Very merry Christmas indeed

Christmas Eve when the stars shine

"Let's do something."

"Do something like what?"

Eiji loved Christmas. New Years was big in Japan but in America, Christmas seemed almost magical.

"We should have a Christmas Eve party."

Ash sighed. "Eiji, we're already hosting Christmas dinner and games and the New Years event. Plus, today is Christmas Eve."

The sparkle never left Eiji's sweet brown eyes. "Nothing big, just have Shorter bring food and we watch the sky like the Magi."

Ash didn't want to be overcome. He didn't want to cave, but those eyes, and the hope. The magic of Christmas for Ash was completely and totally Eiji. He made the world brighter. He had listened, and the idea didn't sound all that terrible.

"Fine. But you have to ask Shorter to bring the food." Eiji giggled and left the room with a peppy attitude. "Hurry up too, because it' s already dark and there was snow earlier!" The next sound was of the apartment's front door slam and he was gone. It drew Skip from his room. He looked back and forth between Ash and the door and moved on.

"I have an urge. A craving."

"...okay?"

"I wanna make brownies and eat potato chips." Skip could never let his curiosity go for long without being satisfied. "What the hell is he all excited about?"

"Oh, he wants to do a Christmas Eve celebration on the roof."

"On the roof?"

"Yeah, he wants to skywatch and have Shorter make dinner."

"Oh if Shorter's cooking I'm in."

"Same. Finished Christmas wrapping?"

"Nope, but I have a craving. So I'll finish it later when y'all are sleeping."

"Okay then, Santa Claus. I've gotta finish mine now. I'll see you in a bit."

"I'll send you a wrapping playlist." Skip smiled widely. It reminded Ash of when he first met Skip and he was little, maybe around eight. So much time had gone by. It hardly seemed like 7 years but there he was, standing in front of a young man, not a child anymore. He wondered how the years passed so quickly, but he was proud of the person he became.

Ash smiled back and went back to wrapping and organizing. Being with Eiji for two years had unconsciously taught him a thing or two about organization and staying clean.

He played 'sun-kissed', the song Skip sent him, and got to work. Yasu slipped through the doorway and rested at his feet to watch, eyes filled with curiosity.

"Alrighty so, I have Eiji's yaoi's, Eiji's pajamas and Eiji's jacket wrapped. He also had Skip's spray paints, colored pencils, and tablet wrapped along with Shorter's gag gift. I have left Shorter's cooking supplies, Sing's soap making supplies and gun, and Alex's gift. Alex's gift. It would be hard to swallow but it was a great idea."

He wrapped for hours, then got tired and decided to read and take a nap until Eiji got back. It only lasted about twenty minutes, but it was a good rest, especially since Yasu nested on his head. Eiji woke him with a kiss on his cheek. "It's time. Let's go."

Following Eiji out of their room, then the apartment, he hoped Eiji had overlooked the piles of gifts wrapped on the ground. He would take a page from Skip's book and finish after Eiji was winding down to go to sleep. His heart did skip a beat every time he looked down to see his hand entangled with Eiji's. If he thought about it too much, his hands would start sweating, but even then Eiji wouldn't let go. He would just close Ash's hand in both of his and hold it to his chest, kissing it tenderly.