A/N: It's finally finished! Now I can go back to slacker-ing off!
This is cut into two parts, Ritsuka's part and Soubi's part. They're directly continued from each other.
~Christmas Day~
-Ritsuka-
Ritsuka has instructed him not to buy him a gift for Christmas.
He'd agreed easily-too easily, that Ritsuka was suspicious. But now there's nothing he could do about it. Today is Christmas.
He'd already gotten greetings from Yuiko, Yaoi, Katsuko-sensei, and the Zero. The last greeting felt more like a joke than anything, because the Zero tried to do a Santa impersonation. Ritsuka didn't know whether to laugh or cry at their efforts.
Ritsuka has gotten through the past twenty hours of Christmas through sheer effort of will. He'd dodged his mother and had a snowball fight with his school mates (The Zero against him, Yuiko and Yayoi).
It was the best part of the day-not in the least because Soubi was there as well. His gentle smile, while they played, was a good one. One that he rarely saw anymore. That was why he didn't want a gift- it was enough for him to see Soubi happy, and normal.
Now he is in Soubi's arms, in his bed. There is something perverted about this if you look at it from a different angle, but Ritsuka was so sleepy that he didn't care. It is cold in his room, and Soubi is warm. Cozy is the word that describes it.
"Ritsuka?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you happy?"
All of a sudden he's grouchy. This again, when he was feeling so drowsy? "That's a dumb question."
"Are you happy, Ritsuka?" Soubi persists.
Ritsuka huffs, knowing that the adult (supposed to be the adult, which Ritsuka doubts) isn't going to let this go until he gave him an answer. "Yes."
Soubi squeezes him tighter. "Then I am happy as well."
Ritsuka buries his head in Soubi's chest. "You should be happy for your own self."
Soubi touches his cat ears. Ritsuka twitches, and Soubi laughs quietly, his shoulders shaking. Ritsuka forgets his grumpiness when he feels the laughter shaking Soubi's body. He couldn't help but smile.
"May I give you my present now?
~Soubi~
Ritsuka tears himself away from him, and Soubi is sorry to see him do so. He likes having Ritsuka cuddled against him.
Seimei has never, ever let him hold him like this.
But Soubi lets Ritsuka go-of course he lets him go- to allow the angry boy sit up and look at him. "I said not to give me any presents! I hate Christmas!"
Soubi laughs again, and he couldn't stop. Was it the wonder of this holiday? Like Ritsuka, he never paid much attention to this day, but today he has found himself so happy that he was beginning to get scared that it was all a dream.
"Ritsuka said that I should not buy him a gift. I didn't buy one. I made one."
Soubi sits up then, to get his bag. He pulls out a tall cylinder and pops it open. A tight roll of cloth slides out.
"What is…" Ritsuka begins to say, but he's already unrolling the cloth. There's a tender look in Soubi's eyes, almost of embarrassment.
What if Ritsuka doesn't like it? The painting isn't like anything he's ever done before. There are no butterflies in it, no flowers. There are not even people in it.
But Ritsuka falls completely silent when he sees Soubi's present.
It's a view of the city- a familiar view, though Soubi has only seen it once, with Ritsuka. The painting is from the vantage point of somewhere very high up.
"The ferris wheel ride…" his Sacrifice whispers. "How…"
Yes. It was the view from the window of their Ferris wheel car, that time with Kio and Shinonome-sensei and Ritsuka's friends.
All of a sudden Soubi needs to know badly- "Do you like it?"
Ritsuka is still subdued. "I like it a lot. Too much. Thank you. Soubi. I don't have anything to give you."
Soubi puts his arms around Ritsuka. "Don't worry about that," he murmurs. "You've made me happy. It's the best gift. For myself," he adds, because this is important to Ritsuka. He couldn't comprehend how or why his happiness and well-being is so important to Ritsuka-he's not used to being valued like that. But it's true, Soubi is happy.
"Soubi?"
"Yes?"
"Where can I get a glass frame for this?"
A/N: So it's the first time I envisioned Soubi not painting flowers or butterflies of portraits of Ritsuka. Just to be different.
Promocat: Thanks for reviewing! I know what you mean, but if I were Ritsuka, and Seimei told me that he loved me, I'd probably run like hell! I can't trust him...though he's cool...
Happy holidays, dear readers! Review, please!
