Worst Holiday Ever
The night before the new year was supposed to be fun for him.
In order to start on a good note for the New Year, it should end on a good one yes? That's what his father had always told him anyways before he died. His father never lied to him so why should he be worried?
Perhaps because today hasn't exactly been the best.
He walked through the grocery market, looking down at the aisles as people were already rushing past him and trying to get this or that to celebrate the new year at home or out on the town tonight. Akaza managed to barely dodge people who almost run in or attempt to get past him as he worked to try and get the ingredients he wanted for dinner tonight.
Except as he reached for the last package of udon noodles on the top shelf he suddenly was hip checked into his own shopping cart and sent rolling away with a shout.
"Sorry man, but I really need these! Happy New Year!" The woman spoke up before she bolts past him to the registers.
Akaza blinked slowly from his current position before he took in a deep slow breath and then carefully got himself out of the cart. It took a bit of squirming and tugging on the sides of it until he could but he managed. He turned back to the shelves of different noodles before a heavy sigh left him. Well there goes his udon idea tonight...ah well looks like he could just make ramen instead as he looked at the abundance of it.
Yeah that would do. That was one crisis averted.
At least until he got to the register with his eggs, broth, noodles and chicken. When he scanned his card through the scanner, he did a double take when his card didn't go through. He blinked slowly a moment.
"Uh...Try again sir, the card scanner can be a bit weird."
He looked as the cashier lady, before taking in a deep breath and scanned it again, "...The hell?"
Again it was declined. He did it again and again and again, but the same thing kept appearing before him on the screen. He grimaced before he sighed and put it away before picking up his wallet. The cash was supposed to be used to get something nice for his boyfriend as a present. Though the price for the food didn't seem too bad..so he can still get something small.
"Here Ma'am. Have a nice day," Akaza handed her the money before he turned to rush out. Hopefully no one would try to steal from him on his way to the car.
He grumbled as he held it in his hand and made his way forwards with a sigh. All he needed to do was go and pick up the present and then go home to cook dinner for tonight. There was still enough time to just get everything ready before he came home. He started to smile a bit as he made his way down the street. This was going to be fine, everything would turn out okay.
All he needed to do was just keep positive, like Kyojuro did.
...
The shop was almost barren when he got there.
It was an old little novelty shop full of trinkets and a particular little figurine he know Kyojuro has had his eye on for a long while; it was one of a tiger with a tsunami of flamed surrounding it, the flames made of pulled glass and the tiger of ivory and onyx. It would look absolutely lovely in Kyojuro's office desk back in their shared apartment.
Relief filled him when he sees it still where he last had seen it when he had been here last week; right at the front window and it wasn't on reserve for anyone which made Akaza smile wider as he approached it.
However when he did get to it, his eyes widen a little when he sees that the price had been raised up. Slowly he opened his wallet and counted his money before feeling his stomach drop.
The money he had to use for paying groceries had made him short on cash.
A very quiet groan left him before he saw the owner behind the counter, a young man by the name of Wakuraba.
"Excuse me?"
"Hm?" The short man had sharp features with little scars on his face, wearing a yellow hoodie and beige sweatpants.
He made Akaza, with his bright pink hair, silver piercings in his nose, ears and brows look like a complete delinquent. Or well a delinquent with expensive jewelry taste would be a better description.
"Hey uh, about the tiger figurine there, I noticed the price went up?"
"Yeah. Because people who couldn't afford or trade for it kept trying to fight for it so I made it more expensive in order to ward off the other customers," He huffed before picking up his book, "If you don't have enough money you can give me things of equal worth to make up for it. Like say...your piercings? This is a pawn shop after all..."
Akaza blinked and then pulled on a few on his ears, "..." He frowned a moment before he sighed softly, "Really?"
"Really. I'll give it to you for the money in your wallet and a few of those earrings in your lobe. We'll call it even then," Wakuraba held out his hand expectantly.
He looked hesitant before his eyes go to the tiger. He still remembered Kyojuro's excitement at always seeing it when they passed here, like the tiger was waiting there just for him and him alone. With a deep sigh, Akaza placed down all his money and then pulled out three of his most expensive lobe piercings to place down with it.
Wakuraba actually smiled as he picked up the cash and the piercings with a chuckle and goes to unlock the case.
"There you go~ Let me get your receipt and put that in a box for you and then you can be on your way."
Akaza just sighed before he took out his phone. A small smile forms on his face when he sees he received a text from Kyojuro and chuckled softly as he opened it to read while waiting.
Strong Flames: Hello blaze of my heart! Work got out early so I am going to get some drinks with my friends before I come home! Be safe, I look forwards to eating with you!
His smile faltered a bit before he took in a deep breath and responded.
That's fine Kyojuro. I'll have dinner all ready.
A bunch of little heart emojis of red and yellow were sent to him before he was handed his box. Akaza bowed in thanks before he turned and ran out of there.
"Ah! Dude wait you forgot your-!"
The door closed behind him so he didn't hear Wakuraba as he ran down the street. While leaving his groceries on the floor in front of him.
...
By the time he realized the groceries were gone, he didn't have the time to go out and get more.
After all he was already in his home, the streets were starting to become crowded with everyone celebrating new years and as he was digging through the kitchen he found that he had the ingredients to make miso soup and some sweet potatoes to cook as well. It wasn't going to be as good as the noodles he had planned but he had no cash yet and his money and he was in no mood to go through his card again since it was acting weird.
Akaza took in a slow, deep breath as he puts his phone down to start cooking. Usually when Kyojuro went to have drinks with his friends, it meant he was going to Uzui's house to drink some sake and play mahjong. It wasn't a big problem, but he was a little disappointed that Kyojuro wasn't coming straight home to at least help him out.
"Okay, okay, breathe...think positive thoughts. Kyojuro just needs to come home before midnight and you two can spend time together into the new year."
Then this day wouldn't have gone to shame for him.
Thus he started on the miso and then went to cook the sweet potatoes for Kyojuro. He could still make all of this work, still salvage the good things out of this day while getting something for dinner ready.
Besides how much worse could this get?
...
A lot. It could get a lot worse.
Only a couple hours in and the power goes out in the building. The stove was still on since it was a gas stove and the food could stay warm still but Akaza coulfn't find any other source of light. He took in a deep slow breath before he carefully felt his way through the kitchen to find his phone and turn the flashlight on...and he groaned as he remembered there was no service without the wifi up here.
"Dammit...dammit dammit dammit, Kyojuro is going to be home any second...fuck fuck fuck...Okay okay I just need to keep an eye on the stove until the power comes back on and hope Kyojuro will be able to help...yeah yeah that should work...unless the power comes back on..." He nodded to himself as he made his way to the table and sits down with a heavy sigh.
"Mmm..." He sighed as he quietly played on his phone.
He started to play games to pass the time, waiting for power to come back on as the apartment fills with the sound of playing a little puzzle game. At least the tiger was save in the box..
Another two hours pass as it soon was five minutes after ten o'clock and Akaza had forgotten about the stove...until he smelled burning. He immediately pushed his chair back and rushed around towards where he could make out the stove flames as he moved to turn them off. He hacked a bit as smoke hits his face and he grunted as he searched for the lids. Those damn lids had to be here somewh-
"AAAAH!"
Instead his hand touched up against the heated metal of the pot with the now inedible sweet potatoes.
"Fucking, fuck..." He hissed as he blew on his injured hand while finding the dials and turning them to off. He hadn't gotten a burn this bad in a while. He had been doing good trying to avoid injury after all.
Using his phone now he turns it back on and used it to find the first aid kit to put on antibiotic and a bandage. That took him another hour and then forty five minutes to use his flash light to clean the pots and pans as he turned and went to take care of this mess.
Then the power came back on.
"Christ..." Akaza jumped as his phone then goes off and he picks it up with a grunt to see who was texting him.
Perhaps Kyojuro needed to be let in? Or was running into traffic on his way home? He really should have returned by now if anything. Now it was ten more minutes that passed and it was five minutes to midnight. Akaza hissed in pain when his burned hand brushes the table and he slowly opened his phone to read the new text. He wondered what time Kyo actually left..
Was everything really that backed up? Or did his car breakdown?
He grunted as he looked down to read.
Strong Flame: I'm so sorry love. But I won't be home tonight. I had too much to drink and Uzui offered to let me crash on his couch. I'll see you tomorrow. Happy New Year!"
He reads the text again. Then again. Then once more. His eyes scanned it over and over until he was processed it. He looked at the time on the phone to see that the text had sent a minute after the power had turned off.
Slowly he fells back on his ass...and right on the box with the tiger figurine with a sickening crunch.
Akaza rolled off it and immediately felt like his whole world was falling apart when he opens the box...and finds it broken inside. His eyes slowly widened and he started to hiccup as everything from today he had brushed aside and tried to take on with a grain of salt just...came crashing down on him. He covered his head and pressed his forehead to the floor.
This was one of the worst days, one of the worst holidays he has EVER had the displeasure of enduring. His boyfriend was passed out drunk, he had broken Kyojuro's present, he had ruined a dinner that he had hoped to be enjoying with Kyojuro by now, and his hand was burnt bad which didn't help with everything else.
"...Fuck being positive...this is the worst holiday ever..."
As if to add salt to his wound, fireworks go off to celebrate the new year outside and make him curl up even more.
He slowly laid on his side and curled up into a ball to just wallow in misery on the first day of the new year: alone, hurt and exhausted.
...
To Be Continued...