Very merry Christmas indeed

メリークリスマスMerīkurisumasu

"WAKE YO LAZY ASSES UP MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!" Shorter's voice rang in Ash's ears like a hangover. Eiji didn't want to move from around Ash and Ash didn't have a problem with staying where he was for a long time. His eyelids were so heavy and Eiji was draped around him like a blanket. His soft hair would be matted, giving Eiji the look of a deranged orchestra conductor. Ash smiled at the thought.

And that would be Christmas enough, but no. They were filling their apartment to the brim with people. Loud, annoying people who weren't Eiji. But Eiji would be there, so he fugired it wouldn't be that bad.

Eiji groaned and rolled over which let Ash go.

"Noo. Hold me again, I'm so tired."

"We have to get up. Christmas. Cook, clean, people, presents..."

"That is soooo many things."

Eiji walked, or actually stumbled more like, around the bed and leaned over Ash, his breath heating his face. "We can exchange gifts now if you're not too tired. If you are, I guess we can wait til later."

Eiji turned around to put on a shirt and leave, but Ash shot up, at attention like a soldier. When he met Eiji's eyes, he smiled like a little kid.

They sat on the bed, both of them fidgeting and buzzing with energy.

"I feel like I'm a little kid again." Eiji handed Ash a bright blue wrapped paper with little snowmen dotted across it. It was perfectly wrapped with only one peice of tape holding it together.

"I never really got this as a kid. This happy feeling I mean. Christmases with... him... they meant something else." Ash's eyes dropped to his gift, red and white striped with reindeer. Red and white. Red and white. Red and white.

"Ashu." Eiji lifted his chin so they were looking into each other's eyes. "I'm glad that I get to give you a happy memory." He smiled with his whole heart. Ash could see it through the tears that threatened to spill. Eiji's smile was Ash's light and he would never be ashamed to say it.

"Merry Christmas." Ash leaned in and gave him a kiss.

"Merry Christmas. Now open your gift." Eiji pushed at Ash, his freckles practically lit on fire by how hard he was blushing.

Ash opened his gift and almost started crying. Instead he just pulled Eiji close and kissed his hair. It was a book with a collage of photos with Ash, Eiji, Shorter, Skip and the rest of their friends on the front, and just Ash and Eiji with the places they traveled together on the inside covers and the back. Attatched were plane tickets to Southern Italy, scheduled for directly after Japan.

"I thought it would be nice if we could have a trip with just the two of us."

Ash left out a choked laugh, trying not to cry. "Yeah, that would be nice." Ash tilted his head and kissed Eiji's neck, once, twice, three times. At last, a tear fell, which lead to a flood of others. "Suki da. Eiji? I love you.. a lot. I- I love you so much."

"I'm gonna open my gift now, okay?"

"Mhm." Ash stretched out on the bed next and wiped his eyes.

"You got me a blanket. It's SO SOFT." Eiji planted his face in it, then jerked back. "What's inside the blanket?"

He unwrapped fuzzy socks, hot chocolate packets, a retractable knife, and a framed photo of their family of sorts. Ash, Eiji, Shorter, Skip and Sing. He remembered when they took that. Blanca had taken the pictures if he had remembered correctly. Eiji had taken them all to the zoo for the first time. They had all been so fascinated with seeing the animals up close. The older of the group were off-put by not having to watch their backs or defend themselves from anything. He caught all of them looking over their shoulders and turning around quickly a lot.