TFDC: Day Five -- Camaraderie

Matt and A’s Home
Tokyo, Japan
December 2014
Christmas Day

“Are you honestly sure that it’s alright for me to bring her along, Mack?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. A doesn’t mind guests as long as they aren’t serial killers or those wanted by the law,” the man answered lightly. Jian gave a (tight) smile and glanced around him, Mack noticing that the man was often looking around to see if someone had arrived. “Who’s it, anyway?”

“A dear friend of mine – don’t give me that look,” Jian chastised. Mack had made a face and the Taiwanese other had smirked in reply, “She’s someone I met a few months ago. And no, she isn’t as interested in men as to women.”

Mack gave a mildly guilty smile, his eyes softening. “Right. Be here in thirty?”

“I will. See you.” The call ended and Mack looked up, pocketing his phone soon after. The festivities were in full swing in the living room, the scientist hearing the eager chatter of the rest of his friends.

Touta was watching as A tore open his gift, the Englishwoman gasping in surprise. (“Oh my God, you didn’t have to–” “No shut up, you’ve been pining for that for weeks!”) Kenichi and Peters were talking sports while drinking from their beers, laughing and arguing here and there. Away by the window, J and Matt were having a quiet conversation. Matt had been relaying what had happened to him since he left the Wammy’s, and J was listening while giving input here and there.

Mack, at first, thought of their ‘group’ as rather odd. After all, they comprised of four police agents, one forensic scientist, two businessmen, a bartender and an ex-model. And hell, Mack didn’t even know who the ex-model yet except for the fact that she was a (most likely bisexual) female and an old friend of Jian’s.

“Mack, when’s Jian arriving?” A asked. She and Touta had walked up to him, the former wearing the latter’s gift; a cream-colored cardigan with gold-colored buttons. “So I can prepare a few more drinks for him and his guest.”

“Give it thirty minutes. Nice cardigan by the way,” he added, and A gave a twirl. Touta merely smirked. “Was that the one you spent an hour searching for, T?”

“Might have been the one,” he shrugged. “But it was easy to acquire. Can’t blame me, the store was huge.” A made a face at him and walked off to the bar, taking out a few bottles as well as two glasses. The threesome proceeded to talk while A prepared the drinks, Touta retelling his tale in great detail.

In the living room, Kenichi took an easy drink from his beer and listened as Touta told him all about baseball. “So wait a minute – who do you support?”

“New York Yankees. Nearly sobbed when Jeter took his final bow,” the brunette replied, memories of Derek Jeter’s play throughout the years coming to mind. “The family’s been supporting the team since I was young. I’ve got all kinds of merc,” the American laughed.

“Yankees. I think I watched a game of theirs when I was in the States a couple of years back, in the stadium itself. Can’t remember against who. It was a good game,” he said, and Peters nodded enthusiastically. “…huh – so that explains why A’s been asking me if I have connections with those merc sellers in the States.”

“Connections?”

“Mhm. Oh well. You’ll see it in your gift,” Kenichi replied cheerfully, watching in plain amusement as the six footer gaped and scrambled for his gift, which he had left on the other couch.

Away from them, Jinx was staring Matt dead in the eye. “So you don’t know where Mello vanished off to.”

“Not a clue,” the ginger replied honestly. He fiddled with the unlit cigarette in his fingers, “And if I knew, I’d tell you where he was. The last time I saw him was in another part of Japan before he went off for his stupid fucking mission,” he said, a tinge of bitterness coating his tone.

The curly-haired Romanian watched him carefully. “So there’s a possibility that he’s dead.”

“Dead. Alive. Missing. Fuck if I should know. But I know the fucker would contact me if he’d have the goddamn chance.” he muttered. After a nimble movement and the momentary appearance of a flame, he had went away and started to smoke. A caught his arm and asked what was wrong, but he merely gave a weary smile and kissed her forehead, excusing himself and leaving the house after. Jinx spotted Touta give A a look and the lady shook her head, murmuring something under her breath.

Soon, two more glasses graced the bar counter. Matt had come back after ten minutes, taking his place between A and Kenichi, he grasping the former’s hand tightly. The group of seven was in a circle, supposedly going to open gifts in front of the rest. He squeezed.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“…it’s something I’ll tell you later,” he murmured in her ear. A nodded and squeezed back, tearing her gaze off a snorting Peters to kiss her lover on the cheek.

“Don’t feel too down. It’s Christmas, remember?” this made him give off a small smile and he nodded, facing the rest of them once more – albeit not letting go of her hand.

“You’re an asshole,” Peters accused Mack, the latter grinning from ear to ear. In Peters’ hands was a basket containing many supplies such as shaving cream, a new razor, and other things which were obscured from the public eye. “I shave weekly!”

“Then he means that you’re not doing your best,” Jinx retorted dryly; the rest laughed while Peters turned his glare (though now turning affectionate) at her. The woman gave a smirk and punched his shoulder soon after, Touta then taking the gift given to him by A.

After ten minutes, the group was laughing and off what they had gotten, until a rapt knock on the front door came. A set down her gift from Jinx and left to answer the door, Mack suddenly feeling his pulse race. Across, Kenichi was eyeing him curiously.

“A little excited, aren’t you?”

“It’s his boyfriend.” Touta supplied calmly.

“Not my boyfriend–”

“Not officially,” Peters wisecracked. Mack sent him a heated look and was about to say something back when they heard laughing from the front, footsteps of three quickly approaching.

Leading them to the circle was A, her smile wide and accommodating; behind A stood Jian, wearing a warm coat hued purple. Jian was gently tugging at the arm of a woman next to him, who stood a few inches shorter yet definitely younger than the man nearing thirty. This young woman had short hair until her chin, just as black as Jinx’s. She was pulling lightly at her wool sweater, a mildly shy smile on her face. “For those who don’t know, this is Jian Lee, Mack’s ‘friend’.” A laced the word friend with air quotes, “And the woman with Jian is Noriko Inoue.”

Kenichi perked up, “Inoue? Weren’t you the model for Seiko industries for the past three or so years?” he asked interestedly. Noriko gave a stiff nod and Jian went to Mack’s side, the scientist smiling and Jian grinning back in response.

Noriko Inoue took the time to get to know the odd group; Jian had promised her that they were harmless and could be trusted, despite the bartender only knowing one out of the seven others who were present in the room.

As she was handed a glass, she sat on the couch and observed them all, relaying their names in her head as quietly and neutrally as she could.

Arianne Maxwell, who went as ‘A’ and worked with the police. The kind woman who had accepted her easily into her home and made her a drink to loosen up.

Matt Jeevas, A’s boyfriend. He worked with Kenichi Matsumoto at the M Corporation, one of the leading companies in Tokyo. Kenichi was the CEO; Matt acted as his right-hand man.

Samuel Peters and Touta Matsuda, two tall men who were working with A. The three of them comprised of Squad A, often working on investigations all around Tokyo. Peters’ girlfriend was Jinx.

Jean Onix, who, like A, went by a nickname – Jinx. She worked in the same area as Squad A, but this time lead another team.

And the last, Jian’s ‘friend’ – Macmillan Thomas, who worked alongside Squad A as a forensic scientist.

She watched him and Jian (un)discreetly flirt with each other throughout the course of the festivities. Mack would pull off cool and perfectly-timed pick up lines while Jian would make fun of the unruly curls on Mack’s head. Despite that, the two emitted a light, playful glow; it was as if the two were puppies running at and playing with each other without a care.

Noriko felt a small pang in her chest and shifted away from the sight of the soon-to-be couple. Jian had lamented that he might have been just a flirt to Mack, and she dismissed his worries. Seeing them made her think that Jian was definitely wrong – if anything, this Mack actually liked Jian’s presence and to him, the bartender with the warm aura was more than just someone to be flirted with.

So she turned away and this time saw the girl who owned the house – A – and her boyfriend, conversing quietly in the corner, their fingers laced together. Noriko felt the waves of something meant to be classified; the two had clearly sought time to themselves. By the way that A was frowning and Matt had his eyes shut, however, the privacy they wanted wasn’t for something intimate.

“Alright there, Inoue?”

Noriko looked up; Touta was there with a bowl of chips in his hands. “I’m fine. Matsuda, right?” she inquired and he nodded, sitting next to her while maintaining a respectable amount of space away. Noriko decided that she liked this Matsuda fellow. “This seems like a strange bunch,” she admitted soon after. “All of these people.”

“It’s strange at first. You have people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, jobs, orientations…but in the end, they all cooperate and harmonize with one another. One person fills what another lacks, one completes another. You have couples and friends, co-workers and previous rivals.” Touta took a nibble off a chip and crossed his ankles, “And miraculously, they were able to find each other. Small sectors growing into one big community.”

“But how do you manage it?” Touta raised a brow and looked at Noriko, seeing the girl set down her drink on the wooden coaster. “How does…everyone get along?”

“It manages itself. It isn’t perfect. But like how tides roll onto the shore and back into the ocean, it figures itself out. So no matter how far we go,” a smile tugged at his lips, “We’ll find ways to come back to each other. Be more than a unit. Because for a few of us, this is family.” Touta looked away, his eyes lingering on A, Jinx, and then Matt.

The two stayed in peaceful silence for a few moments, Noriko absorbing what he had told her and Touta merely looking after them all as a parent would do for their children.

Noriko found herself watching this strange unit, this tightly-knit family. She saw couples and friends, an abundance of laughter and companionship swell into the air.

It was an unfamiliar feeling, family.

In her thoughts, she found the word she was searching for – the word to describe this unit, this strangely unconventional and unique unit.

“Camaraderie.” His coffee-brown eyes flickered to hers. “That’s what you have.”

And Touta nodded.

Laughter from the tall American – Peters, this time – rang throughout the whole floor, soon replied to with irritated shouts and soon enough, pained groans and demands. Noriko was puzzled and Touta laughed himself, contrasting the American’s belly laugh which probably the whole of Tokyo could hear.

“Family,” she heard him say, as if murmuring it to himself. “This is family.”

And despite having known them for a span of less than an hour, Noriko found herself agreeing.

A longing feeling settled in her.

To become part of this family.

To partake in the camaraderie.