Shibuya Snapshots

Present

Almost late on this one.

"Thank you for the present, Sanae," Joshua smiles, carefully cradling it in his hands. "It truly does mean a lot to me. I really appreciate it."

-xXx-

Hanekoma's cleaning a mug that hasn't been used in a week when the kid walks in. Familiar ash blonde hair, purple eyes, and the tense body language that dissolves when the door shuts behind him.

Joshua beelines for the bar and takes a seat, leaning against the counter and letting out a tired sigh. Hanekoma brews a pot of coffee and his hands automatically go to the ingredients to make bouillabaisse. The kid doesn't bother taking off his jacket required from the colder weather, even though the cafe's probably too warm for a jacket. Probably.

"That bad today, huh?"

"They just don't understand," Josh murmurs into his arms.

He can't blame them. Human understanding of the unnatural is low, and many humans can't stand the unknown. Doesn't mean that they should take it out on the kid.

"What'd you see today?" Hanekoma asks, instead of reminding the kid that he understands. They both know that what the kid sees is real. Hanekoma himself is proof of it.

"Saw Players get erased." Josh's voice short and clipped, but not without the undertone of curiosity in his music.

"Any Noise or Reapers?"

Joshua sends a glare at him. "I always see the Noise, Mr. H. They're everywhere. But if you must know, I passed a few wall Reapers on the way here. I don't think they noticed me."

"That's good," Hanekoma says. "They don't need to know that you can see them. Not unless you want to join them illegally." He straightens out his back and fixes Joshua with a hard look. The kid flinches slightly. "And that is something we don't want."

The kid stares back at him before throwing his arms up, putting up a completely unbothered facade. "Fine, fine."

He puts the coffee and bouillabaisse down in front of the kid who mutters a "thanks" and doesn't waste any time and starts digging in. He worries about how much the "meds" his doctor prescribed him affects the poor kiddo. His parents watch their son take them to make sure that he actually does, but are unaware that Josh throws them back up the second he has a moment alone.

"Is everything okay at home?" Hanekoma asks, eyes carefully watching for any signs of discomfort and lying.

"It's... fine." Bullcrap. "My parents don't exactly approve of me spending time with you, considering that you're the only one who doesn't shut down my, ah, gifts."

"Can't win over everyone, huh?"

"Apparently," Josh sighs, and boy, does the kid sound tired. "It's been harder trying to sneak out to stop by. I don't exactly have a phone to talk to others with."

Hanekoma merely hums and places the mug he had been needlessly cleaning earlier back onto the shelf.

"Work on any murals, today?" Joshua asks, glancing up at him.

"Mm, not today. Did start thinking about where I want the next one to be, though."

"Oh? Do tell."

"There's a big wall space in Udagawa."

"The one in the backstreets?"

"Yeah, that one. Thought it seemed a little empty. Might as well add some color to it."

Joshua isn't a person who's too overall interested in his work as CAT, but the boy still stops to think over his words.

"You better show me when it's done."

Hanekoma can't help it. He throws back his head and laughs, Joshua's own giggles only barely audible over his own.

"You'll be the first to know. Well, first assuming that the media doesn't spot it first."

"How flattering."

Hanekoma merely grins at Joshua, who returns it in kind.

"Y'know..." Hanekoma drawls, catching his only patron's attention. "Today's November first."

Joshua gives him a suspicious look. "So it is."

"Oh, nothin'... actually, can you watch the counter for me? I need to grab something from the back, so just keep any customers that walk in still here."

"You never get any customers."

"Hey!" Hanekoma teasingly whines, eliciting a smirk from Joshua. He disappears into the back and pretends to spend more time than necessary looking for whatever he left back there. He returns with a small box.

"What's that?" Joshua asks when he spots said object.

"A present," Hanekoma shrugs, handing the box to him.

"What's the occasion?"

He quirks an eyebrow. "You tell me."

"Anniversary of when we first met?"

"Nope. You're about... 4 and half months too early."

"I give."

"So soon?" He gets a glare in response. "What, you really thought I didn't know?"

"Know what?"

Ugh, why did the kid have to play hard to get all the time?

"It's your birthday. And this is your present."

Joshua blinks, a little surprised. "How'd you find out?"

"I have my ways."

"I am unsure whether I want to know or not."

"C'mon, don't keep me hanging. Open it!"

Joshua gives a dramatic sigh that does not work to cover the excitement in his Soul. "Oh, I suppose."

He quickly but neatly unwraps the present and uncovers the small white box that had been wrapped.

"Wow, a box!" Joshua exclaims, sarcasm lacing his voice. "Just what I've always wanted!"

"You're killin' me, J."

The boy merely rolls his eyes and opens the box, mouth open for yet another witty retort, only to fall silent when he spots the contents. The poor kid looks like he's about to cry. Joshua carefully takes the gift out of the box. An orange flip phone, the latest model.

"Happy birthday, kiddo."

"Don't call me kiddo,' Joshua says, but there's no bite to it. "This is一 wasn't一 isn't this expensive?"

"Not for me. Besides, you're worth it, J."

"I... thank you, Mr. H."

"Sanae."

"Huh?"

"Call me Sanae. I'd say we're past first-name basis by this point, yeah?"

Josh looks ready to argue it, but he must decide it's not worth it because he just shakes his head, a true, rare, genuine smile on his face.

"Thank you for the present, Sanae," Joshua smiles, carefully cradling it in his hands. "It truly does mean a lot to me. I really appreciate it."

-xXx-

I'm lowkey obsessed with their relationship before Joshua killed himself to go to the UG.