looked at Genma. Genma looked at Raidou. They both turned to look at Ibiki, eyes gleaming like hyenas sensing a kill.
Somehow, Ibiki didn't notice. It was probably the effects of the lamp.
"You know," Raidou said slowly, "that isn't a bad idea."
**
"Ibiki?" Shizune said, sticking her head around the corner. "This package just arrived for you…"
--End