A/N: A Secret Santa gift for Gummy on the Pegoryu Discord Server who asked for Christmas dates, cozy blankets and hot chocolate and ugly sweaters. I missed out the blanket but there is a comforter does that count? :|
By the time Ryuji's finished his morning jog, taken the train to visit his mother and come back to their shared apartment with his arms full, Akira still hasn't gotten out of bed.
"Dude," Ryuji says, equal parts exasperated and fond, and drops the packages he'd been carrying at the foot of the bed. "Get up! It's almost 12!" He takes his best guess at where Akira's shoulder should be, hidden underneath their comforter and shakes him.
The lump of fabric on their bed wriggles a little until a messy head of hair emerges at the top. Ryuji watches as Akira peels open one bleary, disgruntled eye. "It's Sunday," he grumbles.
"It's Christmas, y'know."
"Exactly," he agrees and makes to bury himself back in again. Ryuji's having none of it. "Up," he says, grabbing the edges of the comforter and yanking it. "Now! I got a present for ya."
Akira nearly tumbles out of bed with an 'oof', then glares at Ryuji as he sits up. Ryuji just grins toothily before leaning over to place a messy kiss on Akira's forehead. His boyfriend makes a disgruntled sound in response.
They hadn't really had any special plans for the day, despite the fact that Christmas had fallen on a Sunday this year. They've been way too busy moving in shit into their new apartment together so technically, Ryuji could let Akira sleep in. Still, Ryuji likes to think it's his prerogative to at least try to curb some of Akira's worse habits. It's the only time him and Mona make a good team.
He picks up the package wrapped in red and tosses it to Akira who's still busy blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Nevertheless, he manages to catch it deftly; Ryuji has to take a moment to appreciate that easy, natural grace Akira has.
"Present for you," he explains at Akira's confused look. "From Ma. Went to visit her early in the morning. I'm gonna make somethin' to eat, what d'you want?"
"Waffles," Akira mumbles, fingers already working on the wrapping paper.
"Like I said, it's freakin' 12! I'm talking 'bout lunch Akira!"
But Ryuji's always been a bit of a weak bastard when it comes to his boyfriend so he takes out the flour from the cupboard and starts measuring out the amount needed for waffle batter anyway. Hey, it's Christmas, their first Christmas in their new apartment and Ryuji's in such a good freaking mood. Plus, it's waffles. Why would he say no to waffles?
As he's mixing, he hears the tell-tale snort of laughter coming from the bedroom that tells him Akira's finally opened the present and he grins to himself in response. A few moments later, his boyfriend comes padding into the kitchen.
"Your mom got me a Christmas sweater," he says. "A really, really ugly Christmas sweater."
Ryuji looks back to see that the sweater is already on Akira, and what an effin' monstrosity it is. It's got a striped pattern in obnoxious green and red with an upside-down reindeer head in the centre. The reindeer's nose is a ball of yarn that protrudes out of the sweater itself and the sleeves have snowflakes patterned on them.
It's absolutely freaking ugly but on Akira, with his bedhead and grey sweatpants, hanging impractically low enough to show off his collarbones? Ryuji loves it.
"She got us both ugly Christmas sweaters. Mine's got Santa ridin' a T-Rex on it," Ryuji grins as Akira snorts out a laugh again.
"A woman of impeccable taste," Akira hums and takes those last few steps forward to wrap his arms around Ryuji's waist. The reindeer nose digs a little into Ryuji's back but he doesn't complain.
"Ain't she though?"
It's his biggest relief, with how life is now. He's moved out and given her space. He's got a job that pays the bills, Akira's managed to secure a good enough scholarship for college and his mom doesn't have to work to the bone anymore. His mom's got time now, and the money too, for shit like ugly Christmas sweaters and oh-
"I got tickets in my front pocket, take 'em out for me?" Ryuji asks and Akira makes a surprised noise against his nape. His hands move forward and dig into Ryuji's pants and he has to pause his work for a moment to avoid squirming against Akira's touch.
"Ice-skating rink?"
"Yeah, apparently this new one opened up near Ma's office. She told me about it and I figured, we ain't got plans for today so...wanna head out later in the evening?"
"I'm game if you are. Are you sure I won't be spending the whole time holding your hand so that you don't slip, though?" And Ryuji doesn't have to look to know that Akira's got an awful smirk on his face.
"Fuck you man!" he laughs and jabs backward with an elbow, hoping to score a hit on Akira. He doesn't. "Don' get cocky on me!"
"Who me? Cocky? I'd never." Ryuji feels Akira resettle against his back, feels the smile on his lips against his neck and relaxes further into his hold.
"We should get her something too. For your mother, I mean," Akira says softly after a moment. "And Sojiro too. I didn't think of it before but…"
"It's cool, man. We've got time to shop for something." Ryuji carefully pours the batter into the waffle iron. When the smell starts wafting out, the window creaks and an appreciative hum fills the room.
"Time for lunch?" Morgana purrs from his perch on the window sill, back from wherever the hell he'd gone.
"Freeloader," Ryuji rolls his eyes but there's no real bite to it. "Late breakfast, more like it."
"Waffles are bad for you," Akira reminds him and finally relinquishes his hold on Ryuji's to get the wet cat food out of the fridge. Morgana complains sometimes, insists on how he's not a 'real cat' and demands sushi, but mostly he's gotten used to life as a pampered pet.
Akira sets out Morgana's food while Ryuji plates up more waffles. They don't have any syrup or ice-cream but strawberry jam does just as well in a pinch, they've found.
As far as late-breakfast-slash-lunches go, it's a great one.
Ryuji trips. A lot. It's not like he hadn't expected it but the the nth time he's landed on his ass with Akira laughing over him, he decides to tap out.
"I don't mind having to keep holding your hand, you know," Akira teases as he pulls him up again.
Ryuji shakes his head. "I'll be back in five minutes," he promises. "My ass needs a break. You go have fun doin' your flips and shit."'
Ruji gingerly slides over to the edge of the rink. The crowd there is moderate; Christmas on a Sunday means that couples have taken the opportunity to indulge, just like the two of them. Akira spares him an amused glance before he's off again, weaving in and out of the people on the ice.
He's so fucking fluid, Ryuji thinks. He's so fucking beautiful that sometimes Ryuji has to look away, almost can't believe how overwhelmed it makes him. He has no idea where Akira learnt to skate like that but he's really, really glad he did. His happens to look fantastic when he moves.
Akira twirls a little and some of the others on the rink send him an appreciate a glance. Ryuji grins to himself. He's also stupidly glad, that Akira's having fun. In Christmas, that is. They don't have the best memories of December.
Aside from shooting a shitty fake god directly in the head. That part was frigging awesome.
Ryuji watches Akira to show off to other skaters for a few more minutes, and then gingerly takes off his skates to head to the lone booth near the entrance of the ice rink. By the time he comes back with two cups of hot chocolate in his hands, Akira's acquired a skating partner.
Ryuji watches him hold onto the hands a little girl, maybe six years old, and slowly help her slide across the ice. The girl's obviously enamored -who wouldn't be?- but Ryuji can see the mother following her a few steps behind.
After a while, the mom apparently decides that it's time for her daughter to get back to skating with her own family and reclaims custody. That's when Akira spots Ryuji with the cups and skates over.
"Thought you'd abandoned me," he greets, taking a cup from Ryuji.
"Never."
The hot chocolate's not stellar but it's not bad either. Akira leans on the other side of the rail and sips at the chocolate slowly, radiating contentment. When Akira ends up getting a chocolate mustache, Ryuji leans forward shamelessly to lick it off.
"What was that for?" Akira sounds amused.
"Do I gotta have a reason?" Ryuji shrugs.
"Fair enough, guess not."
"...I'm just happy, I guess," Ryuji admits anyway. "Like, a few years ago, I wouldn't've thought I could be this happy."
Akira's eyes soften, going all bright around the edges. "Sap," he accuses, before leaning in to kiss him again. "Me neither," he says. "But I think we've earned it, don't you?"
"Oh yeah, we've earned it all right," Ryuji agrees. "Now hurry up and finish your chocolate. I can't let you keep showing me up in the rink you know."
Akira laughs and then does just that.
A/N: I wanted to make this longer but like a dumb dodo I signed up for three whole Secret Santas this year. Yeesh. Let me know if you spot any mistakes and do leave me a kudos/comment if you guys liked it!
Happy Holidays to you all!