Shinichi stared blankly at the words in front of him for the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes. His fatigue was overcoming him, and he was about ready to go to bed. Closing the book, the teen took a look at the clock on the side table and turned out the light. It was only about 9:30, but he'd been up for a while decorating the house as his mother would have done, running errands and doing his last minute shopping for his friends - it was Christmas Eve, after all. Shinichi's mind was mercifully blank as his eyes drifted shut and he fell into slumber.

-CRASH-

A yell echoed through the house and Shinichi woke with a start, sitting up in bed as quickly as possible. He whipped his head around the room, not spotting anything unusual but noting that it was midnight. He'd only gotten two and a half hours of sleep. Ignoring that particular piece of information, the detective rushed into a sweater and practically tripped down the stairs over his pajamas.

The teen slammed open the door to the library, then to the kitchen, then finally to the living room looking for the source of the noise. He finally spotted it, a dark, moving figure in the evening light shifting just beneath the tree. Suspicious, and preparing his belt (he'd had the professor make a proper sized version when he'd become cured) to attack the intruder, Shinichi reached over and flipped on the light.

There was a yelp and the figure moved immediately into Shinichi's line of sight...stopping the detective in his tracks. "Kaito?"

The messy-haired boy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head at being caught in his boyfriend's living room at such an hour. "Hi, Shin-chan!"

Shinichi scowled, "What are you doing here? And dressed like that, no less?" The detective motioned to the magician's outfit, a Santa suit that looked to be fitted rather than waiting to be filled with fake belly.

Kaito grinned, pulling out his juggling balls and beginning to toss them in the air, "Why, dropping off your presents, of course! Shin-chan has been a very good boy this year."

Shinichi just rolled his eyes and moved to sit on the couch, paying little attention as his boyfriend made the material dip under his weight.

"You know, there was something I was going to give to you for Christmas...but it's illegal in Japan to marry someone of your own sex." Kaito smiled softly as he stared at his detective.

Said detective went ruby, but smiled as he turned to look back. "I would very much have liked that. Thank you for the thought." He blinked blearily, then leaned over a bit, letting his fatigue take over again as he rested his head on Kaito's shoulder. Kaito simply relaxed himself and let Shinichi drift back to sleep, eventually drifting off himself.

The two twin-like lovers sat at attention when a floorboard squeaked. Checking the time, again, Shinichi noted mentally that it was two o'clock. It was still dark out, and the light was still on, but there was something else...

Shinichi swept the room with his eyes, landing immediately on the last thing he ever thought he would see.

Two intruders. In one night. And this one was carrying a sack.

Obviously caught, though the two teens were staring open-mouthed at him in shock, the man straightened, bowed, and gave a jolly "Merry Christmas" before waddling over to the fireplace, putting his finger on the side of his nose, and shooting up the chimney.

Shinichi and Kaito rushed to the window, catching a glimpse of the sleigh and reindeer flying away into the distance. They looked at each other in bewilderment, then at the presents beneath the tree. Right in the middle were two very small boxes, each with a different name on it, wrapped in the same wrapping paper.

Curiosity winning over caution, the two of them knelt down and picked up their respective box, tearing off the wrapping as quickly as physics would allow. They were ring boxes, and upon opening them, each box had a small gold band inside, inscribed with the words 'Love is a gift worth giving and receiving' along the outside. Upon further inspection, Shinichi's was inscribed with 'from your loving artist' on the inside, where Kaito's had 'from your loving critic' instead.

The two looked at each other for a moment before Kaito spotted the card sitting just underneath where the boxes had been. He picked it up and opened it, reading it aloud.

Dear boys,

These rings are a gift to the two of you. While I know that your country finds gay marriage illegal, that does not mean it can't be celebrated. These are a very special pair of rings. They were made exclusively by my head elf for the two of you. They will join you in ways that even the legal system can't do or dispute. The love you share is very precious, and will only strengthen with time. This is a symbol of that love, to strengthen you against the most violent ridicule out there and help you come back strong. Don't ever lose sight of its importance in your life. Merry Christmas.

Santa Claus

Shinichi could only stare in wonder at the ring, taking in the letter's words and then making a stern decision.

He slipped the ring onto his left ring finger.

Kaito could only stare at the detective with all the love and care he had before slipping on his own. Behind them, the clock struck three as they leaned in to kiss, holding their left hands together all the while. When they leaned back again, Kaito planted his forehead on Shinichi's. "Merry Christmas, Shinichi."

Shinichi smiled, looking deeply, lovingly, into the thief's eyes. "Merry Christmas, Kaito."

And as they leaned in to kiss again, the two rings touched, sending a small arc of sparks into the air just above it, forming a little golden heart.