So, this is my chirstmas story this year, first one I've written in a long time. The last one was a slayers Fanfic that I never finished and eventually deleted lol. This one is a one shot, TaikYuu as per usual with me ^w^
I'd like to point out that in Japan Christmas is usually really special for couples and those in love, so they get to spend it together, or so I heard. I based the thought process very loosely on that while writing. Also, I still am not a very big Tagiru fan so he really isn't in this.
Big thankyou to Anime Master ZERO for betaing for me as usual~ Merry Chirstmas to you, I'm glad you enjoyed your gift~
disclaimer: As usual I don't own digimon.
Everywhere you looked in the Koto district it was evident that Christmas was on its way. Snow lay everywhere, blanketing the town in a sea of white while decorations and lights hung from houses. Despite the cold there were still many residents bustling through the streets trying to finish the last of their Christmas shopping, whether it be for gifts or that special family dinner. Others were trying to find the perfect gift for their special loved one, something that one boy was still trying to do himself.
Amano Yuu stood in front of a shop window, staring curiously at the displays before giving a sigh and turning away. Nothing caught his interest, at least nothing that his special someone would like. He had two weeks left until Christmas and absolutely no ideas as to what to get.
"Yuu!" He looked up from the ground in surprise as he heard his name, only to see the very person he had been shopping for waving at him from down the street. Kudou Taiki gave him that smile, the one that always made his heart stop for a moment, and Yuu couldn't help but smile back and return the wave. He made his way quickly over to Taiki, only then noticing the presence of the other goggle boy.
"Out shopping Yuu?" Taiki asked. Yuu smiled and nodded putting up the usual façade of friendship he wore around the two. Taiki may have been the one Yuu cared for more than anything but Taiki had yet to realize this.
"Can't be much to shop," Tagiru piped in, "You live alone after all."
"Tagiru!" Taiki snapped. Yuu gave a small laugh, slowly starting to understand that Tagiru didn't say things out of spite, he just spoke before realizing what he was saying. This was proven when he laughed nervously and offered Yuu a small apology.
"It's okay," Yuu said in return, "I'll just….hold on to your present and keep it for myself."
"Hey!" Tagiru shot out to which both Yuu and Taiki just laughed.
"So what are you doing for Christmas anyway?" Taiki inquired as the three friends started walking down the street, stopping every once in a while at a store window. Yuu just shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Not sure," he responded, "Before, Nee-san and I would spend it together since our parents rarely ever came home but this will be her first Christmas as an idol so…I don't know…"
"Ah…" Taiki muttered in response. He gazed a moment longer at a Christmas wind chime in a display window before turning back to Yuu. "Well if you want, would you like to spend Christmas at my house? It's usually just me and my mom and I'm sure she won't mind one more person."
The moment Taiki had suggested Yuu stay with him he turned to look at him with wide eyes. All he could think at that point was Taiki, the one person he cared about more than anything and anyone, had just invited him to spend Christmas with him! He felt his heart start beating faster and he knew Taiki was waiting for a response but for the life of him, Yuu just could get his mouth to form the proper words.
"Ne Yuu," Tagiru cut in, "Are you getting cold? Your cheeks are turning red."
"Wha-?" Yuu turned to Tagiru in mild shock before quickly shaking his head, "No, no I-I-I'm fine!"
"You sure?" Taiki asked in concern, "You're stuttering, are you teeth getting chattery?"
"I'm fine! Really!" Yuu answered while inwardly cursing himself for not being able to keep his feelings in check. Finally able to talk normally again, Yuu turned to Taiki and got ready to tell him he would love to spend Christmas with him….only to be interrupted once more. A high pitch ringing sound echoed from his pocket catching his attention. His two friends stared at him in mild shock while Yuu fished out the source of the ringing from his pocket.
"You have a cell phone?" Tagiru asked as Yuu produced the item in question.
"Yeah, I just don't use it normally, that's why I never gave out the number," he responded before answering the phone, "Hello?"
"Hi Yuu-chan! Guess who?" a female voice sang from the other end. Yuu was silent for a moment before his mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Mama?" he exclaimed, "Since when do you…why are you calling?"
"Oh come on, is that anyway to greet your mother?" Mrs Amano joked. Yuu laughed sheepishly, knowing his mom was right, just being too surprised to have answered properly.
"Sorry," he apologized, "It's nice to talk to you again, but again why are you calling?"
"Well your father and I are going to be on Hong Kong starting tomorrow and we figured it's been so long since we had a family Christmas so why don't you come down too?"
"…What?" Yuu muttered.
"Don't worry about travel expenses or anything like that. Mama and Papa will take care of it."
"That's not…"
"And Nene-chan has also agreed to it so it will be the four of us together once more-"
"Mama!" Yuu finally managed to cut in. He heard his mother go silent on the other end, obviously waiting for him to continue, "I really, really appreciate it but I was going to spend Christmas with a friend…"
"Oh come now Yuu-chan," his mother argued, "When was the last time we had a family Christmas? I'm sure your friend will understand."
"I know but-"
"No buts, Yuu," his mother cut in this time more sternly, dropping her pet name, "I'll be buying your ticket later today. I'll send you an E-mail with it so make sure to print it out."
Yuu was silent for a moment. He knew from the start that he wouldn't have a chance at changing his mother's mind yet he couldn't help but try. After all it would also be his first Christmas with Taiki, the boy he had admired since there first trip to the Digital World. At the same time he also wanted to have a family Christmas once more. His mom was right, it had been years since the four of them had been together.
Finally Yuu sighed sadly and nodded his head, even though his mother couldn't see.
"Alright," he answered, "What time are you booking for?"
"Hmm…probably sometime tomorrow afternoon. It will be nice for the four of us to be together on the same day right?"
"'Kay…I'll start packing then. See you tomorrow." With that said Yuu hung up, not waiting for a reply from his mother. He looked down at his cell sadly before turning to Taiki.
"Sorry, looks like I'm going to Hong Kong tomorrow." he said, finally answering Taiki's earlier question. Yuu couldn't be sure but he thought he saw a flicker of disappoint cross Taiki's face at the answer. If there had been, Taiki covered it up very quickly, putting on a smile instead.
"That's good then, you'll be with your family for Christmas," he stated. Yuu nodded before walking ahead of the group, looking back with a smile of his own.
"Let's go to my place then quickly," he suggested, "I need to start packing and I guess I can give you all your presents now…" His smile dropped as he said that, remembering that he had yet to buy a gift for Taiki. Tagiru on the other hand whooped happily, punching his fist into the air.
"Just because you're getting it early doesn't mean you can open it early." Yuu stated blankly causing the younger goggle boy's happy demeanour to drop.
"Anyway…I'm sorry Taiki-san…you're going to have to wait for yours…I uh…haven't gotten one yet…" Yuu admitted guiltily. Taiki smiled gently, walking over and giving Yuu a small pat on the shoulder.
"It's fine," he answered, "I'll just hold onto yours until you're back and then maybe by then you'll have one and we can do a gift exchange."
Yuu smiled at the suggestion before giving a nod.
"You can give Zenjirou-san and Akari-san their gifts right?" he inquired to which Taiki nodded in response, "Great! I'll hold on to Kiriha-san's though. Knowing Nee-san she's probably invited him to Hong Kong without our parents knowing."
"They dating yet?" Taiki asked. Yuu giggled and shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered before turning around once more, "Anyway let's go."
As Taiki left Yuu's apartment/condo after getting the gifts from Yuu he couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh. Tagiru had already left soon after Yuu had given him his gift, claiming he had to get home before his mother did. Taiki had stuck around for a little bit to keep Yuu company while he packed but the moment Yuu turned on the computer and printed out the ticket his mother had sent Taiki excused himself.
Truth be told he was really upset about Yuu not being able to spend Christmas with him. He was hoping more than anything that Yuu would. Taiki knew he should be happy that Yuu was spending Christmas with his family. After all, it meant that Yuu wouldn't be alone but still he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
It didn't take long for him to get home, only to find the house empty when he did. He called out for his mom in confusion but got no answer. Walking into the kitchen Taiki found a note on the counter for him. Apparently his mom had gone out shopping for more food for Christmas day since she believed that Yuu was going to be joining them.
Taiki sighed and chuckled lightly to himself. If his mom had a phone he would call her to let her know plans had changed but since she didn't he would have to wait for her to get home. Taiki went upstairs to his room, setting the presents for Akari and Zenjirou on his bedside table and plopped himself lazily on his bed.
He stared blankly up at the ceiling for a while before turning his gaze to his desk across the room. Sitting there was a small sized box wrapped in yellow paper, a tag hanging off the side addressing who it was going too.
The gift was for Yuu. Taiki had planned to give it to him on Christmas, obviously. When he did there was something he wanted to tell the younger boy, something he had only recently figured out.
"I love you…" he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes, "Merry Christmas…Yuu."
"Taiki! Phones for you!" Taiki's mom's called out. It was early in the afternoon of Christmas Eve and Taiki had been lazing about in his room, the presents for Akari and Zenjirou having already been delivered. Taiki looked over at the door to his room before shrugging and walking out to get the phone. Luckily for him there was one just around the corner so he didn't have to go far.
Picking up the cordless, Taiki pressed the answer button and walked back to his room.
"Hello?" he answered sitting back down on his bed.
"Long time no talk," came the reply on the other end, "How's this lovely Christmas Eve treating you?" Taiki was silent for a moment before smiling as he recognized the voice on the other end.
"Kiriha!" he laughed before letting himself fall backwards on his bed, "It has been a while hasn't it." Kiriha laughed on the other end and Taiki could just see him shrugging his shoulders casually to the question.
"Anyway," Taiki continued, "I guess every thing's good…kinda lonely but whatever."
"Lonely?" Kiriha inquired. Taiki sighed before rolling over onto his stomach. Kiriha was the only one who knew of Taiki's feelings for Yuu so Taiki was perfectly comfortable talking to him about it.
"Yuu went to Hong Kong for Christmas," he answered sadly, "I mean he said it's been years since they had a family Christmas but, I guess I'm still upset about it…that selfish?"
"Not really," Kiriha said, "Christmas is really only special when you're with the one you love right? It's natural to feel lonely when the one you want to be with isn't there."
"Is that how you feel about Nene?" Taiki asked. Kiriha was silent on the other end for a moment and Taiki started to wonder if he was even there anymore. Finally he heard a sigh before an answer was heard.
"Actually Taiki, the whole reason I was calling you was to bypass time," Kiriha admitted, "I'm heading to Hong Kong myself, Nene invited me secretly."
"O-Oh…" Taiki muttered before giving a laugh, "Should have known she'd have done that. Yuu even said she might."
"Yeah…sorry."
"Don't worry about," Taiki said, "It's not like they know about how I feel so…"
"Actually…Nene does," Kiriha stated causing Taiki to freeze, "She randomly brought it up in a conversation one time. I promise I didn't say anything."
"You mean…Nene figured it out on her own...?" Taiki asked nervously.
"Well wasn't she the first one to figure out that you're gay?"
Taiki wasn't expecting to hear that and it took him a moment to get try and figure out a decent reply, which he eventually gave up doing and instead chose to yell out a simply "Hey!" instead. That in turn caused Kiriha to laugh on the other end.
Between the three generals it wasn't a secret of Taiki's sexual preference. During the battle against the Seven Death Generals Nene uncovered Taiki's secret and his small crush on Kiriha. It wasn't until they returned to the human world that Taiki and Kiriha spoke about it which resulted in them remaining friends. After all Kiriha cared about Nene, and vice versa. Taiki didn't want to ruin that and besides, it was only a small crush. What he wasn't planning on doing was falling completely head over heals for Nene's younger brother.
"She's so….perceptive sometimes," Taiki eventually muttered, "It can be a little annoying to be honest."
"Nothing we can do about it," Kiriha responded. Taiki sighed and was about to answer when he heard a soft knock on his door. Looking over he saw his mom standing there, an amused smile on her face.
"Yeah mom?" Taiki asked nervously, wondering how long she had been listening in to his conversation.
"You're very popular tonight you know," she smiled before turning behind her. Standing there were, much to Taiki's surprise, the other three Hunters against his team, "They came looking for you. I called up to you but apparently talking about your little crush to your old crush is far more important."
Taiki heard the distant laugh of Kiriha on the phone and knew straight away that he had heard his mother's comment. Ren and Airu were trying not to laugh and Ryouma was smirking at the situation. Taiki felt his face heat up and without thinking he grabbed his pillow, throwing it at his mother.
"Get out!" he cried in embarrassment. His mom laughed, shielding herself from the pillow before leaving the room, the other Hunters standing just outside the door. Taiki stared at them for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the phone.
"Hey, can we continue this conversation later?" He asked, "I need to sort some stuff out at home." Kiriha laughed once more on the other end before responding.
"That's fine, I was going to say the same thing. Boarding is starting now," he explained, "I'll call you tomorrow with Nene and Yuu, Kay?"
"Sounds good," Taiki agreed, "Later." After hearing the confirmation from Kiriha on the other end Taiki hung up and turned his full attention to Ryouma's group. He sat up cross legged and gestured for them to come in.
"So to what do I owe the visit?" he asked once they entered. Ryouma turned to Ren and Airu, both looking surprisingly nervous for some strange reason.
"You going to ask?" Ryouma inquired of them. Airu turned as pink as her sweater and shook her head rapidly no, while Ren turned to look away from both his leader and Taiki. Ryouma sighed and shook his head before turning back to Taiki.
"We're staying with my grandfather," he started, "And he's rather old fashioned when it comes to the holidays. I'm used to it but Ren and Airu want to celebrate Christmas and were wondering if we could spend it here since we don't really know anyone else in this town. A…Christmas truce, I guess?"
"Your grandfather doesn't celebrate Christmas?" Taiki asked in mild surprise. Ryouma just shrugged, obviously unaffected by it. Or so he seemed. Taiki stared at the three curiously, seeing the slight pleadingly hopeful looks on Ren and Airu's faces, Airu biting her lip nervously as well. Ryouma, though keeping a neutral air about him in the situation had the same kind of look in his eyes that his comrades did.
Taiki smiled and sighed before standing up off his bed.
"Mom!" he called walking past the three and to the hallway, "We can still use all the food you brought earlier! Ryouma, Ren and Airu are staying for Christmas!"
"The more the merrier!" his mother yelled back. Behind him Taiki heard Airu squeal happily before arms were flung over his shoulders, the psycho girl hugging him tightly. Taiki gave a yelp in surprise before laughing at her response.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Airu squealed. Taiki laughed again before pulling out of her grip.
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Taiki said turning to look at the three of them, "Let's go downstairs. More room in the den anyway."
The three Hunters nodded before all four of them made the trip downstairs. Yuu may not be here, Taiki thought to himself, but at least he wasn't going to be completely alone. Besides he may learn a few things about these three in the process. Besides it wasn't like he could turn his back on them, especially on Christmas.
"Say Nene-chan," Mrs. Amano looked over at her daughter who was staring at another display window for a shop in the mall, "Shouldn't we head home soon? It's getting late." They had been out all day, the whole Amano family, and it was Christmas Eve. Nene turned her attention from the display before giving her mother a smile.
"Just a few more minutes, okay!" she said.
"But Nene-chan…"
"We can't leave without Yuu anyway," Nene giggled before looking over at a store a few shops over from where they were, "And it looks like he's preoccupied right now."
That was indeed the truth. It was Christmas Eve and Yuu still hadn't found a gift for Taiki. He was starting to wonder if he should lower his standards when the display at this particular shop caught his attention. Jewelry always seemed stereotypical to Yuu, and it wasn't something he would have initially looked at but….
"It's perfect…" he muttered to himself as he stared down at a necklace. It was a simple silver cross necklace with a ring in the middle and right in the centre of the cross was a red jewel. His gaze travelled down to the price tag and he cringed. It was really expensive but…
"Nee-san!" Yuu called out to his sister. Nene looked over smiled before running towards him, their parents not far behind.
"Yeah what is it?" Nene asked.
"Please, please, please!" Yuu begged, "I will pay you back every penny just please buy this for me!" Nene looked down at the necklace Yuu was pointing at, mild confusion on her face before realization struck her.
"Alright," She agreed with a smile, "But just this one time. I hope he likes it." Yuu blushed, realizing his sister knew exactly who it was going to. Luckily for him his parents hadn't heard Nene's comment.
In a few minutes Nene had paid for the necklace and handed it to Yuu, wrapped in a deep red box with a lighter red ribbon around it. Yuu took it, looking down at it fondly. He finally found the perfect gift for his special person. Now if only he had the courage to tell him.
"What's in the box?" The Amano siblings both jumped at the new voice before turning in the direction it came from. Nene's face lit up and she quickly ran to the newcomer, throwing her arms over his shoulders happily.
"I was wondering when you'd be here!" she exclaimed happily. Kiriha chuckled at Nene's reaction, returning the hug quickly before pulling away.
"You're the one who booked a Christmas Eve flight Nene," Kiriha stated, "Don't blame me for being late." Nene giggled and slipped her hands behind her back.
"Sorry. It was the only way I could get you here without having my parents throw a fit about it." She explained quietly. Kiriha nodded in understanding before turning to look at Yuu and the parents of the two siblings. Yuu smiled and waved, already in on him coming over. Their parents on the other hand, looked really confused about the situation.
"Mama, Papa, this is Aonuma Kiriha-kun. He's a good friend of mine and Yuu's." Nene introduced. Kiriha offered them a bow in respect, already understand how most high class families work having grown up in one himself.
"I see," Mr Amano muttered, "Nene why didn't you say one of your friends was going to be coming for Christmas?"
"I sort of…forgot?" Nene laughed nervously, "I remembered when I found the flight information. You don't mind do you?"
"So much for our family Christmas…" Mrs Amano muttered.
"Oh come on Mama," Yuu laughed, "He's practically family. Most of us are still placing bets on when Kiriha's gonna propose!" Both Kiriha and Nene turned bright red at the statement while Yuu's father got the 'I'm going to kill him' look on his face and their mother smiled like a high school teenager in love.
"Oh my goodness Nene-chan, why didn't you tell me you had such a handsome boyfriend?" her mother squealed. Nene panicked as her mother's exclamation caught the attention of some of the other shoppers in the mall.
"M-Mama, he's not my boyfriend!" she denied, hoping her mom would understand the message and not say anything else around her fans. Thankfully she caught on and quickly apologized.
"It's fine just…let's go back to the limo. We've been here long enough." Nene stuttered before running swiftly down the hallway and to the exit where their ride was waiting. It wasn't long until the Amano family as well as Kiriha were all sitting inside the limo and heading back to Nene's condo.
"Please Mama," Nene muttered as they drove, "You have to watch what you say about me in public. There's a reason I've kept Kiriha-kun a secret."
"You mean aside from Papa trying to kill him?" Yuu joked. Nene looked over at her brother in a half glare half pout which only caused Yuu to laugh.
"Oh let's not fight," Mrs Amano said, "By the say Yuu-chan, who's that for?" This time it was Yuu's turn to blush and look away.
"N-Nobody…" he muttered shyly.
"Hardly," Kiriha smirked.
"Is it a girlfriend? Or a crush?" Yuu's mom pressed which only caused Yuu to blush deeper. Unnoticed by him, Nene and Kiriha exchanged glances, giving each other a nod before turning back to the younger boy.
"It's for Hana-chan isn't it?" Nene exclaimed happily. Yuu jumped and turned to look at his sister in complete confusion.
"Hana..?" he asked.
"Oh don't play dumb silly," Nene continued, "We met Hana-chan around the same time we met Kiriha-kun, remember."
"I believe she was running through a park calling herself Flower Power or something like that," Kiriha laughed, "Weren't you going to be spending Christmas with her before you found out you were coming to Hong Kong?"
Suddenly Yuu understood who they were talking about and his blush returned full force. Somehow they knew he liked Taiki and were taking the most reasonable approach to talk about him around his parents. Hana came from O'hanamon which basically meant Flower-Powermon back when Taiki first returned to the Digital World and landed in Dorbickmon's domain.
Still, Yuu could barely even respond to his sister and Kiriha's teasing now that he understood exactly who they were talking about. All he could think was that this had to be some kind of a bad dream.
"Oh so it was a girl you were going to spend Christmas with!" Mrs Amano exclaimed in realization, "I'm so sorry Yuu-chan, you should have said so! It must be hard being away from the one you love."
"I-I-It's fine…" Yuu stuttered, "W-We have plans…after Christmas anyway. B-Besides it's not…not like he-she knows how I feel anyway." He inwardly cursed himself for nearly revealing the lie.
"Are you going to tell her?" Mr. Amano asked, joining in the conversation. It wasn't everyday your son had his first crush. Yuu's blush deepened and he quickly shook his head.
"N-No!" he exclaimed, "That would ruin everything! I mean sh-she only thinks of me as a friend so…" He trailed off sadly and looked down, his gaze landing on the gift he had just gotten. Maybe a necklace was a bit much for a gift, especially on their first Christmas as friends.
"See, now that kind of thinking there is what always gets in the way," Kiriha stated catching Yuu's attention, "I can promise you one thing Yuu, Hana will not turn you away."
"…How would you know…?" Yuu asked curiously yet shyly. Kiriha smiled gently before answering.
"Yuu, you've been lonely this whole time, haven't you?" he asked, "Because you're not with the one you really want to be with." Yuu's face dropped and he nodded sadly.
"Well," Kiriha continued, "Hana has been feeling the same way because you're not there with her."
Yuu stared at Kiriha in shock, not expecting him to say that. He knew that Kiriha and Taiki spoke to each other a lot having become best friends after the fight with Bagramon so he was sure he could believe in what Kiriha was saying. There was still that edge of doubt that maybe they were just picking on him but even then, they wouldn't go that far, would they?
The limo pulled to a stop at a red light and Yuu was still in thought, not really listening to his mother trying to get more information about his 'girlfriend'. It wasn't until Nene leaned up next to him and whisper in his ear that brought him out of his thoughts.
"You can find the Trailmon at the trolley station in the DigiQuartz." she whispered. That was all Yuu needed to hear. Unbuckling his seatbelt Yuu pushed open the limo door and ran out into the streets, ignoring his parents' calls for him. The only thought on his mind then was getting back to Japan.
Back to Taiki.
Dinner at the Kudou household was quite lively that Christmas Eve. Miss Kudou had prepared a big feast for them and Ryouma's group was mildly surprised by it, until Airu squealed once more. Then they were just trying to get their hearing back. Miss Kudou laughed at the young girl's enthusiasm before seating them all at the table.
"So, you've never celebrated Christmas before Ryouma?" Miss Kudou asked in shock. Ryouma shook his head as he cut off a piece of the meat on his plate.
"My grandfather is old fashioned, and my father was raised that way so he doesn't celebrate it either," he answered.
"Which is why you're so boring about it!" Airu teased, "My parents always spoiled me on Christmas!"
"Which is why you're a bitch," Ren muttered.
"Grinch…" Airu muttered glaring over at the blue haired boy.
"If anyone's the Grinch it's Ryouma's grandfather," Ren stated.
"Okay, let's not turn this evening into a name calling contest shall we?" Miss Kudou cut in with a laugh. Taiki rolled his eyes at the scene, choosing to watch in silence as he ate his food. It was quite entertaining to see his mom try and pry out of Ryouma what he wanted for Christmas so she could run out quickly and get something for them before the shops closed. Ryouma may have been stubbornly refusing to answer but Ren and Airu ended up answering for him. At the same time Ren pointed out the basics for Airu.
"Anything so long as it's stuffed, pink and cute and you're good." He stated causing Ryouma, Taiki and his mother to laugh.
Miss Kudou ended up being the first one to finish her food. She quickly got up from the table, taking her dishes to the sink before turning to her son.
"Taiki, you make sure everything gets cleaned," she said, "I'm going to get your friends here some gifts. Can't let them go without presents tomorrow!" Taiki laughed before answering.
"Okay mom, take care," he said.
"Bye honey!" With that said Taiki heard the door to the house close. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. A part of him wondered if maybe he got his caring attitude towards people from his mom. After all, when they didn't really answer on how they all knew each other she didn't pry about it. Just smiled and continued with the dinner preparations, and now she was out getting them gifts.
"Your mom's nice," Ren spoke up, catching Taiki's attention. Taiki blinked in mild confusion before shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, I suppose," he answered.
"She really doesn't need to do this…" Ryouma muttered. Taiki looked over at the leader of the other group before choking back a laugh. It wasn't everyday you saw Ryouma looking shy and unsure of his situation.
"Guess Christmas is strange to you huh?" Taiki asked, standing up and picking up his now empty plate. Instead of getting an actual response he just got an annoyed growl. Looking back over at Ryouma he was greeted with the sight of Airu poking her leader's cheek and giggling. Laughing himself Taiki rolled his eyes before taking his plate and the rest of the dishes to the sink.
"Hey Taiki, what should we do with the leftovers?" Ren asked standing up himself. Taiki looked back over at Ren in mild surprise before shrugging.
"Just leave them, I can clean up," he responded.
"Okay!" Airu exclaimed, "Can I watch T.V?"
"Be my guest," Taiki answered. Airu laughed and skipped out of the kitchen happily. Taiki couldn't be sure but he thought he heard her singing 'Be our Guest' From Beauty and the Beast as she left the kitchen.
"I'm still going to help," Ren muttered after Airu left, "I mean we're technically rivals so you didn't have to let us stay but you did."
"Plus your mom is getting us gifts as well when she doesn't have too," Ryouma agreed as he himself stood up, "It's only polite that we help." Taiki stared at the two boys unsurely for a moment before sighing and giving a smile.
"Alright, you can help," he said before opening a drawer and pulling out some cling wrap, throwing it over at the two boys.
"Just ensure it all gets covered and it goes in the fridge," he explained before turning to the sink, "I'll do the dishes in the meantime."
With Ren and Ryouma's help the clean up went by really quickly. They had the odd conversation here and there, the only one really making an impression was when Tagiru was brought up. Apparently Ryouma has gotten an obsession when it came to tormenting him. Taiki couldn't help himself and randomly asked if Ryouma liked him. The smirk that crossed Ryouma's face at that point was all Taiki needed to know.
Once they were done they walked into the living room, only to find Airu fast asleep on the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest and the T.V. on some random English Christmas movie. Ren rolled his eyes at the sight before finding the remote and turning the T.V. off.
"Honestly, she's such a handful," he muttered.
"You sound like an older brother." Taiki laughed. Ren flinched at that comment before making a disgusted face.
"I'd die if I were related to this chick," he stated, "And don't even say anything about going out or being in a relationship. Yuck!" Taiki just laughed and nodded his head, taking a seat on the ground while Ryouma went straight to the bookshelf.
"I know what you mean," Taiki agreed, "It's the same with myself and Tagiru really."
"Yeah but I got to wonder what the heck he sees in that dumbass…" Ren muttered indicating at Ryouma. The boy in question smirked once again but continued to scan the bookshelf for something interesting.
"Honestly…this topic kinda scares me so maybe we can talk about something else?" Taiki suggested. This time Ren smirked. He dropped down to the ground next to Taiki and crawled over to him, looking up at the goggle boy mischievously.
"Liiiike you and…Yuu?" he teased. A small blush made its way onto Taiki's face and he quickly looked away from him. Ryouma was now sitting on a single couch, book in hand, but instead of reading his attention was focused on the scene in front of him.
"Wha-what are you talking about?" Taiki stuttered out, trying to avoid the question.
"Don't play dumb!" Ren continued, his smirk growing, "We were standing there with your mom for quite a bit of that conversation you were having on the phone. 'Oh I'm so lonely without Yuu by my side! I'm such a selfish person!'." Ren then fell over to the ground laughing at his joke, while Taiki's face turned a darker shade of red.
"C-Cut it out!" he snapped. Ren laughed a moment longer before looking up at Taiki, still grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh come on, I'm just teasing," he stated, "Besides, we can't always have what we want for Christmas."
"All he wants for Christmas is Yuu," Ryouma laughed, joining in on the fun. Taiki faltered for a moment, not expecting Ryouma to jump in like that. He turned his gaze towards Ryouma, ready to make a come back only to hear someone knocking on the door…frantically.
Taiki looked over towards the door in confusion before standing up and walking over to it. The whole time Ren was busy singing the very Christmas carol that Ryouma had just made a pun out of. Choosing to ignore him Taiki opened the door, only to freeze in shock.
"Y-Yuu…?"
The very boy they had been talking about was standing outside Taiki's door, breathing heavily as if he had just run the entire distance from Hong Kong back to Japan, which was almost true. He had just gotten a ride from a Trailmon. Upon seeing Taiki, Yuu smiled breathlessly before jumping forward and wrapping his arms around Taiki's neck.
"T-Taiki-san!" He cried out, burrowing his face into the crook of his neck, "Taiki-san…I…I…Oh god I missed you so much!"
"He should have said 'Oh god I came'." Ren muttered watching the scene in amusement. Ryouma burst into laughter at that and Taiki turned bright red, turning to his two tormenters angrily, while Yuu stared at them wide eyed in shock.
"Will you stop it already?" Taiki snapped, "It was funny at first, now it's just-"
"Okay, okay we're sorry!" Ren laughed, "But come one, you can't say you wouldn't want to hear him say that."
"One more word," Taiki said darkly, catching Ren by surprise, "and I will strip you to your underwear and lock you out in the snow, got it?" The blue haired boy turned pale and his eyes went wide, before giving a single nod of his head. Ryouma immediately opened the book he had grabbed while trying not to laugh at the situation.
"Taiki-san..?"
Taiki looked back over at Yuu, who was still standing in the doorway looking at the other guests in confusion. Taiki smiled and shook his head. He gestured Yuu come in and quickly shut the door so no more cold air got into the house.
"I'll explain later," he answered the unspoken question, "But Yuu, how did you get here? I mean weren't you going to spend Christmas with your family?"
"I-I was…" Yuu started before his eyes darted nervously over to where Ren and Ryouma were, Ren watching the pair intensely, a small smirk making its way back onto his face. It didn't take long for Taiki to realize that Yuu didn't want to say anything around them.
"Let's go upstairs," he suggested. Yuu nodded in agreement before following Taiki to the stairs.
"Don't make too much noise!" Ren yelled out after them. Taiki paused halfway up the stairs before turning around and walking back down.
"I'll meet you up there," he told Yuu before heading back to the living room. Yuu stood on the stairs in mild confusion before a yell from Ren echoed through the main floor. Yuu laughed into his hand before turning around and walking the rest of the way up the stairs and into Taiki's room.
He stood there for a moment, suddenly feeling rather nervous about being here yet knowing there was no reason for it. Ren had just been teasing them with all the stuff he had been saying.
….right?
Before Yuu's mind could think up any embarrassing things that could actually happen Taiki walked into the room, shutting the door behind him with a sigh.
"Stupid brat…" he muttered before looking over at Yuu and smiling, "So are you going to tell me how you ended up back in Japan?" he asked walking over and taking a seat on his bed. Yuu, still feeling nervous thanks to Ren's earlier comments chose to grab Taiki's desk chair, flipping it around and sitting on it backwards.
"Trailmon," he stated simply, "Nee-san told me where to find her."
"But why…?" Taiki asked in confusion, "I mean, didn't you want to spend Christmas with your family?"
"Of course I did it's just…" Yuu looked down in embarrassment, holding onto the back of the chair tightly, "It's just I…I was lonely. I wanted…I wanted to be…with Taiki-san…"
Taiki's eyes widened in mild shock and he stared at the young blond in front of him silently, not knowing what to say in response.
"And then…Kiriha-san showed up and…well him and Nee-san baited me…I guess," Yuu continued, "Kiriha-san said that you felt the same. That you were lonely…without…me…"
"Yuu…" Taiki whispered the boy's name before standing up and walking over to him. Without giving it much thought Taiki raised Yuu's head up and leaned down, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss.
Yuu stiffened at first, eyes going wide in surprise. It took him a moment to realize that Taiki was actually kissing him. Once that realization hit Yuu instantly reached up and wrapped his arms around Taiki's neck, returning the kiss as best he could.
He couldn't really hide how happy he was though, smiling into the kiss and breaking it off but keeping their faces close together.
"Taiki-san," he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"…I love you…"
Taiki smiled at that, leaning in and giving Yuu another peck, this time pulling away a little farther so he could look down at Yuu fondly.
"I love you too," he replied. Yuu smiled happily before leaning upwards and pulling Taiki down for another kiss.
"Taiki! Why was Ren locked outside in his underwear?" The sound of Taiki's mom's voice yelling interrupted their next kiss. Taiki groaned in annoyance before reluctantly pulling away from Yuu and opening the door to his room.
"He asked for it!" Taiki yelled in response, "I warned him!" Yuu sat in the room a moment longer, watching as Taiki left, going back downstairs so he didn't have to yell at his mom from the stairs. The only thing he could think then was how glad he was to have come back to Japan. After all, he finally got to kiss Taiki.
They actually kissed.
Yuu suddenly squealed and let out a happy giggle like a lovestruck school girl. His first kiss, and with the one person he wanted it to be with.
"What's this?" Yuu asked staring at the yellow box that was handed to him suddenly. Everyone in the house was currently sleeping, and Yuu had changed into a pair of Taiki's pyjama's which were only slightly too big for him, but still baggy enough that Taiki had to control his urges not to jump the boy then and there, especially with that cute confused face he was making right now.
"Just open it," Taiki answered with a smile. Yuu looked at Taiki, then at the box, then towards the clock only to go back to the box.
"Well it is after midnight sooo…" Yuu smiled and shrugged, opening the box quickly only to stare in shock at what it held. Reaching into it Yuu pulled out a snow globe, one that was completely unique and one of a kind. The glass portion of the globe had the Xros Heart emblem engraved into it while along the base that supported the glass were their names carved around it. Inside the globe where two figures that resembled both himself and Taiki, resting against each other while leaning on a Christmas tree.
"Wha…how did you..?" Yuu muttered still in shock.
"I got it custom made," Taiki explained, "I wanted you to have something…unique and different. This was the first thing I came up with." Yuu smiled giving the globe a shake and watching the fake snow fall around inside of it.
"I love it," he whispered fondly, "Thanks." Setting the globe down, he reached over to his jacket and pulled out his gift from the pocket.
"Here," he said as he handed Taiki his gift, "It definitely pales in comparison but…I thought of you when I found it." Taiki smiled and took the box from him, opening it up to find the necklace. He stared at it blankly for a moment before smiling fondly and lifting it out of the case.
"It's….wow Yuu, it's amazing," he said before putting it back in the box, "I'll wear it in the morning….or later on when we actually get up for the day." Yuu giggled and nodded before flopping down on Taiki's bed, moving over to one side as Taiki lay down next to him.
"We are going to sleep tonight, right?" Yuu confirmed, still rather nervous of Ren and Ryouma's remarks. Before they headed off to bed the two started placing bets on whether or not they would be 'sleeping together'. Taiki smiled and rolled his eyes knowing exactly what Yuu was worried about. Pulling the covers over the two of them he leaned over and gave Yuu a peck on the forehead.
"Don't worry, nothing is gonna happen tonight," he reassured the younger boy. Yuu smiled and nodded before nuzzling in close to Taiki, the older boy wrapping his arms around him.
"Love you, good night…" Yuu whispered.
"You too," Taiki responded, closing his eyes, "Merry Christmas Yuu…"
Cause baby all I want for Christmas is Yuu! Yuu~ Baby~
LOL. I was singign this song around the house when I decided I wanted to right a story using that Pun. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Merry Christmas everyone~! R&R cause that would make my Christmas very happy, just no flames kay! Those can continue to burn in the christmas fire.
(P.S. if you havent figured it out by now I love Ryouma and Ren. they are definitely my favs out of the new characters lol)