It's the Thought that Counts
FLCL

 

He looked at the bat and wasn't happy.

Not because of the bat itself- it was obviously used with dings and scratches, but it was still nice and aluminum (not one of the cheap sorts) and carefully polished with new tape wrappings.

It was a Christmas present which, even though he tried many ways to hide it, he loved getting immensely.   It was from Mamimi , who he had a secret and obvious crush on.

At the base of the bat was the messy, amateur engraving of ‘ Ta -kun'.

“Where'd you get it from?”   He asked because he knew where she didn't get it at.

“Somewhere.”   Mamimi said right back.

“It's old.”

“ Ta -kun doesn't like new bats.   You like them with ‘character'.   You seem to like character these days.”

“No I don't.   I don't like a lot of things.”

“You like your present, don't you?”

“Where'd you get it from?”

Mamimi scuffled her foot against the ground.   Despite the chill in the air and three scarves she had wrapped about her neck and shoulders, she wore sandals and a short skirt.   He didn't like the way she got attention from the old, perverted men that walked down the street.   That was why he didn't complain when she dragged him under the bridge again.   It was like their secret hideout.   It seemed to make being with her that much more special.

She looked up at the bridge as someone rode over it, ringing the bell on their bike.   “ Ta -kun found it.”   She said eventually.

The cat, he told himself.   Sometimes it was hard to keep track of everything she called ‘ Ta -kun'.   He looked at her and scuffled his own foot.   The air was barely dry enough for him to kick dirt on his old new bat.

“You're not wearing the scarf I gave you.”   He said.   He always gave her a scarf.   It wasn't so much as he didn't know what else to give her as it was just what he /always/ gave her.   It was what his brother gave her.

Mamimi just shrugged.   She wasn't looking at him.   All things considered, she actually rarely did look at him.   “ Cantid -sama was going out on an errand.”   She said, pulling at the long sleeves of her sweater.   It was strange seeing her in clothes too big for her, yet sort of cute.   And familiar.

“So?”   He asked, wondering what was so familiar about it.

“I gave it to him so he wouldn't be cold, flying around like he does.”

He frowned.   “He's a robot.”

“He can get cold.”   It was his brother's sweater.   That was why.   “Have you ever touched him when he's cold?   It feels good, pressing up against it.”

He looked again at the bat resting against his knee.

“Do you like your present?”   Mamimi asked again.   This time she turned to look at him.

I hate it, he didn't say.   “Yes.”

“Merry Christmas, Ta -kun.”

Stop calling me that.

“Merry Christmas.”