There's a Story Behind Every Smile (Hitachiin Triplets, OHSHC)

Chapter Twenty

She smiled as she heard the first knock, running to the door. She wore black trousers that hung off her frame, a white button-up, black suspenders, and a red and green-striped bow tie with black oxfords, a black waistcoat, and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was just as messy as ever, freshly dyed burgundy and black, back to front, and Akira sat behind her at the coffee table, waiting for the guests and dapper in his suit pants, button up, and tie, as well.

Her smile grew, and she squealed at the sight of the man at their front step. "Taku-kun!" she giggled out childishly, jumping to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, as well, in order to keep her from falling. She stood taller than him by just a smidge, and he had a Christmassy bag in his hands, tissue paper sticking out the top.

"Ah, Teru, it's been a while. How have you been? Has it been going well?" Of course, "it" had a double meaning; it meant her actual job, of course, and then her personal goal: to get her brother's to remember her.

"Ahaha, it's been fine, of course," she lied nervously, although it didn't show too much. He raised an eyebrow at the quiver in her voice, but continued nonetheless.

"I brought a present for you both, although not any food, since you know I can't cook. Where should I set it down?..." He looked around, examining the apartment.

It looked wonderfully lived in. Beanbags had been stacked out of the way in a corner, and an unfoldable table with snack foods was pushed up against the wall. Their room was a lot more American-themed than any standard Tokyo apartment with Japan-owned owners should be, but Teru didn't mind.

She'd dragged her best friend to a new country and possible insanity, after all, away from everything he knew and to those who didn't know her.

To Akira, the apartment was as dream-like to him as his love's small, shy smile and a rendezvous to the New York City ball drop he remembered in drunken moments.

To Takuma, it looked like any place a young married couple with opposite personalities would put together, organised chaos as its main aesthetic.

"Over here, Taku-kun. We couldn't get a Christmas tree up here, so we had to make do." Teru said with her signature smirk, an arm showcasing a very oddly festive corner of the house, between a window and the dresser under the flat screen TV. Garland clung desperately to slippery edges and plastic, stick-on hooks, bells hanging from corners haphazardly. A small, but tall, side table had been set up there, and on top a small, fake Christmas tree no more than a foot tall, decorated with a couple ornaments made from knotted wires, which she'd made over the years when left alone with outdated electronics around Christmas, one of Akira's family, made up of white parents and eight assorted children of different ages and ethnicities, and one near the top that served as a sweet reminder of their time in Times Square: a picture of their two faces, with Teru wearing a bit more makeup than normal and a bit more healthy and vital-looking, placing a gentle kiss on Akira's left cheek as the ball dropped in the reflection in Akira's green eyes. It was cut sloppily into a multi-faceted shape and glued to a maroon piece of cardboard with a string, which she treasured most in the entire world. The ornament served as more of a topper than the gently-crafted, copper and rubber-black angel made of wires Akira had added to her collection.

Takuma smiled as he set his present down underneath it, looking back as the door opened to two excited-looking girls in a red velvet dress and green pencil skirt, white tee, and baggy black cardigan respectively, the latter carrying a tray of sushi they'd made with a little help from their chefs. 

His little girl was finally growing up.

Teru was slightly surprised to see Sute in a skirt, but shrugged it off as she welcomed them in. "Hey guys, that's my guardian over there. His name's Takuma, and he's old and cranky, so please don't give him a hard time." Her harsh words were how she showed she appreciated his job as a parent, whether he agreed with that or not. The girls nodded before Annaisha zoomed off to a very specific place, and Teru squealed as she moved to run after. "Annai, we can't get the snake out now!"

Akira got the door when the the two dumb fucks and the rest of the host club showed up. "Hello, guys. It's probably smaller than you're used to, but you can save the chit-chat and annoying bratty comments to yourselves while in our apartment, because it's been hard enough keeping up with cleaning with Teru busy and our other two friends showing up and coming in whenever they like." He pointed a thumb to the kitchen, that annoyed look still on his face. "Stay out of my kitchen, there's food on that table, that's also where you drop off whatever food you brought, don't touch any of the electronics, even the TV, especially the ones past this room, and god forbid you go in our room your prissy fucks." He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before stepping back. "Now that the rules have been said, you may come in."

They stood slightly back from the chaos as the hosts helped themselves to food (and Hunny to all the cake), Annaisha and Sute in the other room in order to avoid the prissy-pretty fuckboys from seeing the "terrifying, gross thing." Takuma walked up behind them, placing an arm on Teru's shoulder despite his shorter height and leaning on her.

"I'm not that old. I was only thirty-two when we met," he muttered, and Teru smiled a much smaller smile and leaned her head against his as she spoke.

"I know. You're going on forty in six months. Happy half birthday, Takuma, and Merry Late Christmas."

He patted her back gently, pulling away. "Happy New Years, Teru. Now go run along and have fun; you don't have to stand back here with an old geezer like me." She looked down at him with one last, brighter smile before heading off to the hosts, and Takuma and Akira watched after.

"You better take care of that girl, Akira-kun. That girl is my pride and joy." Takuma smiled kindly as he watched her animatedly talk to the hosts and try to steal sweets off their plates. Akira quickly turned back to face him in surprise.

"Wh-What do you mean, s-sir?"  A blush crawled up his cheeks, and Takuma chuckled.

"Take good care of her. Being with you has already changed her more than I could in four years." Takuma moved to grab his shoulders, squeezing them gently as he looked Akira straight in the eyes. "You're her motivation, and the reason she's survived to this point. I couldn't even make her eat, let alone make her feel alive.

"You saved her, Akira. You've already got my blessing." Takuma pulled away, giving a bright red Akira a pat on the shoulder. "Now, go enjoy yourself. You've earned it."

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TO BE CONTINUUUUUUEEEED 

Sorry this took so long but I haven't had access to a computer in two weeks!