The actual request for the (terrible) sweater prompt was for OCs, so I wrote two today, with Daisuke/Susumu as the second one. They are cute kiddos.

Some trainees never got mail or packages, and we all knew why. We never talked about it, but I had a feeling that group hated those of us who did get mail. I couldn't blame them.

The latest mail call was the worst. With the unending string of Christmas packages flying to the usual group, the gloom of the rest hung like a strangling fog. Susumu stood beside me, smiling through the disappointment in his eyes. My family couldn't send much. None of our families could, but it was better than nothing.

I thought I was hearing things when Susumu's name held the air. He didn't react, eyes glazed over until a box sailed into his gut. It fell to his feet, and he stared at it like it sprouted wings in front of him. "Kodai," the officer repeated with the harsh irritation common to everyone in the higher levels. "That's yours."

Susumu picked it up, awed by its existence. "Huh, it's from Mamoru," he said at the sight of the return address. "I guess he's on leave. Probably won't be by the time we get a break." Despite his gift, Susumu still looked disappointed. He walked back to the room with the box tucked under his arm, his fingers drumming against the cardboard. By the time the door to our meager dorm slid open, he rushed to sit on the bottom bunk and rip the box open.

"What do you think it is?" I asked with a grin. "Porn?"

He waved my words away. "I hope not. Brother has terrible taste in porn."

I didn't expect him to take the question seriously, but it did make me wonder if I would ever let my little brother anywhere near porn. No, definitely not. Not even when he was 18.

Though his brows were drawn in concentration, Susumu's eyes began to brighten in anticipation. I hadn't seen him this excited in ages. He really did remind me of a little kid tearing open presents on Christmas morning. It was just a few days too early for that, and the box had no wrapping paper.

A slew of emotions crossed his face once the box was thoroughly shredded. Surprise morphed to confusion, followed by irritation and an exaggerated eye-roll. "He's such an ass," Susumu huffed as he pulled out what appeared to be a neatly folded mass of hideous fabric. Once he rolled it out, I recognized it as a sweater, covered in Christmas designs. Snowflakes, reindeer, different colored lights and ornaments – the fuzzy monstrosity had it all.

I slapped a hand across my mouth to hold back my snickering. "You have to try it on at least," I muttered through my fingers.

With a sigh, he draped it over his shoulder and fished an envelope out of the box. The letter inside made him no more thrilled than the sweater. "'Dearest little brother,'" he read mockingly. "'When I saw these, I had to get them for you and your boyfriend. I know they'll fit perfectly. You can wear them around base when it gets cold.' Goddamn asshole."

"These?" I echoed. He pulled a matching one from the box to throw my way. Suddenly this was less funny. "When did you tell him we started dating?" He was on a mission when that happened, so…

Susumu shrugged. "I didn't. He's been calling you that for the past year or so." His eyes rolled from me to the sweater in my hands. "Are you going to try that on?"

A smile wormed across my lips. "I will if you do, but I'm not wearing it out there."

"Deal."

The sweaters were too big, flopping out over our hands and baggy around our middles. As ugly as the things were, Susumu looked undeniably cute in his. My pinched brow couldn't hold back the blush burning my face at the sight of him. Maybe because I blushed, his cheeks burned pink too. "They're warm, at least," he murmured, eyes wandering to his feet.

I walked over to sit beside him and put my arms around his middle. "We look so stupid," I said, though he also looked cute, and it made me lean my cheek against his shoulder.

"We do," he said, his cheek resting against my head. "We're the stupidest."