Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Metallic ❯ Metallic - One-shot ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Tsuyomi 
Tatsuha reflects on his life one Christmas. Was he ever ever wanted and does he have a place in his family?
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 07.07.2005 | Updated On: 07.07.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.1K | Visits: 499 | Status: Completed
Tatsuha reflects on his life one Christmas. Was he ever ever wanted and does he have a place in his family?
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 07.07.2005 | Updated On: 07.07.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.1K | Visits: 499 | Status: Completed
Pairings: Mentioned Tohma/Mika, Yuki/Shuichi, and even some one-sided Ryuichi/Tatsuha
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Gravitation, its characters, et al owned by Murakami Maki.
---
It was the time of year when shoppers bustled around town clutching armfuls of bags and boxes, and the shop windows were decorated festively with red and green. Children waited with anticipation for that special day, their faces bright as they paused in the middle of the sidewalk to examine the displays of shiny new toys and gadgets. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits with the coming holiday.
Possibly everyone in Kyoto, save Uesugi-san.
"Another holiday season alone," he moaned, watching his youngest son decorate the small, artificial tree he had allowed Tatsuha to purchase.
The teen finished wrapping flashy tinsel around its branches and turned to his father. "Dad, you know you have me."
Uesugi-san remained tight-lipped in his recliner; Tatsuha returned his attention to his previous activity, acknowledging that the discussion was over as abruptly as it had begun. He knew it was hard for his dad, who often became depressed this time of year, especially after their mom had passed away. When the two of them were not busy with work at the temple Uesugi-san would wander listlessly around the house, melancholy etched across his wrinkled face.
It made Tatsuha furious at his older siblings, neither of whom could be bothered to spend a day or two at home visiting their father. But on the other hand, it might not bother him as much if Uesugi-san didn't make comments like the one he had made before. Sometimes it seemed as if his father spent so long wishing for Mika and Eiri to come back that he forgot about Tatsuha, who was, indeed, there.
Reaching for a box of ornaments, the teenager couldn't help but stare at the distorted reflection of himself on the sphere's metallic red surface. He often wondered if, when his dad took a moment to scrutinize him with that unreadable expression, Uesugi-san had any regrets that they had chosen to have another child. If he felt that the first two tries had turned out okay, but the third time hadn't been such a charm after all.
Mika was a strong, independent woman; she had married into wealth and seemed to be the only Uesugi sibling that would ever bear her father a grandchild. Eiri was very handsome, with eyes that reminded Tatsuha of autumn, and sunlight-colored hair much like their mother's. His older brother also had a very successful career as a romance novelist, living in Tokyo with his popstar boyfriend.
That left Tatsuha, with his mischievious ways and love for the outdoors (especially riding his motorcycle, which his father didn't approve of at all). He thought himself to be plain, with black hair to match the majority of Japan's population, and smoky-colored eyes. He had an obsession with Sakuma Ryuichi, hated to sit still for long periods of time, and resented the fact that his life was already planned out for him. In other words, he was the one who had gotten all the unwanted, leftover traits; the disobedient child that had probably thrown temper tantrums bad enough to dissuade his parents from having any more children.
The oven's timer beeped insistently from the kitchen and the raven-haired boy quickly hung the ornament on a bare branch, hurrying off to finish supper. Tatsuha turned the burner off with a flick of his wrist while pulling the pan from the heat with his other hand. Food was placed on two plates, each with a pair of chopsticks balanced across the lip of the dish, and he went off to place them on the low table where they ate.
"Dad," he called, popping his head into the main room, "dinner's ready."
Uesugi-san eased himself out of his seat slowly and followed his son with sluggish, shuffled steps. He muttered a prayer before either touched his meal, but it seemed those were the only words he was willing to utter, proving futile all of Tatsuha's attempts to start a conversation. Very near to tearing his hair out in frustration, Tatsuha thanked Buddha fervently when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," he offered hurriedly, before his father had the chance to get to his feet.
He smiled pleasantly as he opened the door to welcome in whom he presumed would just be some people inquiring about business concerning the temple. Instead, Eiri stood on the doorstep, glaring, a scowl visible above the top of the fuzzy scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.
"Well are you going to stand there all day or are you going to invite me in?" Then, almost as an afterthought, the blond pushed his little brother aside and entered, grumbling all the while, "Whatever. This is my house anyway."
It had obviously been Shuichi's idea that Eiri spend some time in Kyoto; Eiri would never return home without unrelenting persuasion. And Tatsuha found the thought didn't bother him as much as he figured it would. He even decided he could probably tolerate the pink-haired boy if he had to.
Tatsuha threw his head back and laughed, partly in relief and the other at the irony. He left his brother in the genkan[1] to unlace and remove his slushy boots while he got another place ready at the table.
His outlook on things started to change...no doubt Uesugi-san's spirit would be lifted when he saw his oldest son had stopped by. Tatsuha's seventeenth birthday was only a few days away, the holidays a short time after that. He knew it wouldn't be perfect, but maybe it would turn out to be a decent Christmas after all.
---
[1] genkan - like an entryway where you would remove your shoes, hang up your coat, etc.
God I suck at titles. And yes, I also wondered why I'm writing a Christmas fic in the middle of July. ._.'' I tried my best to keep Tatsuha in character, but I'm still a little worried about it since this was so easy to write. Please feel free to offer any constructive criticism and/or point out any mistakes that I have made...it's very appreciated! ^^*
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Gravitation, its characters, et al owned by Murakami Maki.
---
It was the time of year when shoppers bustled around town clutching armfuls of bags and boxes, and the shop windows were decorated festively with red and green. Children waited with anticipation for that special day, their faces bright as they paused in the middle of the sidewalk to examine the displays of shiny new toys and gadgets. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits with the coming holiday.
Possibly everyone in Kyoto, save Uesugi-san.
"Another holiday season alone," he moaned, watching his youngest son decorate the small, artificial tree he had allowed Tatsuha to purchase.
The teen finished wrapping flashy tinsel around its branches and turned to his father. "Dad, you know you have me."
Uesugi-san remained tight-lipped in his recliner; Tatsuha returned his attention to his previous activity, acknowledging that the discussion was over as abruptly as it had begun. He knew it was hard for his dad, who often became depressed this time of year, especially after their mom had passed away. When the two of them were not busy with work at the temple Uesugi-san would wander listlessly around the house, melancholy etched across his wrinkled face.
It made Tatsuha furious at his older siblings, neither of whom could be bothered to spend a day or two at home visiting their father. But on the other hand, it might not bother him as much if Uesugi-san didn't make comments like the one he had made before. Sometimes it seemed as if his father spent so long wishing for Mika and Eiri to come back that he forgot about Tatsuha, who was, indeed, there.
Reaching for a box of ornaments, the teenager couldn't help but stare at the distorted reflection of himself on the sphere's metallic red surface. He often wondered if, when his dad took a moment to scrutinize him with that unreadable expression, Uesugi-san had any regrets that they had chosen to have another child. If he felt that the first two tries had turned out okay, but the third time hadn't been such a charm after all.
Mika was a strong, independent woman; she had married into wealth and seemed to be the only Uesugi sibling that would ever bear her father a grandchild. Eiri was very handsome, with eyes that reminded Tatsuha of autumn, and sunlight-colored hair much like their mother's. His older brother also had a very successful career as a romance novelist, living in Tokyo with his popstar boyfriend.
That left Tatsuha, with his mischievious ways and love for the outdoors (especially riding his motorcycle, which his father didn't approve of at all). He thought himself to be plain, with black hair to match the majority of Japan's population, and smoky-colored eyes. He had an obsession with Sakuma Ryuichi, hated to sit still for long periods of time, and resented the fact that his life was already planned out for him. In other words, he was the one who had gotten all the unwanted, leftover traits; the disobedient child that had probably thrown temper tantrums bad enough to dissuade his parents from having any more children.
The oven's timer beeped insistently from the kitchen and the raven-haired boy quickly hung the ornament on a bare branch, hurrying off to finish supper. Tatsuha turned the burner off with a flick of his wrist while pulling the pan from the heat with his other hand. Food was placed on two plates, each with a pair of chopsticks balanced across the lip of the dish, and he went off to place them on the low table where they ate.
"Dad," he called, popping his head into the main room, "dinner's ready."
Uesugi-san eased himself out of his seat slowly and followed his son with sluggish, shuffled steps. He muttered a prayer before either touched his meal, but it seemed those were the only words he was willing to utter, proving futile all of Tatsuha's attempts to start a conversation. Very near to tearing his hair out in frustration, Tatsuha thanked Buddha fervently when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," he offered hurriedly, before his father had the chance to get to his feet.
He smiled pleasantly as he opened the door to welcome in whom he presumed would just be some people inquiring about business concerning the temple. Instead, Eiri stood on the doorstep, glaring, a scowl visible above the top of the fuzzy scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.
"Well are you going to stand there all day or are you going to invite me in?" Then, almost as an afterthought, the blond pushed his little brother aside and entered, grumbling all the while, "Whatever. This is my house anyway."
It had obviously been Shuichi's idea that Eiri spend some time in Kyoto; Eiri would never return home without unrelenting persuasion. And Tatsuha found the thought didn't bother him as much as he figured it would. He even decided he could probably tolerate the pink-haired boy if he had to.
Tatsuha threw his head back and laughed, partly in relief and the other at the irony. He left his brother in the genkan[1] to unlace and remove his slushy boots while he got another place ready at the table.
His outlook on things started to change...no doubt Uesugi-san's spirit would be lifted when he saw his oldest son had stopped by. Tatsuha's seventeenth birthday was only a few days away, the holidays a short time after that. He knew it wouldn't be perfect, but maybe it would turn out to be a decent Christmas after all.
---
[1] genkan - like an entryway where you would remove your shoes, hang up your coat, etc.
God I suck at titles. And yes, I also wondered why I'm writing a Christmas fic in the middle of July. ._.'' I tried my best to keep Tatsuha in character, but I'm still a little worried about it since this was so easy to write. Please feel free to offer any constructive criticism and/or point out any mistakes that I have made...it's very appreciated! ^^*