Black Steel and Worldly Wisdom
Deck the Halls...
By Mystic Dawn
Summary: (AU) Tomoyo, fashion designer extraordinaire, is going steady with the most eligible and damn sexy male model available, Kurogane... in secret! Makes it kind of a sticky situation, doesn't it?
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Kurogane groaned and covered his head with the pillow. He wished the city's public speakers didn't play seasonal songs from dawn to dusk at this time of year. He needed to catch up on his sleep. He burrowed under the covers, tightly clamped the pillow upon his ears, and gritted his teeth expectantly.
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa la la la la, la la la la
While I tell of Yule tide treasure
Fa la la la la, la la la la
He was definitely going to commit murder. Oh, yes. And revenge would be very, very sweet. But who deserved to die? Maybe he ought to decapitate the Mayor. Oh, yes, it was probably all the Mayor's fault. After Kurogane would be through with him, the big portly old man would be found as dead as a doornail in his office and no one would play carols anymore. Maybe he should kill the rest of the staff, too. Just for precautions, of course. He wouldn't want the carols to continue after the Mayor's death, now would he?
Fast away the old year passes
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Sing we joyous all together
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Headless of the wind and weather
Fa la la la la, la la la la
His doorbell suddenly blared loudly amidst all the music. Kurogane's head jerked up, his hair tousled and wild, his expression just as animal-like. It looked like the Mayor would live another day. Whoever was at the door could have the pleasure of dying by his hand first.
He slipped out of bed, his bare feet smacking against the floor tiles. With a lour expression on his face, he opened the door, immediately growling, "What the hell do you want at eight in the morning?"
Fay giggled and slipped inside from beneath Kurogane's outstretched arm before the taller man could stop him.
He was dressed in a beige coat and dark brown pants, complete with a pair of light blue mittens, a scarf, and a poofy-looking hat. Heavily contrasting with him, Kurogane was only dressed in black sweat pants, as if he wasn't bothered by the low temparature of the season.
"I was under the impression that you told me to come 'round at eight," the blond said defensively, looking around Kurogane's undecorated flat with interest. "So this is where you live," he noted. "Where does all the money you make go?"
"None of your business," the black-haired man grumbled. "Now tell me why you're really here."
Fay's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I already told you. You told me to come. You said you needed help to pick out a certain Christmas present..."
Kurogane froze from rubbing the back of his neck sleepily. "Oh... yeah..." He mentally cursed himself. He had completely forgotten about that.
"It's all right if you forgot, Kuro-pippi," Fay grinned. "That's what I'm here for!"
Kurogane muttered something unsavory under his breath as he went to the kitchen to fix himself some coffee. He definitely needed to wake up and start his brain working again just in case he told the blond anything else he shouldn't have.
"So..." Fay slided up to him. "You never told me who the present's for."
"I don't have to tell you."
"Be reasonable, Kuro-tan! How do you expect me to help you if I don't know who it's for? And anyway, I need some sort of feasable excuse when Ashura wakes up and doesn't find me there. You know how jealous he is of you."
"As if I didn't have enough problems on my plate already," Kurogane muttered as he took a mug from the cupboard.
"Which brings us back to who the present's for. Remember, we made a fair exchange for my help and I expect you to keep your promise."
Kurogane's eye twitched as he prepared the bitter drink, not as successful as he had hoped in ignoring him.
"Remember?" Fay smiled slyly, sitting down at the table. "You promised you wouldn't squirm during photo shoots anymore."
Kurogane slammed the mug upon the table with a little more force than necessary as he sat down across from the blond.
"Don't tell me you're still upset about yesterday," Fay sighed. "It wasn't my fault Hokuto-chan and Tomoyo-chan wanted us to pose like that. You know how hard it is for them to choose between us. We're Tomoyo-chan's top male models, after all."
Kurogane's eye began to twitch even more than before. Some coffee even sloshed out of the mug in his hands. Tomoyo, at least, had managed to choose, and a long time ago. It was just that nobody else knew about that besides Kurogane. And he wasn't about to tell anyone else why anytime soon.
"Not to mention you're very warm!" he added brightly. "I love suggling up against you! You're just like a big doggy!"
"If you want to live another day, you'd better shut the hell up right now," Kurogane hissed in a voice that dripped venom. "First it's Christmas carols, then it's doorbells, then it's damn annoying nicknames again..."
"Bad night?" Fay commented lightly.
Kurogane pointedly ignored him and went back to slurping liberal amounts of caffeine into his system.
"Maybe you ought to go steady or something," the blond mused. "These one-night stands of yours don't seem to be helping your disposition one bit."
There was a loud, derisive snort that sounded suspiciously like, "Tch."
"I'm serious, Kuro-sama! A steady relationship might just do the trick!"
"Yeah, right."
"Or..." Fay fell silent, looking up at the ceiling as his lips pursed in thought. "...maybe you already have a steady relationship and it's your partner who's exhausting you so much?"
Kurogane half-snorted, half-choked into his mug, dousing his front with the last remaining dregs of his coffee.
"So I'm right?" Fay asked with a not-so-innocent smile. "Golly, I never thought you'd be so serious about someone to go steady with them. Or that there'd be someone who could tire youout."
Kurogane shot the blond a look of pure hatred as he got up to find something that could make unwilling coffee separate with his chest. Sometimes, shirts were useful, especially in sticky circumstances.
"And this Christmas present's for this certain someone, eh?" he continued, ignoring the usual death-glares. "Then this is serious. Hmmm..."
Fay sat there in speculation for some time, not noticing until the last second that when Kurogane returned he was all dressed and ready to go out. The red-eyed man drew a heavy black coat over his shoulders, holding a set of keys in his hands.
"So?" he demanded. "Are you gonna help me out or not?"
"I ought to decline since you aren't telling me who it's for," Fay said slowly. He had been doing a lot of deep thinking in those seven and a half minutes it had taken Kurogane to get ready. "But, seeing as you're the one who actually asked me for help, I'll make an exception." He got to his feet and followed him out into the hallway. "Though at least tell me if it's for a guy or a girl," he added concernedly. "That would immensely help my judgement in what we ought to get."
He nearly caught his hand in the door that slammed shut behind him.
—
"How about that one?"
"No way."
"This one?"
"No."
"What about—?"
"No."
Fay sighed heavily, cramming his hat back upon his mop of blond hair. "Then how about we try a different store?"
"You don't have to tell me twice."
They went back out into the bustling streets, trying not to run into anyone and huddling in their coats for cover from the nipping wind. All right, so maybe a lingerie shop had been a bit too much, but Fay hadn't expected Kurogane to be so uncooperative. Kurogane wasn't even telling him how his girlfriend looked like or what she liked to help him out. A shop selling feminine undergarments had been his last resort. At the least, Kurogane could pick out a nice set that was liable to make him happy, thus her happy.
Sadly, that plan hadn't worked.
"She's not that kind of a person," Kurogane had grumbled under his breath before refusing to say anything other than, "No," or "No way," or "What thehell are you thinking?" Really, he could be so unhelpful if he put his mind to it.
"Okay," Fay said, unnecessarily rubbing his hands together. "We tried bookshops, pastry shops, gift shops, and even a shop for"—he decided not to finish that sentence at the look Kurogane gave him—"so where else? I'm stumped."
"I don't know..." Kurogane said slowly, mulling his thoughts over in his head. He tried to imagine what Tomoyo might like as a present. Anything ordinary was definitely out of the question.
Yes; Tomoyo, fashion designer extraordinaire, was going steady with the most eligible and damn sexy male model available, Kurogane. It was really quite strange the way it actually happened. It had been due to a series of disconnected—or maybe not—events that led to Kurogane seeing Tomoyo in a light other than that of an employee regarding an employer.
The first time they met hadn't been an earth-shattering event. He had sent his curriculum vitae to the renowned fashion company CLAMP, and Tomoyo, chancing upon it later that day and judging it to be satisfactory, called him for an interview—more out of curiosity than any burning desire to meet him. His appearance in real life had turned out to be more than satisfactory, and, since the President of the company, Yuuko Ichihara, had had no qualms to attain another model, Tomoyo had taken him under her wing.
Hokuto Sumeragi was CLAMP's best photographer. She was the one who usually came up with the ideas for the photo shoots, usually inspired by Tomoyo's peculiar designs. She and Tomoyo would often haggle over which models would be used. Whenever they needed a female model, Tomoyo always suggested Sakura, and if she was supposed to be accompanied by others, Syaoran and Syaoron would be the logical choice.
But whenever they needed a male model, Tomoyo would be hard-pressed to choose either Kurogane or Fay. Before Kurogane's arrival, Fay had been the usual choice (or his twin Yuui whenever they'd want to pull a prank on everyone and switch places), but now that Kurogane was also a part of this grand fiasco (as he often thought of their colorful party) they'd use him whenever they needed a ruggedly handsome brute, and Fay whenever they wanted to go for something softer and more feminine.
A good example of what usually took place at photo shoots had happened just yesterday. Tomoyo had created a set of gothic, vampire-like clothing and Hokuto (squealing with delight) had decided to make a dark, equally gothic-inspired setting. Sakura, flanked by Syaoran and Syaoron featured in one photo while Kurogane and Fay had featured in the other. Kurogane hadn't liked having Fay hang all over him and Ashura eye him evilly from the other end of the room one bit. And on top of that, each model's clothes practically matched the other model's clothes he or she was being photographed with. As if Tomoyo and Hokuto had planned everything long before telling them anything about it. (Bitches, he thought scathingly.)
Besides their first meeting, there had been other events that had led to Kurogane taking more note of Tomoyo, and, ultimately, her taking more note of him. She was attractive, there was no doubt about it, but Kurogane wasn't the sort of person to take note of someone because of that. However, this case had been slightly different.
"No, no, no," Tomoyo had said one day, eyeing the make-up artists (one of the necessary evils in the world of modeling) clustered around him disapprovingly. "The make-up is all wrong." She shooed them away and grabbed a brush, tilting Kurogane's face down to hers. "This is how it should be."
The hand cupping his chin was small, but firm, as she applied the rouge on his cheeks with sure and deft strokes. He'd never been so close to her before, and he couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was. Although he had always known that her eyes were violet and had taken the fact for granted, he had never noticed just how crystalline they appeared. They were even flecked with delicate silver streaks that swirled in their amethyst depths.
He was so mesmerized by them that he didn't even notice that she had drawn back and was staring at him curiously until he heard her musical voice ringing in his ears. "Are you all right, Kurogane?" she had asked him in concern.
"Uh..." He shook his head slightly in a feeble attempt to clear it. "Yeah..."
"All right then. Let's resume the photo shoot, Hokuto-chan."
It had been several weeks later after careful observation (How come I never noticed the way she walks before?) and silent contemplation (I have no idea how to ask people out so why the hell am I even thinking about it?) when he finally gathered the nerve to ask her out for 'a cup of coffee or something'. That 'cup of coffee or something' had later turned out into spending the rest of the afternoon together with the promise to 'do this again, and maybe for a movie or something next time'. The promise to 'do this again, and maybe for a movie or something next time' had indeed happened two days afterward, ending with another promise to 'go out for a bite to eat sometime'.
And that had led to another promise, which had led to another, and another, and another...
And so on and so forth, until the last promise to 'go out for a drink or something' had somehow or other ended up with them sleeping together and Kurogane waking up the next morning with an incessant pounding in his head and wondering what on earth he was doing in bed with Tomoyo curled up peacefully beside him.
Going out with someone had never been on the top of Kurogane's list (hell, it wasn't even on his list). Neither was randomly sleeping with that someone. But Tomoyo wasn't just 'someone' anymore. And the weird part was that Kurogane didn't want her to be just 'someone'. So he had to be honest with himself. Even though going steady with someone had never occurred to him, he found that he didn't really mind it if that someone (who was no longer a 'someone') was Tomoyo.
And that pretty much sums up the entire how-they-got-together matter.
Of course, there was one teeny tiny important little detail that they had to take into account: the fact that he was a model and she was a fashion designer. History (a.k.a. the media) has proven on a number of occasions that models and fashion designers don't mix. So they decided that a little anonymity and secrecy might just do the trick—which ultimately meant that no onecould find out about their relationship.
It hadn't been a difficult feat at first. Kurogane kind of liked sneaking around the studio to steal a few kisses between photo shoots (he only pretended that he liked stealing kisses, of course) and making sure that the coast was clear for them to leave together and the like. He was in his forte at those times. But now that he needed help (and bad!) in picking out a suitable Christmas gift for her... well, that was a problem. He had no idea about presents and gifts and all the stuff your partner expects from you in a relationship.
So here he was, tromping through the snow with two days left for Christmas, accompanied by someone he thought had known more about these matters than he did. But he had been wrong. So very, very wrong.
"Kuro-tako," Fay said at that moment, coming to a stop in front of the frosty window of a small shop. "How about we try this place?"
Kurogane looked over his shoulder at the various trinkets and baubles displayed. "A jewelry store?" he asked, scrunching his face up in a sneer.
"Girls really dig this stuff," Fay grinned, pressing his nose against the window. "And I don't blame them. These're gorgeous! They'd make anyone want to wear them."
"Not me," Kurogane grumbled.
"You've always been the exception to the rule," he retorted dryly before drawing back and looping his arm through Kurogane's. "Come on! Let's go inside and get a closer look!"
"Hey! Quit dragging me around like I'm a pet or something!"
Fay ignored him as he practically dragged the resisting Kurogane into the small shop's interior. A bell tinkled in the background as the door closed behind them. The silence was slightly oppressive. Glass cases lined the walls of the shop.
"Ooh!" Fay suddenly exclaimed as he dashed to a case, pulling Kurogane along behind him. "Look at this necklace! It's absolutely beautiful!"
Kurogane arched a disbelieving eyebrow before leaning closer to take a look. The necklace in question was completely made up of small glittering crystals that seemed to take on the colors of the rainbow when held beneath the light.
"Nowthat's what I call a necklace!"
"Tch," Kurogane huffed. "It's probably worth a fortune."
"It's not like you can't afford it."
"It's not that..." He frowned in thought. "I just don't think it'll do..."
"Why not? It's perfect! Any girl would worship the one who got her something so expensive! Heck, I ought to drag Ashura over here. I'd like a necklace or two myself."
"Yeah, well my girl's not just 'any' girl," Kurogane mumbled. "And—" He suddenly gaped at him in horror. "Hold it! You want something from here?"
"I wouldn't say no if someone offered jewelry to me." Fay suddenly squealed with delight and wrapped his arms tightly around Kurogane's neck. "Awwww! Kuro-chan wants to get me a necklace, too? How thoughtful!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Showing my gratitude!"
"That'snot where your hands are supposed to go!"
A loud cough suddenly interrupted them. Fay drew away, but he kept his arm looped through Kurogane's as he smiled at the round woman behind the counter, ignoring the grumbles and the look of daggers from Kurogane.
"Do you need any help in... picking out something?" she asked with professional nicety.
"Yes, we're looking for a Christmas present actually," Fay said cheerfully. "Something dazzling, I think."
"Well, I'm not sure what would suit you but we have a wide selection of—"
"It's not for him," Kurogane interrupted rudely, stepping forward and shoving Fay away. "It's for my girlfriend. He's only trying to help... supposedly."
"Oh!" The clerk giggled nervously. "Really? I thought..."
"Well, you thought wrong." Kurogane glared at Fay angrily. The blond didn't even have the good grace to look embarrassed.
"Well then, what exactly are you looking for?"
"Um... well... I'd like to get her something for a present. Not too extravagant, but something that she'll appreciate."
"We'll have to take her appearance and character in account for that."
"Huh?"
"Jewelry has to be chosen with the utmost care," she explained. "If the necklace doesn't suit the person's tastes, then it'll be a useless bauble doomed to collect dust in a box." She looked at him speculatively. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"
"No..."
"So if you don't know what to get her, then the answer's very simple."
"What?"
"Listen to a woman's advice"—she unnecessarily pointed to herself—"and you'll be fine." She straightened and smoothed the front of her skirt. "So what does she like?"
"Um... well..." He noticed Fay inch toward him slightly. "She's a quiet kind of person... gentle, caring... but she's not someone who can be easily deceived... um..."
"How about her actual tastes?" the clerk sighed.
Fay sniggered. "Hobbies, interests, and the likes," he supplied in a low whisper.
"What does that have to do with jewelry?"
"What does that have to do with jewelry?" the clerk repeated in disbelief. She looked affronted. "Why... everything, young man!"
She then began a long-winded, droning speech about how men were insensitive brutes who had no idea how to win over a woman's heart and other such nonsense until Fay decided to step in and calm her down the way only a true gentleman could. Kurogane felt like throwing up at all the bullshit he was being forced to witness.
Between the woman's quivering sobs and Fay's soft words of reassurance, Kurogane's eyes fell upon a small silver necklace on a faded cushion in the glass case he was supporting his elbows on. It was simple, yet delicate-looking, with a small silver heart fastened at the end. The heart had a violet stone in its center and intricate carvings surrounding it.
"How much is this?" he interrupted, jabbing his finger against the glass.
The clerk dabbed at her eyes. "Oh... that old thing? It's been sitting there for ages."
"How much is it?" Kurogane repeated.
The clerk bent down to draw it out of the case, slipping on her glasses to peer at the small price tag. "Oh, how disgraceful! It's practically worthless!"
Kurogane exhaled angrily and grabbed the necklace from her hand to look at the price himself, causing the woman to burst into more tears about rude brutes and how uncaring they were. He ignored her and nodded to himself. "I'll take it."
Fay peered at the tag. "Being stingy, are we?"
"No," Kurogane huffed. "It's just what I wanted."
"Since when?" he giggled.
"Since now."
Fay shook his head as Kurogane drew out his wallet and the woman stuffed the necklace into a velvet box and wrapped it amongst her sobs and unflattering whispers about pig-headed men and the like. Kurogane paid her and took the gift-wrapped present, stuffing it in his pocket as he left the store of the now hysterically-sobbing clerk, Fay trailing along behind.
"So... a silver, heart-shaped necklace, huh?" Fay asked, tightening his scarf around his neck. "With a purple stone, no less."
"What about it?" Kurogane grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets and huddling in his jacket.
"Oh, nothing," Fay said sweetly. "You just confirmed my suspicions, that's all."
Kurogane came to an abrupt stop, causing Fay to almost run into him. "Suspicions of what?" he demanded.
"Oh, nothing," he repeated, his grin widening. "I just think that Tomoyo-chan's going to like that present, that's all."
"How did you—? Oh, never mind..." Kurogane exhaled and stared at a lamp-post for a long moment. "...Don't tell anyone," he finally muttered. "We're trying to keep it quiet."
"Well, you ought to work on your sneaking around more if you want to be inconspicuous," Fay grinned. "It's kind of obvious when you're the only ones left at the studio that you want to leave together."
"What were you doing there after everyone else had left?" he asked suspiciously.
"You're not the only one who sneaks around," Fay answered, winking slyly.
—
Snow drifted downward lazily that night on Christmas Eve. The windows were white with frost, almost hiding the fact that there was a fire burning cheerily inside. A green evergreen, laden with ornaments that almost seemed but never did weigh it down stood tall and proud in the corner. But it had no presents underneath it.
Kurogane had sprawled on the couch, his legs propped up upon the coffee table and a steaming mug in his hands. He sniffed at the hot chocolate before screwing his face up in an expression of distaste. He wasn't keen on drinking something sickly brown with white blobs of melting marshmallow floating around in it.
His gaze drifted toward the tree and he snorted incredulously. A Christmas tree in his house. Now that, he hadn't seen coming. But, well, since Tomoyo had managed to lug it all the way to his place, the least he could have done had been to allow her set it up. And help her, too. That hadnot been any fun. Especially when she decided that tinsel looked much better in his hair than on the branches.
He eased his head back on the couch with a soft groan. His back ached from all of those last minute photo shoots they had done the past week. Being a model wasn't all that was cracked up to be. And, he supposed as he lazily opened an eye to peer at the pool of light flooding in from the other room, neither was being a fashion designer. But he was still amazed at the energy Tomoyo still had left to want to make Christmas cookies after cooking an appetizing dinner... in his kitchen, once more. No, it wasn't as if he had been in possession of the ingredients themselves. Tomoyo, once again, had brought them with her.
He had expected tonight to be a quiet Christmas Eve, just like any other, but he had obviously forgotten to take Tomoyo into consideration. Who knew she'd want to make their first Christmas together as Christmas-y as they came? She had come that afternoon to his residence fully armed—er, equipped.
He peered down at the tray on the table. There was an assortment of sugar-coated Christmas trees and Santa Claus's waiting for him. They almost seemed to implore him to try them. He could just imagine them squeaking, "Eat me, eat me!"in high-pitched voices. He gritted his teeth and set the mug down beside the tray, determinedly looking away. No way in hell was he going to eat anything that made him think of creepy crawlers.
"Kurogane," he heard her voice from the bathroom say at that moment, bringing him out of his stupor. "What time is it?"
He craned his neck to look up at the watch on the mantelpiece. "Around ten minutes to midnight," he reported.
"Grand," she answered back.
He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was smiling. So, having a pretty good inkling of what she was up to, he gathered up his legs to take off his shoes. It never hurt to be prepared.
It wasn't long before he heard the whisper of bare feet make their way across the room. He felt a pair of small hands snake around his neck as Tomoyo brushed her lips against his ear, murmuring, "I've got a present for you."
"Oh?" He decided to play along. Tomoyo was fond of little games, and even though he wasn't fond of them himself, he humored her every now and then.
"Yes." She drew away from him and came around to settle down on the couch beside him.
She was still dressed in her clothes, which made Kurogane wonder what she'd been doing in his bathroom if she hadn't been changing. His expression seemed to say his exact thoughts, for it made her giggle that silvery, tingling little giggle of hers. Her violet eyes twinkled merrily as she drew back a stray lock of raven hair.
"Merry Christmas, Kurogane." She revealed a small parcel from behind her back and placed it into his hands. "This is my Christmas present for you. I know it's still not exactly Christmas yet, but I want you to open it and tell me what you think of it."
He quirked a quizzical eyebrow at her before ripping away the wrapping paper to reveal a small box. He shook it experimentally, as if he could tell what it was by listening to it. It made Tomoyo giggle again. So, shrugging, he opened the box and looked inside.
It was a small red-colored dog collar. There was no tag attached, or anything else in the box. He looked up at her, baffled. "A collar?"
"That's part of the present," she grinned. "The rest of the present is in the bathroom."
Still looking at her as if she were crazy, he slowly got to his feet and went to the bathroom, Tomoyo following close behind, trying to stifle her laughter. What met his eyes when he opened the door was something that made his jaw drop open.
"Ruff!" A spiky-haired puppy looked up at him from an opened box, its tail wagging so fast that it almost looked as if it would fall off if it wagged it any more. Big, watery eyes met his. Kurogane could even hear its heavy pants as its small, pink tongue lolled out of its mouth.
"A puppy?" he demanded incredulously. "But... what am I going to do with a puppy?"
"Feed it, clean it, play with it..." Tomoyo shrugged, grinning. "Isn't he adorable? I saw him a week ago in a pet shop I was passing by and he irresistibly reminded me of you. I fell in love with the little brute immediately."
"Buthow am I going to take care of a puppy? I can't even take care of myself sometimes!"
"I'll help you," she laughed, winding her arms around his waist and burying her face in his shirt. "Did you get me anything?" she whispered playfully.
She felt him stiffen and drew away in understanding. "It's all right if you forgot," she said quickly. "I didn't really expect you to remember anyway—"
"...I got you something," he interjected quietly.
She blinked in surprise. "You did?"
"Well, it's nothing like a puppy," he said with a wry chuckle. "But I hope you'll like it."
He led her out of the bathroom, telling her to sit on the couch and wait for him as he disappeared into his bedroom. A few minutes later, he came back, sitting down beside her and extending a parcel of his own. It was wrapped with cheery-looking wrapping paper that made Tomoyo almost snort with laughter.
"For you," he grunted, shoving it into her hands.
She held it in her hands for a few moments, still somewhat amazed that he had actually gotten her something. He had constantly forgotten their monthly anniversaries, and he'd never gotten her more than bouquets (which she greatly appreciated), so she wasn't sure what to expect when she opened it.
Finally, with fingers that trembled slightly, she carefully tore the wrapping paper and opened the small box with bated breath. Inside, nestled in faded velvet, was a silver necklace in the shape of a heart, with an amethyst fixed in its center.
"Oh," she gasped, picking it up and letting it dangle from her fingers, looking at it in amazement. "It's beautiful."
"You like it?" His voice tried to sound disinterested, but it couldn't hide the hopeful note behind it.
"It's perfect," she replied, smiling at him in a way she'd never smiled before. "Did you pick it out yourself?"
"I asked for help, but in the end, it turned out that help was more of a hindrance," he grumbled.
She giggled and handed the necklace to him, turning her back on him and drawing up her hair. "Help me put it on."
It was awkward at first, because his fingers were large and clumsy, but he finally found the clasp and managed to snap it in place. She sighed blissfully and leaned back into his arms, snuggling contentedly into his embrace.
The small patter of tiny feet was heard as the puppy barked softly and scrambled up the couch. It licked Kurogane's face once, then curled up into Tomoyo's arms to sleep, its little tail thumping against Kurogane's shoulder.
"Merry Christmas, Kurogane," Tomoyo whispered, kissing his lips lightly as the small clock on the mantelpiece chimed midnight.
Looking at her in his arms, he couldn't help but smile down at her in return. "Merry Christmas to you too, Tomoyo."
"Ruff!"
"...And to you, little monster."