One thing about their home is that the living room has a huge ceiling, formed by the longest walls. The reason behind this fact it's his flat being on the top floor, it has its disadvantages as being the hottest one during summer, but it also have some perks, like nobody making noise or allowing them to put a huge Christmas tree that with any other ceiling wouldn't have fitted.
Bokuto is more than grateful for that. If they ever move, it would have to be to another home that made it possible, perhaps to a house with a big garden so he would get to decorate a lot of natural trees. Yes, that would be totally cool.
"Hey, Akaash', next time we move it has to be to a house, or even better, to a cottage into the mountains. I'm not settling for anything less"
He shoves a whole dumpling into his mouth, eager to finish dinner even if that jeopardizes the chewing process.
"Perhaps you can move there with your new boyfriend"
Akaashi, opposite to his boyfriend, bites the dumpling into small pieces, it would be a shame to finish them so soon being that delicious.
"Aaaag, you say those kind of jokes with such a straight face that is almost scaring"
"Who says I'm joking?"
"AKAAAAASHEEEE"
A bunch of food flies away from Bokuto's mouth to Akaashi's face, leaving little chewed chunks everywhere.
"He, he, sorry" He leans on the table to wipe away the food with his own napkin. "Can you hurry up thought, you are such a slow eater"
"I'm not a slow eater. Now, sit peacefully and chew before swallowing, it won't make a difference to put the decorations fifteen minutes earlier or later, but if you have stomach-ache later I won't be taking care of you"
Both of them know that is a completely lie. Nevertheless, Bokuto is the worst patient on earth. Literal and metaphorically.
"I'll go and start taking the things out, you can finish dinner in peace"
He stands from the stool and puts his plate into the sink before he starts to walk out of the kitchen. Wearing a big and untouchable smile all the time.
"I'm going to eat your mochi"
Bokuto stops in a halt almost skidding with his heels at those words.
"Don't. You. Dare. I'm saving it for later"
Bokuto's attempt of intimidating eyes aren't really threatening.
By the time Akaashi finishes, Bokuto has already set up a Christmas camp on their living room, there are boxes everywhere, on the table, on the sofa, there are even ornaments hanging from the television. What is the most meticulously laid is all the crafting material laying on the coffee table.
"Here is everything we need and more, I've even bought extra, just in case"
He doesn't need to swear it since the wood of the table can't even be seen. There are all kind of material anyone can imagine, sheets of paper and cardboards, sprinkles in different forms and shapes, washi tapes, stickers, confetti, markers, pens… all in different colours, especially white, gold and black, because those were the colours of their Christmas, Fukurodani's ones (entangled with a bit of green and red, too).
"Are you ready to craft?" He asks tending the scissors to Akaashi and settling himself in front of the table.
"Yes" He takes the scissors and joins him on the floor.
"You could sound a little bit more enthusiastic, not everybody gets to create their own Christmas decorations" He pokes Akaashi's nose and moves to get into business, should he start with the wall decorations or making the fake presents?
"Lucky ones"
"Gezz, I forgot I was dating the Grinch"
Then he gasps as if he had thought of something and grabs a piece of paper, writes something on it then puts some glue and sticks it against Akaahi's forehead.
"This tag says Grinch and you need to earn its removal, so behave and be cherish because the Grinch doesn't get Christmas presents and neither Christmas cuddles" He points him with a gold sprinkle pen.
"Where do I need to sing?"
He raises an eyebrow teasing, but Bokuto knows better and ignores him deciding to focus on folding and cutting a sheet of gold paper to make a garland.
The both of them work quietly for a while, which it kinds of sounds weird since Bokuto is the loudest person of the planet and Christmas the loudest season. Perhaps, negative plus negative gives positive for real, however, is a little bit boring.
So Akaashi starts to trace a line of kisses on Koutarou's shoulder going up until reaching the ear.
"You are not going to buy me with kisses, especially if they are more passionate than sweet"
Even if he doesn't bother to give a single look to Akaashi, his rough voice gives him away, so his Akaashi remains stack to his ear the next time he speaks.
"Do you want me to stop?"
A shiver crosses his whole body and nothing has to do with winter, but he is strong, he is so strong that he is the ace of his team.
The Grinch is not fooling with him.
"I want you to focus on the tasks ahead of you" Before retrieving himself, Akaashi blows into his ear giving him chills. "You can let go a kiss in between decoration and decoration, but that is all"
He tries to say it casual but he is always so eager and ready for cuddles that is too obvious and Akaashi is not buying it.
"Nah, I'm going to give my whole attention to this"
Keiji gives him a smile, one that is returned, none of them sincere, they both know how the other is teasing.
So, for the next hour, they only share mere comments as: I'm making black snowflakes or I'm gluing red glitter to the candles and you are so grinch or your elbow is nudging me all the time or well, your foot is touching mine, too or I bought a dozen mistletoes so better start hydrating your lips or what?
Everything comes out as their personalities, Bokuto's are glittery, big and loud and rushed on the edges, whilst Akaashi's are more minimalistic, just a few touches were need it and neatly cut.
"I'm really proud, they are almost as pretty as you"
Koutarou leans to give him a butterfly kiss on the crock of his neck. He takes his time to pull away since Keiji is rubbing his back in little circles, there is nothing that feels more like Christmas than this warm sensation that yells home.
Then it's time they put up the enormous Christmas tree, it barely avoids touching the ceiling (space designated for the star), also its lights and the ones on the balcony.
"Now it's time for the best moment, the decorations!" He breathes heavily.
"It's the third time you say that"
"Well, Keiji, everything is the best moment, I can't chose.
Just to accentuate the drama his mouth lets go a whine that sounds like a banshee cry.
"And this year we get to hang a stolen ornament" He says while showing it as a war prize.
"You shouldn't sound so proud about it"
He kind of scolds him even if it was himself who took it.
"My little thief, I feel proud of you"
Koutarou lifts his hand to caress his check, rubbing his thumb against the cheekbone and then going down to the lips.
"Don't be, it was your fault" He looks away with a bit of embarrassment, although his flushed face leans on the touch. "Anyway, I've got a surprise for you"
There are times were Koutarou resembles more to him to a puppy than to and owl. He can even picture him moving his tail happily.
"A surprise? What is it?"
"A surprise it is. I need to go and grab it"
"Okay, where should I wait, by the Christmas tree? On the sofa?"
His head is not taking a rest from moving, probably the tail equivalent.
"Sitting on the sofa is fine"
Koutarou does as he is told and takes a sit on the edge of the sofa being very still, he gives him a smile before disappearing into the hallway. He can't help keeping the smile, Koutarou loves surprises, but is too impatient to stand them, is really endearing to watch.
A few seconds later.
"KEIJI, WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG, ARE YOU PUTTING LINGERIE ON?" He was getting restless, what if the lingerie was for real, oh gosh, he felt like dying only imagining it.
The truth is that Keiji is just sitting on their bed, making time, he has already folded the clothes they had used that day, get the bed ready to go to sleep, he has even put in order three books that weren't in their right spot.
"KEIJII!" And then. "AGAAAAAAAAASHIIIIIIIIII"
Teasing Koutarou would never grew old.
He takes the object and hides it behind his back while walks slowly to the living room.
"You are not wearing lingerie"
He narrows his eyes at the image of his full dressed boyfriend.
"Of course not. Now, extend your hands and close your eyes" Koutarou does as commanded, extending his arms a wee bit more than necessary. "No cheating or the Grinch tag will go to you" Because yes, he still has the paper stack to his forehead.
He again takes his time, first brushing Koutarou's hands, then the biceps, he loves how built they are, then kiss each wrist and keeps one of them against his lips, smiling there, teeth touching skin.
"Keiji, I adore this, but I know you are only doing it to tease me and I also know of someone who is never getting rid of the Grinch tag"
Akaashi laughs and Bokuto curses under his breath, those are the equivalent of what his pouting does to Keiji, Bokuto can't find in himself to say no when Akaashi laughs. And he is glad he is sitting, because when Keiji whispers in his ear an apology he goes weak on the knees.
Then a light weight settles on his hands.
"Can I open my eyes?"
"Yes"
When he does so, his heart sinks, or flies, Bokuto is not sure about it, probably both, first it falls to the floor and then it collides against the ceiling.
"Keiji" His voice comes out in a thread. "Can I cry? I feel like I could cry a river"
Akaashi smiles fondly, he is trying to give him space and not touch him, since he is aware of how overwhelmed Koutarou can get. Although, in that moment he just wants to hug him and protect his innocent boyfriend from the world (even if this meant from his teasing as well) (spoiler: he will never ever cease).
"Yes, you can cry"
He finally doesn't, what he indeed does is exanimate the surprise with his heart in the throat, feeling every heartbeat.
It's a single transparent plastic ball, which purpose is to hang on the tree, of the size of his hand, just a little bit bigger than the typical, with laze made of satin rope. The exiting thing is its inside, making it the best Christmas ornament in the world. No, the best Christmas ornament in the Galaxy.
There are two solid plastic owls, but not just any, the ones they had customized for the sweaters, the ones they had drawn to resemble of them. Koutarou's white and grey wearing a scarf and a kind of sleepy face, and Keiji's brown and white with the big eyebrows and a hat. There was fake snow as well to make it look as if it was snowing in that little world of its own.
It was a ball of the both of them.
Koutarou hugged it tightly against his chest.
"This is the best surprise gift ever!" Without letting the press go, he stand up and used the free arm to squeeze Keiji from the side, he is squeezed back by two arms. "I'm never putting this in a box"
"I guessed as much"
His smiles fondly and traces the line of his eyebrows with a finger, he was well aware when he got it to be made that his boyfriend probably would even want to sleep with it.
"Where would you get it?"
"From Santa"
"Maybe we can ask Santa for a whole collection of them, I've got a lot of ideas! Hoot hoots skiing, hoot hoots baking…."
He starts to move his arms like crazy so Akaashi lets go.
"Can we continue with the decorations, I remember you we've got work tomorrow morning"
And after, he has his job Christmas party, sleeping was much more necessary than in a normal day.
"Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, this was just so amazing. Can we put it first and together?"
Akaashi nods and as their approached he extends his hand to take both the laze and Koutarou's hand. They smile to each other while hanging it somewhere around the middle of the tree, they linger their intertwined fingers for a few seconds after, and before getting down to work with the rest of it.
In the end their home looks like this, a few coloured garlands and various drawings decorating walls and doors, some glittered candles distributed around the house (on the tables, the nightstands, in the kitchen), a kind of big reindeer made of wire in the entrance, lights tangled around the fence of the balcony, and a huge tree with the perfect ball and a stolen ornament hanging from it.
There is only one thing missing.
"Are you sure you don't wanna do it?"
Akaashi asks doubtfully, feeling like stealing him the moment.
"Yes, I want you to do it, I rather be the ladder"
"We can use a chair, you know" He rolls his eyes.
"No, this is my wish, lifting you"
Akaashi lets go a surprised gulp, before he even has time to nod, Bokuto is lifting him on his shoulder.
"You weight like a feather, I could have you here for the whole eternity without getting tired"
He makes a few jumps to prove his words.
"Shut up and stop moving"
Then, on the top of the tree, he puts the last piece that was missing, the star.
Even if his true star is under him at the moment.
"You have earn getting rid of the Grinch"
He says as he takes the paper from Akaashi's forehead and places a kiss where the tag was.
Lucky for him, Koutarou has forgotten about the non-existent anymore saved for later mochi, otherwise the Grinch tag wouldn't go anywhere.