1It was the worst time of the year, in his opinion. The weather always got cold, the streets became slippery from the snow, and there were far too many people crowding the stores and sidewalks. It was maddening, especially since many Japanese had begun to celebrate the Christian holiday of Christmas.

Eiri let out a deep sigh before drawing his coat tighter about him. He hated Christmas. He really did. To him, it represented a great many things that he would never have, that he could never have. Sure, he may have told himself he didn't need his father's approval but something deep inside him did. He wanted the old man to look at him just once and tell him how proud he was to have Eiri as a son . . . but it would never happen. Christmas was just another reminder of that, and he was bound and determined to avoid anything that remotely smelled like a celebration. Things were just too complicated for him without adding more people into the mix.

Around him, the weather grew chillier and the crowds of people thicker. He fought back a growl as he pushed his way into the store. He just wanted a pack of cigarettes, dammit! Not to walk into a fucking madhouse! He already lived in one, thanks to Shuichi. The things he put up with for the sake of smoking!

Hours later, he was unlocking the door to his apartment and kicking off his shoes, a carton of cigarettes and a twenty-four pack of beer in hand. He half-expected to hear, "Yuki, you're home!" as he did so, but never received it. Curious, as he knew his young lover was at home, Eiri stepped into the living room and paused.

Curled up on the couch, a book covering his head, was Shuichi . . . sound asleep. The novelist almost walked by the younger man before he did a double-take. Shuichi had a book? Was the world coming to an end?

Puzzled, Eiri reached over and picked it up, thumbing through the pages. Then a smile crept onto the blond's face. Marking the page Shuichi had been reading, he set it down on the coffee table and gathered the vocalist into his arms.

Perhaps this year wouldn't be so bad after all.