[fic] Tanjou iwai (HaruToki3)
Title: 誕生祝い (birthday celebration)
Fandom: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 - Unmei no Labyrinth
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Haruka, but I would accept Hinoe as a gift. ^^
Notes: Set post-Labyrinth, post-Hinoe ED. Happy birthday to my favorite Hachiyou. ♥
Tanjou iwai
Hinoe leapt, snagging a tree branch and hauling himself up. He knew Nozomi was still awake, because the light in her room was on. Each night when she went to bed she turned off the main light and settled under her covers by the glow of her bedside lamp. He knew this, because he often stood at the base of the tree he currently occupied, watching her drawn curtains until even the lamplight was switched off.
Thus filled with confidence, Hinoe climbed up until he was level with her window before digging his cell phone out of his pocket and hitting his first speed dial. It was her cell, of course. Even emergencies ranked second to his beloved.
He counted the soft, tinny bleats coming from his own phone and imagined he could hear hers ringing inside, playing a tinkling melody that she had downloaded a month back. Hinoe’s thoughts were interrupted by the welcome sound of her voice.
“Hello, Hinoe-kun? Where did you disappear to today? I searched all over for you!”
A pleased smile curved his lips. “Did you miss me, Hime-gimi?”
Her breath hit the phone, and he wondered if it was supposed to be an exasperated sigh. “I wanted to see you today. It was your birthday, I had a present for you.”
A chuckle filled his voice with warm amusement. “Why the past tense? There’s still time left before midnight?”
“But- It’s past eleven, Hinoe-kun! I can’t come out and meet you now.”
The regret in her tone filled his heart with a heavy but not unwelcome weight. “Don’t come out? Go to your window, Nozomi.”
He could hear her fumble with her phone. “My window?” Hinoe saw her outline against the curtain before she pulled it back, bathing his tree in light. Nozomi held a hand up to the glass to block the light's glare on her side of the glass, searching first the ground below her window and then the tree in front of it. “Hinoe-kun, what are you doing up there?” she asked, and he noticed a slight lag in the movement of her mouth to the sound in his ear.
“I came to see you, Hime-gimi.” Tilting his head to the side in a way that he knew she found endearing he added, “Can I come in?”
Nozomi was silent for a moment, probably to consider the ramifications of letting a teenage boy into her room this late. Without warning she flipped her phone shut, effectively ending their call, but she finally reached over and flipped the latch, pushing open her window and carefully removing the screen to let him jump into her room. She stood aside as he did so, propping the screen up against her wall and closing the window behind him to keep out the cool, early-spring evening air. “Where were you today?” she asked as she turned to him, one hand on her hip.
Smiling, Hinoe attempted a step toward her even though Nozomi’s posture warned against it. “I was out,” he answered vaguely.
“Celebrating?” A frown marred her features.
Hinoe winced inwardly. The single word managed to sound hurt and accusing all at once. “Of course not,” he corrected gently. “Hime-gimi... I’m not used to this making a big deal out of birthdays thing, you know? Back in Kumano, the only year that mattered to me was when I came of age and inherited the title of Bettou.” He decided to chance it and moved close enough to take her hands in his. “I promise you, I was not spending my day, ah, carousing.” He nodded, rather proud of himself for remembering the English word.
“I tried calling you. Three times. Were you ignoring me?”
Someday he would admit to her just how lethal that wide-eyed, vulnerable expression of hers really was, but in the meantime he pulled her into hug. “Wasn’t ignoring you, Nozomi. I just wasn’t ready to see you yet.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt, and she tilted her head back to look at him.
Releasing her from his arms, he stuck his left hand into the pouch on his belt. From it he retrieved a small white box, flat and square, with a red bow stuck to one corner. “This is what I mean,” he explained, holding it out to her.
“B-but! It’s your birthday, Hinoe-kun, not mine,” Nozomi protested. “I should be giving you a gift!”
He chuckled and continued to hold out the box. “You will be?” Ruby eyes twinkled with both amusement and anticipation. “Why don’t you open it and see.”
Still uncertain, Nozomi reached out and gingerly took the box from him. She lifted the lid to reveal its contents and gasped. Laying on a bed of white faux velvet lay a silver ring strung on a delicate-looking silver chain. Nozomi poked her pointer finger through the ring, picking it up to examine it this way. A red stone not unlike the one Hinoe always wore in the other world winked back at her. “Hinoe-kun...”
“I know that wearing a ring has such significance in your time, so I thought...” He found himself stumbling, unable to remember the well-rehearsed speech he had spent the day preparing. “Cuz it’s on a chain, you see, so you won’t have to wear it on your finger until you’re ready.”
Tears shone in her green eyes as she looked from the gift to him and back again. “Thank you, Hinoe-kun...” Nozomi wiggled the ring off her finger and held the box out to him. “Help me put it on?”
As soon as he took the chain from her she turned her back and gathered her hair to one side, holding it up out of his way. Hinoe smiled to himself and resisted the urge to do anything more than fasten the delicate clasp at the nape of her neck. When she faced him once more her fingertips were already reaching up to brush at the ring where it lay against her skin.
“It suits you, Hime-gimi,” he murmured, letting his fingers trail over hers. He was rewarded with her sudden blush and stammer.
“That’s, um...” Nozomi abruptly pulled away, blurting out, “That’s right! Your present...” She walked over to her desk where a thin but large rectangular package lay. She smiled down at the brightly-colored wrapping paper dotted with balloons of every color then scooped it up and offered it to him. “Happy birthday, Hinoe-kun.”
Hinoe grinned as he accepted the gift, a bit surprised at its weight. With his free hand he gestured toward the foot of her bed. “May I...?” At Nozomi’s nod he sat down, holding his present in both hands. He caught a seam in the paper with one finger, tearing into it, and when it came away he found himself speechless, staring down at the familiar yet foreign landscape of modern-day Kumano.
“I didn’t really know what you would like,” Nozomi hurried to explain, “but I saw this at the bookstore and I thought... I know it’s not the same as your Kumano, but...”
Letting the wrapping fall to the floor, Hinoe examined the hardcover photo book. “No, this is...” He trailed off, lifting up the cover. Hinoe had seen it before, flipped through it once at a bookstore, but the beauty of his homeland still brought a fond smile to his face. “Thank you, Nozomi...” He closed the book but continued to hold onto it, gazing up at her. “It’s perfect, thank you.”
She smiled, reassured, and moved to sit beside him. “I thought... maybe we could look at it together, and you could tell me more about it. Your Kumano.”
Hinoe nodded. “Of course we can. But...” He gave a rueful glance at her clock. “It’s getting late, Hime-gimi, so that’ll have to wait until next time.” Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, he stood up. “Sleep well, Nozomi. Dream of me?”
Instead of the blush he was expecting, Nozomi smiled. “Perhaps I will.”
Her answer made it hard to turn and walk over to her window and open it, but Hinoe made himself do so, pausing at her windowsill. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised with a wink before leaping out and twisting in mid-air to land on a branch thick enough to support his weight. Hinoe gracefully climbed one-handed down to the ground and looked up to see her silhouette hovering at her window. He shot her a grin and a jaunty wave before disappearing into the night.
~ ~ ~
Finally, a decent birthday fic for you, Hinoe, instead of an April Fools type-o-thing. Not a Benkei in sight! XD Luckily I've made it through the day unscathed too unless you count the weather.
Fandom: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 - Unmei no Labyrinth
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Haruka, but I would accept Hinoe as a gift. ^^
Notes: Set post-Labyrinth, post-Hinoe ED. Happy birthday to my favorite Hachiyou. ♥
Tanjou iwai
Hinoe leapt, snagging a tree branch and hauling himself up. He knew Nozomi was still awake, because the light in her room was on. Each night when she went to bed she turned off the main light and settled under her covers by the glow of her bedside lamp. He knew this, because he often stood at the base of the tree he currently occupied, watching her drawn curtains until even the lamplight was switched off.
Thus filled with confidence, Hinoe climbed up until he was level with her window before digging his cell phone out of his pocket and hitting his first speed dial. It was her cell, of course. Even emergencies ranked second to his beloved.
He counted the soft, tinny bleats coming from his own phone and imagined he could hear hers ringing inside, playing a tinkling melody that she had downloaded a month back. Hinoe’s thoughts were interrupted by the welcome sound of her voice.
“Hello, Hinoe-kun? Where did you disappear to today? I searched all over for you!”
A pleased smile curved his lips. “Did you miss me, Hime-gimi?”
Her breath hit the phone, and he wondered if it was supposed to be an exasperated sigh. “I wanted to see you today. It was your birthday, I had a present for you.”
A chuckle filled his voice with warm amusement. “Why the past tense? There’s still time left before midnight?”
“But- It’s past eleven, Hinoe-kun! I can’t come out and meet you now.”
The regret in her tone filled his heart with a heavy but not unwelcome weight. “Don’t come out? Go to your window, Nozomi.”
He could hear her fumble with her phone. “My window?” Hinoe saw her outline against the curtain before she pulled it back, bathing his tree in light. Nozomi held a hand up to the glass to block the light's glare on her side of the glass, searching first the ground below her window and then the tree in front of it. “Hinoe-kun, what are you doing up there?” she asked, and he noticed a slight lag in the movement of her mouth to the sound in his ear.
“I came to see you, Hime-gimi.” Tilting his head to the side in a way that he knew she found endearing he added, “Can I come in?”
Nozomi was silent for a moment, probably to consider the ramifications of letting a teenage boy into her room this late. Without warning she flipped her phone shut, effectively ending their call, but she finally reached over and flipped the latch, pushing open her window and carefully removing the screen to let him jump into her room. She stood aside as he did so, propping the screen up against her wall and closing the window behind him to keep out the cool, early-spring evening air. “Where were you today?” she asked as she turned to him, one hand on her hip.
Smiling, Hinoe attempted a step toward her even though Nozomi’s posture warned against it. “I was out,” he answered vaguely.
“Celebrating?” A frown marred her features.
Hinoe winced inwardly. The single word managed to sound hurt and accusing all at once. “Of course not,” he corrected gently. “Hime-gimi... I’m not used to this making a big deal out of birthdays thing, you know? Back in Kumano, the only year that mattered to me was when I came of age and inherited the title of Bettou.” He decided to chance it and moved close enough to take her hands in his. “I promise you, I was not spending my day, ah, carousing.” He nodded, rather proud of himself for remembering the English word.
“I tried calling you. Three times. Were you ignoring me?”
Someday he would admit to her just how lethal that wide-eyed, vulnerable expression of hers really was, but in the meantime he pulled her into hug. “Wasn’t ignoring you, Nozomi. I just wasn’t ready to see you yet.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt, and she tilted her head back to look at him.
Releasing her from his arms, he stuck his left hand into the pouch on his belt. From it he retrieved a small white box, flat and square, with a red bow stuck to one corner. “This is what I mean,” he explained, holding it out to her.
“B-but! It’s your birthday, Hinoe-kun, not mine,” Nozomi protested. “I should be giving you a gift!”
He chuckled and continued to hold out the box. “You will be?” Ruby eyes twinkled with both amusement and anticipation. “Why don’t you open it and see.”
Still uncertain, Nozomi reached out and gingerly took the box from him. She lifted the lid to reveal its contents and gasped. Laying on a bed of white faux velvet lay a silver ring strung on a delicate-looking silver chain. Nozomi poked her pointer finger through the ring, picking it up to examine it this way. A red stone not unlike the one Hinoe always wore in the other world winked back at her. “Hinoe-kun...”
“I know that wearing a ring has such significance in your time, so I thought...” He found himself stumbling, unable to remember the well-rehearsed speech he had spent the day preparing. “Cuz it’s on a chain, you see, so you won’t have to wear it on your finger until you’re ready.”
Tears shone in her green eyes as she looked from the gift to him and back again. “Thank you, Hinoe-kun...” Nozomi wiggled the ring off her finger and held the box out to him. “Help me put it on?”
As soon as he took the chain from her she turned her back and gathered her hair to one side, holding it up out of his way. Hinoe smiled to himself and resisted the urge to do anything more than fasten the delicate clasp at the nape of her neck. When she faced him once more her fingertips were already reaching up to brush at the ring where it lay against her skin.
“It suits you, Hime-gimi,” he murmured, letting his fingers trail over hers. He was rewarded with her sudden blush and stammer.
“That’s, um...” Nozomi abruptly pulled away, blurting out, “That’s right! Your present...” She walked over to her desk where a thin but large rectangular package lay. She smiled down at the brightly-colored wrapping paper dotted with balloons of every color then scooped it up and offered it to him. “Happy birthday, Hinoe-kun.”
Hinoe grinned as he accepted the gift, a bit surprised at its weight. With his free hand he gestured toward the foot of her bed. “May I...?” At Nozomi’s nod he sat down, holding his present in both hands. He caught a seam in the paper with one finger, tearing into it, and when it came away he found himself speechless, staring down at the familiar yet foreign landscape of modern-day Kumano.
“I didn’t really know what you would like,” Nozomi hurried to explain, “but I saw this at the bookstore and I thought... I know it’s not the same as your Kumano, but...”
Letting the wrapping fall to the floor, Hinoe examined the hardcover photo book. “No, this is...” He trailed off, lifting up the cover. Hinoe had seen it before, flipped through it once at a bookstore, but the beauty of his homeland still brought a fond smile to his face. “Thank you, Nozomi...” He closed the book but continued to hold onto it, gazing up at her. “It’s perfect, thank you.”
She smiled, reassured, and moved to sit beside him. “I thought... maybe we could look at it together, and you could tell me more about it. Your Kumano.”
Hinoe nodded. “Of course we can. But...” He gave a rueful glance at her clock. “It’s getting late, Hime-gimi, so that’ll have to wait until next time.” Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, he stood up. “Sleep well, Nozomi. Dream of me?”
Instead of the blush he was expecting, Nozomi smiled. “Perhaps I will.”
Her answer made it hard to turn and walk over to her window and open it, but Hinoe made himself do so, pausing at her windowsill. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised with a wink before leaping out and twisting in mid-air to land on a branch thick enough to support his weight. Hinoe gracefully climbed one-handed down to the ground and looked up to see her silhouette hovering at her window. He shot her a grin and a jaunty wave before disappearing into the night.
~ ~ ~
Finally, a decent birthday fic for you, Hinoe, instead of an April Fools type-o-thing. Not a Benkei in sight! XD Luckily I've made it through the day unscathed too unless you count the weather.