Post by The Phantom of Paris on Mar 20, 2011 19:44:30 GMT -5
Christmas present time! I am SO sorry this took so long, and I STILL Don't have them all finished--Mascii's and GG's are still works-in-progress, I'm afraid! You WILL get them before the end of the week! 
So, this year I decided to go a different route and write songfics as Christmas presents...the concept is, essentially, a song is a major plot device in the story. It doesn't have to be the characters singing the song or even listening to it, the song just has to factor some way into the story. Somehow, all my songfics ended up from the Glee Christmas Album....XD I hope you all enjoy, and Merry (very very late!) Christmas!!
Kagayaki smiled at the driver of the taxi as he climbed in, settling himself down in the backseat and politely giving him Amane’s address. It was two days before Christmas, and he was on his way to spend some time with her and her family and to give her her gift. He fiddled with the red and green ribbons hanging off of the gift bag—Hideo had helped him wrap it, once he’d managed to stop laughing at Kagayaki’s first attempts to do it himself—as the car started up. He’d searched everywhere for the perfect gift for her, but he’d finally found it: a beautiful little silver necklace with a tiny, simple charm hanging off of it. He’d wanted her whole name on the charm, but hadn’t found it at the store and didn’t want to pay the extravagant price to have it customized for her. Instead, the letter ‘A’ glinted happily from the silver chain. ‘A’ for Amane. ‘A’ for amazing, which she was. ‘A’ for ‘Aishiteru…’
He felt a little nervous as they drove on. It was his first Christmas with Amane, after all, and only his second time ever celebrating an American Christmas. He tried his best not to think of last year, of his Christmas spent decorating with Cassie and her family. That had been back when he allowed himself to think that things were still fine between them, never knowing what was to come. Cassie had been so happy to share her family and traditions with him, the house had been warm and full of love and laughter, just like he had always imagined a perfect Christmas should be. Even Shelbychan had been happy that day, as they’d stood around that tall pine tree, hanging ornaments and lights, nibbling on cookies and just enjoying being together. Yes, last Christmas had been nearly perfect in Kagayaki’s eyes.
‘No, don’t do that,’ he told himself sternly. ‘I’m with Amane now. Don’t think about Cassie when you’re going to see her, that’s not right. It’s not fair to Amane. I don’t need to think about Cassie, I don’t love her anymore. I love Amane and that’s how it’s going to be from now on. Just be glad for what you have this Christmas instead of focusing on what happened last year. This is going to be better than last year, just wait and see!’
Kagayaki closed his eyes and leaned his head back, trying to keep his mind in the present by imagining Amane’s face once she opened his gift to her. A small smile crept over his face, but his mind kept wandering back to Cassie and how her Christmas would be this year. Her house had been all but destroyed in the fire, and nothing could fix it in time for the holiday. He hadn’t talked to her much since they’d left the hospital…
‘No! Think about Amane! Not Cassie!’
The cab driver asked him a few polite questions, and Kagayaki answered them as quickly as he could, for once not wanting to really socialize. Luckily, the man seemed to get the point, giving a little shrug and turning up the radio. The sound of jingling bells filled Kagayaki’s ears, followed by some young-sounding voices singing in the background. Finally, a girl’s voice started to sing, causing Kagayaki to open his eyes and truly listen.
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special”
His eyes widened as he took in the lyrics. This time, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Cassie and how they’d spent the Christmas season last year. It was as if the radio wanted him to be sad for what he’d lost, instead of happy about what he had now, and he hated it for that.
But he couldn’t stop listening.
”Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?
Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me”
The song was right. He didn’t know how, but it was absolutely right. He had tried so hard to stay away from Cassie, to stop thinking about her so he could finally get over her, and he’d succeeded. Somehow, they’d both moved on. And yet, when he had seen her the day of the fire, he had hardly recognized her. It was as if a different person had been standing there before him, someone he wasn’t sure he wanted to get to know.
Or did he?
“Christmas, I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying, ‘I love you’, I meant it”
He had meant it! He had! And he had been so sure that Cassie had too. And, for all he knew, maybe he had been right. She certainly seemed to have meant it when they talked on the phone over the summer, that night when he was still in Japan with Erin and Yukito. But had she meant it at Christmas? Had she meant it all throughout that time that they were together? Or had she just been saying it because she knew it was what he wanted to hear?
“Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now I know you'd fool me again”
Now, that line couldn’t be true. He wouldn’t be swayed if Cassie were to kiss him now, would he? He couldn’t be. He loved Amane. It was silly to think that he could be fooled like that, as the song said. If it was true, then it meant that the person in the song had never stopped loving whoever they were singing about. And if that was true, then they couldn’t give their love to someone else this year…right?
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
A crowded room and friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from—“
Kagayaki’s eyes flew open as the song was cut off, replaced by some guy with a deep voice singing about having a white Christmas, whatever that meant. “No!” he cried before he could stop himself, causing the driver of the taxi to turn around and look at him once they’d stopped at a red light. He felt his face coloring and looked down at his lap. “Can…go back, please?” he asked quietly. “I…liked that song.”
The man gave him a strange look, raising his eyebrows. “Really? I’ve heard it way too much lately. I’ve got a teenage daughter who’s obsessed with these kids—they’re on TV, you know. Every week she’s staring at them on that screen, and then I hear her playing their songs every single day until the next episode. My wife watches with her, too, and makes comments about how she wishes she were back in high school… It just gets old. I mean, sometimes they cover good songs, but there comes a point where enough is enough, you know?”
Kagayaki didn’t answer, only giving the man a pleading look as the light turned green. The driver shrugged and switched the radio back, moving the car forward as they continued their drive.
“My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on”
How did this song seem to know the story of him and Cassie? He felt his hands ball up into fists as he sat there. Everything this girl sang about was right. He thought he could count on Cassie to be there for him, to always love him, and she’d thrown everything away. She hadn’t been truthful. She’d hurt him and used him when she had needed someone, and had left him once she hadn’t needed him anymore. Wasn’t that exactly how it had happened? Or was he just twisting things around because of the song?
“A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A girl undercover but you tore her apart
But now I’ve found a real love,
You’ll never fool me again.”
For the first time since this song had started playing, Kagayaki smiled. Yes, it was strange that this song seemed to know all the bad things about his past relationship with Cassie. But it wasn’t all bad—it had some of the good stuff, too. ‘I’ve found a real love, you’ll never fool me again.’ He had. Amane loved him unconditionally, the way he had always wanted to be loved by Sumire, by Yumi, by Cassie. He knew without a doubt that she would never leave him like his other girlfriends had. She would stick by him no matter what. He knew this. He didn’t know how, but he knew this.
And that was what mattered tonight.
Not what had happened in the past. What mattered was now. Now, where he was going to give his wonderful girlfriend her Christmas present. Now, when he would meet her family and laugh with them and be even happier than he had been at the Wrights’. Now, when he would soon be seeing and experiencing all the things he loved most about Amane: her beautiful laugh, the bright smile that appeared like magic whenever she saw him, the feelings he got every time he was around her.
Last Christmas didn’t matter. Not tonight. Cassie didn’t matter. What did matter was this Christmas.
This Christmas, and Amane.
The song ended with one last chorus, and before Kagayaki knew it the car was pulling up in front of Amane’s apartment. He paid the cab driver and smiled at him, wishing him a quiet “Merry Christmas” as clearly as he could and walking up the steps of the building. His heart pounded against his chest the closer he got to her door, nervousness brimming up inside him as he knocked and waited for her to answer.
She opened the door, and once again her face turned to gold at the sight of him. Kagayaki beamed back at her, walking in and kissing her cheek. “Kurisumasu omedeto, Amanechan!” he cried, presenting her with her gift. “Daisuki.”
So, this year I decided to go a different route and write songfics as Christmas presents...the concept is, essentially, a song is a major plot device in the story. It doesn't have to be the characters singing the song or even listening to it, the song just has to factor some way into the story. Somehow, all my songfics ended up from the Glee Christmas Album....XD I hope you all enjoy, and Merry (very very late!) Christmas!!
MtM's Present: "Last Christmas" (Kagamane)
Kagayaki smiled at the driver of the taxi as he climbed in, settling himself down in the backseat and politely giving him Amane’s address. It was two days before Christmas, and he was on his way to spend some time with her and her family and to give her her gift. He fiddled with the red and green ribbons hanging off of the gift bag—Hideo had helped him wrap it, once he’d managed to stop laughing at Kagayaki’s first attempts to do it himself—as the car started up. He’d searched everywhere for the perfect gift for her, but he’d finally found it: a beautiful little silver necklace with a tiny, simple charm hanging off of it. He’d wanted her whole name on the charm, but hadn’t found it at the store and didn’t want to pay the extravagant price to have it customized for her. Instead, the letter ‘A’ glinted happily from the silver chain. ‘A’ for Amane. ‘A’ for amazing, which she was. ‘A’ for ‘Aishiteru…’
He felt a little nervous as they drove on. It was his first Christmas with Amane, after all, and only his second time ever celebrating an American Christmas. He tried his best not to think of last year, of his Christmas spent decorating with Cassie and her family. That had been back when he allowed himself to think that things were still fine between them, never knowing what was to come. Cassie had been so happy to share her family and traditions with him, the house had been warm and full of love and laughter, just like he had always imagined a perfect Christmas should be. Even Shelbychan had been happy that day, as they’d stood around that tall pine tree, hanging ornaments and lights, nibbling on cookies and just enjoying being together. Yes, last Christmas had been nearly perfect in Kagayaki’s eyes.
‘No, don’t do that,’ he told himself sternly. ‘I’m with Amane now. Don’t think about Cassie when you’re going to see her, that’s not right. It’s not fair to Amane. I don’t need to think about Cassie, I don’t love her anymore. I love Amane and that’s how it’s going to be from now on. Just be glad for what you have this Christmas instead of focusing on what happened last year. This is going to be better than last year, just wait and see!’
Kagayaki closed his eyes and leaned his head back, trying to keep his mind in the present by imagining Amane’s face once she opened his gift to her. A small smile crept over his face, but his mind kept wandering back to Cassie and how her Christmas would be this year. Her house had been all but destroyed in the fire, and nothing could fix it in time for the holiday. He hadn’t talked to her much since they’d left the hospital…
‘No! Think about Amane! Not Cassie!’
The cab driver asked him a few polite questions, and Kagayaki answered them as quickly as he could, for once not wanting to really socialize. Luckily, the man seemed to get the point, giving a little shrug and turning up the radio. The sound of jingling bells filled Kagayaki’s ears, followed by some young-sounding voices singing in the background. Finally, a girl’s voice started to sing, causing Kagayaki to open his eyes and truly listen.
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special”
His eyes widened as he took in the lyrics. This time, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Cassie and how they’d spent the Christmas season last year. It was as if the radio wanted him to be sad for what he’d lost, instead of happy about what he had now, and he hated it for that.
But he couldn’t stop listening.
”Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?
Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me”
The song was right. He didn’t know how, but it was absolutely right. He had tried so hard to stay away from Cassie, to stop thinking about her so he could finally get over her, and he’d succeeded. Somehow, they’d both moved on. And yet, when he had seen her the day of the fire, he had hardly recognized her. It was as if a different person had been standing there before him, someone he wasn’t sure he wanted to get to know.
Or did he?
“Christmas, I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying, ‘I love you’, I meant it”
He had meant it! He had! And he had been so sure that Cassie had too. And, for all he knew, maybe he had been right. She certainly seemed to have meant it when they talked on the phone over the summer, that night when he was still in Japan with Erin and Yukito. But had she meant it at Christmas? Had she meant it all throughout that time that they were together? Or had she just been saying it because she knew it was what he wanted to hear?
“Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now I know you'd fool me again”
Now, that line couldn’t be true. He wouldn’t be swayed if Cassie were to kiss him now, would he? He couldn’t be. He loved Amane. It was silly to think that he could be fooled like that, as the song said. If it was true, then it meant that the person in the song had never stopped loving whoever they were singing about. And if that was true, then they couldn’t give their love to someone else this year…right?
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
A crowded room and friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from—“
Kagayaki’s eyes flew open as the song was cut off, replaced by some guy with a deep voice singing about having a white Christmas, whatever that meant. “No!” he cried before he could stop himself, causing the driver of the taxi to turn around and look at him once they’d stopped at a red light. He felt his face coloring and looked down at his lap. “Can…go back, please?” he asked quietly. “I…liked that song.”
The man gave him a strange look, raising his eyebrows. “Really? I’ve heard it way too much lately. I’ve got a teenage daughter who’s obsessed with these kids—they’re on TV, you know. Every week she’s staring at them on that screen, and then I hear her playing their songs every single day until the next episode. My wife watches with her, too, and makes comments about how she wishes she were back in high school… It just gets old. I mean, sometimes they cover good songs, but there comes a point where enough is enough, you know?”
Kagayaki didn’t answer, only giving the man a pleading look as the light turned green. The driver shrugged and switched the radio back, moving the car forward as they continued their drive.
“My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on”
How did this song seem to know the story of him and Cassie? He felt his hands ball up into fists as he sat there. Everything this girl sang about was right. He thought he could count on Cassie to be there for him, to always love him, and she’d thrown everything away. She hadn’t been truthful. She’d hurt him and used him when she had needed someone, and had left him once she hadn’t needed him anymore. Wasn’t that exactly how it had happened? Or was he just twisting things around because of the song?
“A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A girl undercover but you tore her apart
But now I’ve found a real love,
You’ll never fool me again.”
For the first time since this song had started playing, Kagayaki smiled. Yes, it was strange that this song seemed to know all the bad things about his past relationship with Cassie. But it wasn’t all bad—it had some of the good stuff, too. ‘I’ve found a real love, you’ll never fool me again.’ He had. Amane loved him unconditionally, the way he had always wanted to be loved by Sumire, by Yumi, by Cassie. He knew without a doubt that she would never leave him like his other girlfriends had. She would stick by him no matter what. He knew this. He didn’t know how, but he knew this.
And that was what mattered tonight.
Not what had happened in the past. What mattered was now. Now, where he was going to give his wonderful girlfriend her Christmas present. Now, when he would meet her family and laugh with them and be even happier than he had been at the Wrights’. Now, when he would soon be seeing and experiencing all the things he loved most about Amane: her beautiful laugh, the bright smile that appeared like magic whenever she saw him, the feelings he got every time he was around her.
Last Christmas didn’t matter. Not tonight. Cassie didn’t matter. What did matter was this Christmas.
This Christmas, and Amane.
The song ended with one last chorus, and before Kagayaki knew it the car was pulling up in front of Amane’s apartment. He paid the cab driver and smiled at him, wishing him a quiet “Merry Christmas” as clearly as he could and walking up the steps of the building. His heart pounded against his chest the closer he got to her door, nervousness brimming up inside him as he knocked and waited for her to answer.
She opened the door, and once again her face turned to gold at the sight of him. Kagayaki beamed back at her, walking in and kissing her cheek. “Kurisumasu omedeto, Amanechan!” he cried, presenting her with her gift. “Daisuki.”
