[A Drive Back Home ]
**
You see, it was never easy managing your work at WBBA and your personal life. Your professional life demanded a lot from you. Tsubasa sure made it more difficult by assigning you for projects all over the world. First, it was China. Then Egypt. Then America. And finally! After three years of continuous world travel, you were permanently posted at the Japanese WBBA headquarters.
Meet me at 4 in the morning.
No, wait-
I'll pick you up.
Get ready by five.
You grinned as you saw a series of texts from your long time boyfriend Gingka. Your years of travelling had left you little to no time to enjoy a romantic relationship with him. Be it going on dates, living with each other, celebrating his wins together, you and Gingka had done neither of that.
"Fuck you Tsubasa" you sighed. Putting all the blame on your boss isn't going to help. But now that you are back in your hometown, you wanted to spend all your time with your significant other. Be it as trivial as watching movies together or going shopping, or big ones like meeting each other's family (believe it or not- Gingka was a scared cat and isn't really on the brave side when it comes to meeting your dad).
Once again staring at the texts, you wondered what your ginger-haired boyfriend had in his mind. You chuckled. Whether it be something as stupid as bey battling at 4 in the morning, you didn't care. As long as it was with him, you would enjoy it.
**
"Gingka please" You held your stomach, about to puke once again.
"I'm trying okay!" he yelled. And by trying he meant honking like a mad man at the stray goats which blocked the road. Black and white and brown, the groovy mountain goats had all of a sudden decided to come right in front of your car. And that too at a time when you are feeling dead sick from the mountain ride.
"Lord when did you even think of coming out on a road trip!" you yelled back at Gingka.
"I thought you love travelling!" He frustratedly honked at that one hairy goat that was about to chew the chromium plate of the car.
"I just returned from travelling okay. I'm tired of this!" You had the faintest idea that when Gingka came with a car at four in the morning at your apartment, something was going fishy. You see, Gingka wasn't the brightest crayon in the bunch when it came to romance (You swear that had you not fallen head to toe for the world's number one blader, you would have already married the charming Chao Xin and had 3 kids already!). You had second-guessed that in the three years, your auburn-haired boyfriend might have picked a romantic trick or two up his sleeves. But no. you were dead wrong.
Once the goats finally decided to move off the road, Gingka pressed the accelerator and continued the journey. Yes, he decided to bring you out on a mountain road trip at four in the morning. Does he have any idea how much sleep you had lost over this!
"Quit complaining ____" He said as you rested back on the driver's seat, "and enjoy the surroundings. '' he flashed his iconic grin. Chuckling at this gesture, you relaxed back in your seat. Gingka had his way around people.
The forest was still covered in a dull sheet of twilight. The sun wasn't up yet and the cool air still lingered over after a tiny shower at night. You stared outside the window as he drove past the creatures and the trees through the mountain terrain towards the hilltop.
The radio played distantly in the background - something slow and sad, crackling with interference. Gingka liked rap, twisted words and heavy bass, so different from the low voices and crooning songs you preferred. It somehow combined into this; a mix of electronic melodies and crooning vocals, a song none of you particularly liked but listened to anyway. The moon was descending at a distant horizon, blue and silver. It was a pretty sight. A warm feeling even in the cold weather.
Due to Gingka's spontaneous idea about a road trip, you didn't get any time to pack your things. Since his impatience wasn't helping either, you just grabbed a polaroid camera and a coat for your journey. And you believed it was enough.
You took out the camera and aimed it at Gingka who was immersed in driving carefully through the rough terrain, his eyes fixed on the road.
"Click"
You captured his so-called 'serious' face on your old polaroid camera.
"Woah Woah! what was that!" Gingka's ears perked up when he heard a faint sound. You chuckled. "Nothing" you commented.
You turned to your right to look outside the window once again. Opening the window, you let a pang of fresh air enter the car, making your boyfriend almost flinch, "jeez! It's so cold!" He muttered. You gently put your head outside the window, breathing in the forest air. Suddenly you weren't feeling so sick at all. In fact, you haven't felt so lively in ages. Bringing your camera out, you clicked a series of pictures yet again. The trees. The birds. The sun wasn't up yet and it was still darl, but you clicked the pictures nonetheless.
**
It was the mountaintop where he had decided to finally stop the car. The sun bloomed on the horizon, golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue. It is the brilliant flower of the sky that warms our days. It is the invitation to a new day, that sunrise so ordinary extraordinary.
You felt so complete as you stood there on the mountain top with your lover, his arms resting on your shoulders. "You like that?" he whispered in your ears. You beamed, yes of course.
You clicked another picture. This time the sunrise. And then the birds. The little mountain goat might have followed the car all the way through the path. And then Gingka. His smile as he stared at the sun. And how he got excited when a little lizard moved past his shoes. And the way he flinched when he saw that stubborn goat following him.
Lord! If he isn't the best thing that happened to you.
The drive back home was filled with sleepy air. Gingka had apparently not slept all night, so the moment he got back inside the car, he fell into a deep slumber.
You sighed and got into the driver's seat, wearing your seat belt and fixing the rearview mirror to start the journey back home. Your eyes fell on your boyfriend, exhausted and sleeping in the passenger seat. Your heart swelled in joy. How you wished the time would stop and you would get to spend each and every moment of your life with him.
You pressed the accelerator and started the drive back home. The hum of the radio, near-forgotten in the heat, forlorn notes and drifting voices. A beautiful song was on the radio.
You finally stopped in front of your apartment. Poking up Gingka from his sleep, you asked him if he wanted to drive back to his home or if he wanted to stay over at your place. Without skipping a beat, he chose the latter, as sleepiness still lingered on his speech.
The moment you entered back to your home, you crashed down on the couch and Gingka on the carpet. You had to pick him up and put him on the couch, to which he drowsily giggled how strong you were. You sighed. It was already half-past six in the morning and since even Gingka was staying over, you had to make breakfast. But before you did that you decided to take a look at the pictures you clicked.
In the quiet moment, when all the world is put on pause when you are so very lucky to see right into your eyes, him. Gingka Hagane. As you looked at each picture you clicked, you knew, in the next ten years. Maybe thirty. Or forty. You will look at them one day and feel nostalgic, as you reminisce about this very moment. The spontaneous road trip to the mountains. Silly little goats.Brilliant sunrise.The fresh air. And the love of your life, Gingka.
