He popped open the top buttons of his jacket, drawing in a slow breath, cooling down from the heat of exertion. He pressed his head against the wall, closing his eyes. It wasn't like Rei had to deal with stuff like this.
A soft, warm hand on his shoulder made Akira jump, "I'm sorry! I'll do my- Oh..."
Rei quirked an awkward smile, appearing at Akira's side when he thought of him just like he always seemed to do. "Busy?"
Akira flushed, a bit flustered as he scratched the back of his head, "Not really, just running away from schoolwork."
"Great," Rei clapped his hand on Akira's shoulder. "You can help me with something, then." He left no room for protest, much less questions as he tugged the other candidate into his large room, stocking feet making little noise as he padded across the fresh tatami mats. Akira shed his jacket as he stepped into the familiar room, strangely crowded with boxes since he had seen it last.
"What-"
"Christmas decorations," Rei cut in, "She won't let me put them up anywhere else. Says it's untraditional, but in my room is fine." He held up a box, "Want to help?"
It wasn't often he got to see Rei celebrating American holidays like this. It was almost a little interesting as he dug through the boxes, holding up each object for inspection until he finally came to a bunch of dark green leaves, "Rei? What's thi-"
The other heir candidate turned, placing a warm kiss on Akira's lips, "Mistletoe."