Crossover: Squabble, Peacemaker, and Outsiders. Please, Enjoy!
It felt like Christmas all over again.
Bemused by the ominous invitation, Kei Murasaki surveyed the old decorations around the room. He sat in the roundtable, draped still in red and white checkered sheets. Each plate and set of utensils per guest were illustrated with a christmas tree in the middle and the current year below it. The real Christmas tree itself was still glowing just right in the corner. In fact, not only the inner interior of the room still celebrated the holiday that passed days ago, but on the outside, the entire threshold of the Fujiki residence carried piles and snow. If Kei could compare his friend's home to anything, it'd be the north pole.
Nobara Kugisaki didn't seem to care about what plans Denshi Fujiki had for them. As the servants came with a prepared dinner, her mind was set on the food. Her mouth watered and her eyes went big as saucers when a steam plate of ham settled close to her. Mash potatoes with gravy and pasta were put on the enormous round table. Even greens were put to balance everything out. Nobara picked up her fork, her hand gripping tightly around the golden utensil, before trying to stab the ham. Kei was quick to pull it back,
"Wait, Nobs! Let's just wait and find out what this is all about." He tells her, "I want to know why Den has been sending us the most cryptic messages as of late."
She whined, "But, Keiii. I'm sure it's all good intentions! Why else would he make us this delicious dinner?"
"I agree with Kei here." Maki's voice is heard from across the table. Her arms crossed against her pressed leather jacket. She too exchanged a suspicious look, "Let's just wait to see Denshi and my sister. I want to hear the announcement first before we do anything else."
Suddenly, one of the waitresses beamed right into the picture, holding a bucket in red and white stripes. She smiled before looking at Maki,
"Ah, looks like the deliverer came on time! I have one order of KFC right here. It's an essential for every winter holiday, of course! Enjoy."
Maki was speechless, her mouth agape with the familiar aroma of fried chicken was placed right next to her. She stared at it for a moment, before silently pulling the bucket close to her. Her hand reached for a drumstick.
"Nevermind. Let's eat."
A chuckle is heard next from her,
Her boyfriend asked,
"Didn't you just say we should wait?" Tamaki blinked and watched, amused, as Maki sank her teeth into the chicken skin. Nobara took this cue to pick at the ham. The two girls initiated the dinner and their two boyfriends sat there without another word. Both Tamaki Hatsumi and Kei Murasaki knew they couldn't stop them at this point.
"Fine, go ahead." Kei snickered, "Just don't let Gojo see that, Maki." He eyed the KFC brand with a grin on his face.
Tamaki bursted into laughter, covering his mouth immediately. "You're so lucky he's not here to hear that, Kei." Kei joined in on the laughter. "I mean, really, breakups hurt and all but a breakup in front of a KFC? I could never recover from that."
The banter went on and on until the lights above them flickered into nothingness. The four students sat in the dark, dumbfounded for just a split second before they dimmed again. Most of the power went straight to the entrance of the kitchen, as if they were to welcome a special guest.
Nobara stopped midway, her mouth still full of pasta as everyone else gazed at the entrance. A gigantic stomach popped out first and the black belt strapped around it made it all clear that it was a part of his silly costume he wore days ago at the Christmas celebration. The rest of his suit is all red and white. Denshi Fujiki does not look recognizable in his long white beard and cap. He comes out with hands in the air, a deep laugh bellowing out of his mouth. Mai comes in suit, in her Mrs. Santa Claus outfit. A cute sleeveless Santa theme dress with a cap on her head.
"Ho, Ho, ho!" Denshi spat in his attempted, croaky old voice. "Merry late Christmas!"
Mai whistled into her party whistle, the ends of its red fringes flew right at them as the noise occupied the quiet air. Three little girls behind her took the cue to blow on their whistles. Kei noticed the sound and leaned over to find Denshi's sisters all dressed in their elves costumes.
The five stood in a singular line. Denshi grinned,
"No? No reaction?" He asked, "Not even a laugh?"
"We're just, well, confused." Kei shrugged in response, "Why are you wearing your Santa costume? Christmas is over!"
"Come on, Kei. I spent good money on this and only used it once? I wanted to give these costumes one last chance before the new year." He smiled, inclining his head at all of their costumes.
Tamaki raised a brow,
"Oh, you can't return them?"
Denshi's shoulders jumped,
"I, uh, kinda lost the receipt." He then bursted into laughter, "But there's always next year, right?"
"So, what is going on?" Maki asked, "Why this dinner? Why the weird entrance?" Denshi shot an offended expression at the comment. "You never told us what's going on in text. You wanted us to be here in person, right?"
Mai clasped her hands together,
"Den has been wanting to do this for a while now." Her shoulder nearly rubbed against her partner's, "Before the end of the year, his family has this New Year tradition. And what better way to celebrate it than with you guys?"
"It's a tradition most of the great families tend to do. Not all of them, but some." Denshi ripped the bear out of his face. His hand pulled underneath the hem of his shirt, pulling out the fat pillow to freedom. His stomach deflated and his mouth turned firm,
"My mother..always did this on New Years' Eve." Denshi tried not to choke when he mentioned his mother. His heart sank and it hurt more that this year he could not celebrate this tradition with her. Mai's gloved hand rubbed against his back and he smiled fondly at her touch, "We tend to make lots of New Year's resolutions, right? So, we do this thing where we buy something or exchange a gift that could help them with their resolution. Like a gift to a new adventure of your life."
As he spoke, everyone began to feel sentimental around the room. Denshi has always been so mischievous but every once in a while, his softness and quiet moments have always made others feel relaxed. Kei nodded as he spoke, taking in how much it meant to him. Tamaki looked at Maki, before taking her hand into his. She exchanged a soft smile and so did he.
"It's kinda like secret santa, right?" Nobara said with a cheeky grin. Kei couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison. Denshi reluctantly nodded,
"I guess you can say that, but I suppose it means alot more, you know? Most people tend to give up their resolutions in the first few months, but this gift can encourage them to keep on trying."
"It sounds wonderful, regardless, Den." Kei smiled, "This is clearly important to you."
"I agree. Your mother is proud of you, Den." Tamaki spoke, "I think she'll be happy you're upholding traditions."
"We've gone through alot, haven't we?" Denshi exchanged looks to all of them. "I just want to end on a strong note before the year ends."
"Now that I think about it, Gojo might've celebrated that one time. He gave me a gift during New Year's Eve. Said it would help me down in the future."
"Oh, really?" Denshi blinked curiously, his eyes gleaming at the revelation. "What did he get you?"
Kei broke into a lopsided grin,
"A jar..of stress-relief tablets."
The somber moment was ruined when everyone bursted into laughter. The room was full of laughs and giggles and only Denshi shook his head in annoyance. He growled, thinking about that man.
"Of course he would do something like that. That damn Gojo." He muttered to himself, crossing his arms against his soft suit.
"Well, anyways, thanks for the food!" Nobara said after the laughter died down. "Now I understand what this was all for!" She referred to the tradition to which Denshi and Mai exchanged a look. Denshi hesitantly responds,
"Y-Yes, that's exactly why I made this feast."
"Definitely not because you wanted to get rid of all the leftovers we made days ago." Emica spit out nonchalantly, enough for people to hear. Denshi stomps one foot on the ground and turns right at his sister,
"Shh! Quiet, Emica!"
"The ham was meant to be used for Christmas day, but we forgot to cook it." Mai nervously laughed, "So, we decided to make it for you guys! It's still good, we promise."
Everyone enjoyed the food. Mai decided to play some music in the background as everyone feasted on today's dinner. Tamaki gave up his seat and helped the youngest sister, Kumi, to slice a piece of ham for herself. Maki had a hand on her chin, admiring how cute the interactions between Tamaki and the sisters were. Meanwhile, Kei helped Denshi bring additional chairs into the roundtable so everyone could sit. He returned to sit on his own chair before looking to his left, a spoon held up right before him. A spoon full of pasta and Nobara patiently waiting for Kei to take a bite. He smiled and gladly ate the pasta from her holding spoon.
When dinner was over, the Fujiki tradition began. His little sisters isolated themselves in the corner of the kitchen, writing down names in each slips. When they finally got six people, they came around the table to offer each guest a mysterious slip. Denshi took a glass of his wine away from his lips,
"You shouldn't get your own name. Each person will have someone else's name and they will have to get them a resolution gift by New Years Eve. There's no budget limit or anything. You can get whatever you think will help them!" He started to gush, "This is going to be so much fun!"
Tamaki carefully plucked a piece of paper out of the black tophat. He gently bowed at little Yuri before unraveling his paper. In purple marking, it read out loud:
DENSHI
Tamaki suddenly slumped into the back of his seat. A mix of emotions ran across his mind,
'Oh man, this is going to be difficult. I mean, Denshi is rich! He has literally almost everything. What could I possibly get for him?' He whined a little, delving deeper into his thoughts. There was some hope though,
'But it's not like a secret santa. It has to be something sentimental, he said. Perhaps..perhaps I could get something that could remind him of his mother?' He wasn't hoping to make Denshi cry on New Year's Eve but it would be nice. A mentor of his own mother, as his resolution to stay strong. That even if she isn't around any more, he could still continue to have a beautiful life. Sad as it is, he might also be grateful for it.
Maki finished chewing a piece of ham before looking at her slip. She gave a big grin when she saw NOBARA written across her paper. She tucked it into her pocket as if it was nothing.
'This is going to be too easy.' Maki laughed in her mind. 'That girl is a bit of a shopaholic. Maybe I can get something to resolve that. Maybe even something to make her be money smart!'
Kei's paper wrote in red: TAMAKI
Tamaki was quite versatile. He was easy enough to figure out what gift to get him. He carefully wrapped the paper back into his pocket, making sure it didn't slip out once.
When Denshi got his, he almost made a scene. He laughed out loud before jumping in place. Mai's eyebrows sewed suspiciously when he cheered, "Yes, Yes! I got the person I wanted!"
He looked back at his paper, which read: MAI
'Hm, gee, I wonder who he got.' Mai said sarcastically before taking her slip. She looked at the name printed in yellow. She nearly had to squint, almost wondering why Kumi decided to write the name in bright yellow. Her secret person made her chuckle,
'I can't believe I got my own sister.'
It read: MAKI
Last but not least, Nobara plucked the final slip out of the hat. She thanked the little girl and as she walked away, she turned in all directions to see if no one was looking. When she unwrapped it, a soft 'aww' cooed out of her mouth. She wrinkled it into a ball and held it tightly to her chest,
"Oh, Kei. I already have something in mind for you."
-
The girls all planned accordingly and set out looking for the perfect gifts just days before New Years Eve. With the post-Christmas sales, finding the right item was just so much easier.
As for the boys, well, they didn't decide to look for their secret gift until the day of New Years Eve.
Kei can still recount Nobara's bickering when he told her he was going to get his person's gift at the last minute. She wanted to go together to Denshi's estate but he promised he would meet her right after he got his gift. Besides, it couldn't be too busy nor would it be too hard. He thought of getting his friend, Tamaki, a workout set. Or at least, something similar to the sort.
Both him and Maki have been settling at their new apartment and with Tamaki wanting to go back into shape, he thought he'd help him with that resolution. Rather than spending money somewhere else, he'd help him have a workout at the comfort of his home.
Kei wore a fleece pullover in green and casual denim blue jeans before hopping into the car and heading to the nearest mall in Tokyo. He groaned to himself when he realized so many people had the same idea and headed straight into shopping. He ran into the building, swerving and almost running till he got close to the Sporting goods. He scurried into the aisles, looking for the nearest dumbbell set. When he did, he took it to the cashier.
The set has been disassembled and so it is easy for him to haul the case out of the store.
Both Denshi and Tamaki experienced the same morning. Their girlfriends lectured them about leaving things last minute during a very important day. The sisters decided to prepare dinner for tonight as the boys went in their separate vehicles, heading to the mall in search of their gifts.
Denshi was happy to at least change into his new clothes. He wore his new long, cream coat Mai got for him. He dressed in it with his black jeans and boots before coming to the stores. He walked with a purpose, moving around crowds of families as he ventured straight to the Spa store. He nearly slumped and stopped when he saw a line full of girls waiting to enter. He sighed and realizing he had to deal with it, made it to the end of the line.
Tamaki buried his packers in his denim, blue trucker jacket as he passed the slide doors to the nearest jewelry store. He was relieved to see barely anyone in it and made haste to the single worker who stood by the register. His shoulders bend over the glass cabinet before asking for the particular gift for Denshi.
-
The three walked out of their stores, satisfied to see they all got their gifts in less than two hours. Kei walks on the first floor, ready to leave and head straight to the Fujiki estate when suddenly, he stopped. He spotted two familiar faces, who in return, recognized him.
"..Tamaki? Den?" Kei arched her brow, "You guys are here too?!"
Denshi looked at them, confused why they decided to come at the same place and the same time. Immediately, he tried to hide the bags behind his back. Tamaki gulped but to his relief, his small gift had been tucked inside of his inner pocket.
"Y-yeah, came to buy my secret gift." Tamaki sheepishly responded, "Maki was getting so angry at me, but I was so busy this week! I was visiting my father and Mei Mei these past days."
"Oh, don't even get me started with Mai." Den exclaimed. "She hit my head with a wooden spoon this morning! She's already stressing out about today's dinner."
"So, all our girlfriends are mad at us right now?" Kei asked, a bit amused by the subject. "Well, it won't matter later. Seems like we got the gifts we needed, after all." He gave off a suspiciously narrow look at Den, "Pink?" He read out the company's name on the bag, "Is your secret person a girl, Den?"
Den laughed, "Oh, please! This one is for Mai. A little apology gift from this morning, if you will." He then pulled up the other bag. A white one but it read no logo on it. "This one is for my secret person."
"Heh. Bet it's still Mai." Tamaki grinned. There was no way he'd get something extremely expensive, unless it was for his beau. Denshi's face turned flushed,
"N-no, that's not true!" He tries to change the subject and dabs a finger right at Kei, "I recognize that place from anywhere! Sporting goods? Wonder who's that from." He eyes Tamaki, who is oblivious to his insinuation.
"Guess you're going to have to find out!" Kei exasperated a hand before walking past them in a hurry, "Whoever makes it home last is a rotten egg!"
Tamaki and Den took his last comment seriously and they walked in the same direction Kei was heading too. The three tried to outrun each other, hitting and pushing at each other in laughter before making it to the parking lot.
Denshi parked a little further away from the two. Isolated and almost empty in his slot as everyone else occupied the closest parking lots. His finger tapped on the button to unlock the trunk of his black cadillac. As he settled the several bags in the back of his vehicle, a pair of feet approached him from behind.
The click of his gun made his blood freeze. His body, petrified, when he feels the pressure of a pistol pressing into the back of his skull. He doesn't look back. He can't look back.
"Are you armed?" A strange voice asks him. Denshi doesn't respond. He slowly raises his hands in the air, unsure what to do at that moment. He didn't bring his spear nor could he fight him with the gun on his head. Even the slightest movement right now, could risk the pistol being triggered.
"No." He tells them.
"Step away from the vehicle. Keep those hands up." He obeyed their rules and carefully stepped backwards. The two other men walked up to his side and closed the trunk for him.
"W-Who are you?" Denshi couldn't make out their faces. They were all dressed in black and their hats nearly concealed their eyes. When the main triggerman looked up, however, he still couldn't recognize them.
"Of course you don't know, you heartless monster." The man deadpanned. "When you killed those elders that day, did you not think of all the family you left behind? We remember that day, Denshi Fujiki. And while you're here, celebrating this pathetic holiday, we've been preparing. You thought you could really walk away, huh?"
His body shuddered and the confused look on Denshi's facade turned numb. His jaw tightened and his eyes darkened when he recounted the exact moment the elders died by his hand. Gakunganji, hanged and executed for his mother's death.
These rogue sorcerers wanted him to pay.
"Your bastard of a family was the one who killed my mother." His tone, growing furious and with rage, "How dare you...how dare you come and call me a monster? Your family started all of this. If they hadn't, no one would have died."
A pregnant pause ensued after and the men were speechless. They knew that they were wrong. Denshi could see it in their eyes but they decided to brush it off. The man with the gun inclined his head at the others. "Tie his hands and feet for me. Then, put him in the back of the trunk."
The boy never faltered and as he crouched down, he kept that fixated, angry look at him. His eyes, burning with hatred and with a sudden thirst to kill everyone here right here and now. He hasn't had this feeling for so long but when he overhears the plan to kill Mai and his sisters right after, it made him want to lose it.
He has to fight. The first person to try and bind his hands would be his first victim.
"You're going to pay, Denshi Fujiki. We're going to torture you first and make sure you suffer."
"That's an interesting New Years' resolution!" Tamaki's voice proclaims them. The three men look back and see two boys walking up to them. His back was strapped with his two swords and Kei's fist tightened as they approached. Denshi blinked a bit, almost at a loss for words.
'Tamaki..Kei..'
Kei's hands start to illuminate a glow blue,
"Sorry, but we're not letting you kill our friend." He pulls back his hand before casting a blast straight at the group. The men fell back from his tremendous force and took this cue to run at Denshi, who still was kneeling on the ground. The two went at his level and looked at a stunned Den.
"Den, are you alright?" Tamaki whimpered, "What happened? Who are these people?"
"You guys..came for me." He stammered, still startled of the man's intentions to torture him. What would have happened if these two didn't make it here?
"How did you guys know I was in trouble?"
"When we split up, I recognized these strange suspicious men following you to your parking lot. I had to tell Tamaki and so we came right here." Kei glanced at the men, who were groaning against the ground. He quickly turns back to Den,
"But yeah, who are these guys?
Denshi frowned, "They want revenge. W-When I killed the elders, I have been targeted by their families for a while now. I thought I was able to escape from them, but I guess I was wrong."
"Revenge?" He scoffed, "Really? Even if they kill you, it won't make anything better. I would know."
The first man got up and the first thing he did was contact backup. Suddenly, dozens of men came out of their hiding spot and surrounded the three boys. Kei helped Denshi get up before the three backed up against a pole nearby.
"I don't have my weapon." Denshi blurted out, eyeing every single enemy circling around them with their weapons.
Kei turned at the pole and with his power, carved and manifested a spear similar to Den's. He slightly drew it at the brunette, who swiftly grabbed it. He eyed the craftsmanship and looked at him. Kei sighed out,
"Now, you have it."
"Thanks."
Tamaki sheathed his swords,
"So, we're killing them right?"
"Kill them! Don't let them escape!"
Kei shrugged,
"I guess we have no choice." And that answer makes Tamaki whine a bit,
"Fuck. Maki is going to kill me."
"So is Mai. She just got me this new coat." Den pouted before stepping away inches from the two. He swung his spear around before pointing the spear tip of the sword right at the group,
"Oh well, I can always get another."
"I think this is a pretty good excuse for being late." Kei lastly commented with a grin and the three readied themselves for a good fight.
The men roared before charging at the three. They exchanged looks before dispersing into three different parts of the crowd. Denshi swung his blade right into someone's torso. Effortlessly, he dodged several attacks and moved elegantly like a dance. Swinging his weapon with ease and still, no one could touch him.
Kei was just as untouchable as he is. He casually walked to his first foe and as they dove their sword right at him, he pushed it gently with his blue glow. The sword breaks at contact and before the man can register his power, Kei plunges a punch straight into his gut. He combusts into the air and the men charging seemingly stop, looking with terrified eyes at the boy continued to walk past the pool of blood.
Tamaki was making the most mess. His frenzied blades slicing and chopping into people's limbs as he ran into the fray. Someone's arm wraps around his neck, throwing him to the ground. He pushes himself up and sees the man with a gun, he calls for help,
"SUKI! POUNCE ON HIM!"
The man turned and screamed when the giant beast sank her teeth into his shoulder. He drops the gun and his screech escalates when she continues to devour his entire flesh.
Kei is seen watching from afar,
"I need a cat like that." He suddenly punches one of the charging men without batting an eye.
And as the three fought, meanwhile, their girlfriends sat on the carpet in the middle of the living room table. Mai smiled, bringing a cup of hot chocolate to her lips. Nobara stirs hers with a spoon while Maki keeps looking back at her phone. She cursed to herself when she saw that there weren't any notifications coming from Tamaki.
"Where is he? He should be here by now."
"I'm getting worried for Den too. He always texts back immediately." Mai settled her cup on the table before looking at her phone.
"Don't worry, you guys. It's New Year's Eve! I'm sure Kei and the others are stuck in traffic." Nobara said with a shrug. She had to admit, she was upset Kei decided to leave things at the last minute. However, coming over to help out with today's cooking had put her at ease. Now, they just had to wait for them.
The three sighed in unison before taking a sip of their hot chocolate.
-
"AHHH!" A man bellowed out in terror as Suki pins them to the ground before clawing his whole entire face.
Tamaki had finished the remnants of the group, all except for the one man responsible for this. Cowardly, he decides to run away from the scene.
"Oh no, you don't." Kei raised his hand at him and spit out a blue glow that latched onto his whole entire body. The man kicked his feet in the air as the energy beckoned him back to the three. The man screamed until a gag erupted out of his mouth. Full of blood, he looks down and finds the spear right into his torso. Denshi walks over to see him, face to face. He pushes the spear in slowly,
"You don't EVER get to make threats to my family. Not you, not anyone!" As Denshi snapped at him, the two stood by his side. The last thing this man would see are these three, dangerous young sorcerers. The man rolled his eyes in the back of his skull and hung his head back. He was dead and Kei released his energy and let his body flop to the ground.
The three were panting, covered in blood. At least, they managed to dodge the bullet wounds.
"Fucking piece of shit." Denshi spat out of relief that this was finally over. Kei rubbed the back of his shoulder, "It's alright, Den. They're dead."
"And what if more comes?" He shook his head, "Oh Kei, what if I can't escape this?"
"You will, Den. Don't worry."
"Besides, you have us. We won't let anything happen to you." Tamaki suggested with a smile. Denshi looked at him then back at Kei before bringing the two into a hug.
"Thank you, guys. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
"We'll always be friends, Den. We always stick by each other, no matter what."
-
"WHY ARE YOU COVERED IN BLOOD?!"
Nobara stood on the porch with widened eyes as the three walked over by the welcome home mat. Mai and Maki rushed to the door and immediately were full of questions when they saw their messy, tainted appearances. Tamaki averted his eyes, almost in shame. Kei was already talking to Nobara, trying to explain but she kept talking over him.
Denshi rubbed the back in his head with a chuckle,
"We got in a bit of a fight."
-
Both Tamaki and Kei borrowed Denshi's hand-me-downs after their clothes had been stained in blood. The three girls couldn't give them a break, bickering and lecturing them about this.
Kei laughed, "We never planned this, Nobs. How was I supposed to know we were going to be ambushed?"
"Yeah, I would've planned to wore my least favorite clothes." Tamaki joined in on the conversation with a mischievous smile. The two nudged each other's shoulders and both Maki and Nobara exchanged annoyed looks. Mai was more worried than angry. She tended to Denshi, cleaning him up and asking if he was alright. She knew more of the experience than anyone else.
"We can talk about this some other time, Mai. But come on, we're here now, right? Let's have some fun!"
And somehow, everyone was able to ease from that stressful situation and became relaxed when food was ready to serve. Everyone ate at the table, laughing and talking over each other.
The moment they all waited for commenced and before the night struck midnight, everyone got to exchange their resolution presents.
"You got me dumbbells? Kei, you shouldn't have!" Tamaki gasped at the unwrapped present laid out in his lap. "They're quite expensive, aren't they?"
"So what?" Kei shrugged, "You've been talking about wanting to get back into shape, so now you can finally do it!"
"That's so thoughtful, Kei. Seriously, thank you!" The two hugged and as Maki watched the exchange, she turned at Kei's girlfriend with a devious smile. She laid out a yellow envelope at her,
"Here you go, Nobara. Merry New Years." She joked and Nobara gasped at the sealed envelope before her. She takes it from Maki and looks back at her,
"What is it?"
She laughed,
"Open it."
She ripped the ends of the envelope before carefully taking out a New Years card. She opened it and gasped, "Holy shit, Maki. You got me a $300 gift card from women's apparel?!"
"Kei told me you wanted to start saving up money. That you tend to spend it on a whim wherever you go shopping. Well, hopefully this will help you not do that for the year!"
"Thank you! This is enough, really. And since Kei and I have been living together near Tokyo, I have to start prioritizing other essentials. This is perfect, Maki."
-
"Den, nooo. No way." Mai couldn't believe her eyes. It wasn't just one gift, but more. A dozen, even as she counted the items. She brought up the bigger box close to her eyes. It read a bathtub spa pillow. It came with a portable spa massager. There were little essentials like face masks, lotions, shampoos. And a very expensive robe from Pink. She looked up at him,
"You didn't have to get me so much!" She turned flustered as Denshi grinned, ear to ear, hugging his partner tightly.
"Of course I did. You deserve it. And this will help with one of your resolutions!"
"And what is that?"
"To relax, Mai. You and I..we've been through so much. You, more than others. You deserve a break and a comfortable next year."
"T-Thank you, Den." She embraced him tightly before kissing him on the lips. "I love you so much."
"Love you too, princess."
"Hey!" Denshi turns out to find his three sisters staring right at him.
Emica crossed her arms,
"Where are our presents?"
Denshi grinned instantly,
"Oh, I didn't forget about you three!" He gave them their presents and when they opened them, they looked confused to see school supplies and a textbook on the Introduction of Sorcery.
"Yep! Starting next year, you three will be training under my guidance!" He flexed his arm, "You guys have to grow strong for the Fujiki family!"
Mai laughed at their stunned faces and when she noticed Maki was alone, she decided to give her her gift. She sat right next to her sister, carrying the heavy gift she got for her.
"You're my secret person, sister." She tells her with a smirk and Maki looks taken aback before she puts the gift straight to her hands. It was heavy and she almost fell with it but she managed to carry it. She unwrapped it and blinked at the present,
"Wait a minute..is this a katana stand?" She said, marveling at the architecture of the object. "This is..this is expensive!" It stood for her swords decorated with carved black dragons underneath it.
"It's for your swords! When I helped you and Tamaki move in, I noticed you keep your swords leaning in the corner of the living room. I thought it would use an arrangement. But I bought it as an encouragement to continue practicing and training your swordsmanship!"
"It's a lovely gift, Mai. Thank you."
"Anytime, sis."
-
"Den, I got you something!" Tamaki called for Den, who smiled happily at him.
"So, it was you?" Denshi asked, "I could've sworn Kei was the one who got me something."
Tamaki laughed, "Nope. Those dumbbells are mine." He shows off the small gift in his hand.
Tamaki gives a small shrug, "I know it's a little small but I think you'd really like it."
"Oh, Tamaki, just because it's small doesn't mean it's not good. It's the thought that counts!" As he says this, he starts to unwrap the present. Once he's done, he looks at it. His smile drops and suddenly, there's a somber look in his eyes. His eyes nearly tear up as he reads the inscription below the golden piece of jewelry.
"It's a chain-locked necklace." Tamaki explained, "It's meant to symbolize that even after death.."
"They will always be with you." Denshi finished. He now looks up at Tamaki,
"Tamaki, my mother had a necklace like this."
"What..seriously?"
"Yeah." Denshi wept, "It was for my father's passing. My grandfather gave her one and she always held it dear. But, now, I-I have one.." He looks at Tamaki and gives him the biggest hug ever. He rests his head against his shoulder,
"Thank you, Tamaki. Now I can have my mother with me."
"I know you might have ups and downs running the Fujiki clan all on your own, but just know, she's always going to be there for you. Every step in the way of the new year."
-
Kei watched as everyone exchanged their gifts and just across the room stood Nobara, clutching the present by her side. She inhaled her breath before walking over to her partner. Nobara sat by him on the couch and the two quietly watched everyone gush and grow excited over their gifts.
"This was a great idea." Kei said, "Perhaps, we should start celebrating it every year too."
"Isn't it?" She smiled, "I just love seeing everyone so happy. I saw Den cry earlier over Tamaki's gift. He got him a chain-locked necklace."
"Oh. That is so sweet." Kei smiled, his heart leaping at the news. "I know he's been struggling. I've been through that. So has Tamaki. B-But..it gets easy, you know?"
"I understand. It's really a sentimental gift but also he's right. His mom will always be there for him."
"Exactly."
Nobara looks at Kei,
"Besides that, I have your gift."
He looked the gift then at her before breaking into a grin,
"Aw, Nobs, I should've seen it coming."
"You didn't think it was me?"
"Yes and no. You always showed me what you get everytime you go shopping but that one time, you didn't. And I was confused, cause you always wanted to show off." Nobara laughed as he explained, "But then I thought, maybe you were just being secretive in general. Maybe me, seeing that gift would've dropped hints on someone else."
"Well, it's yours. Go on, open it."
It was the shape of a square and when he opened it, his eyes softened. His breath hitched at the leather embroidery sewn across what appears to be a scrapbook.
"It's not just any scrapbook. It's a traveling one."
He opened the book and the first few pages surprised him. It was some of the photos Nobara and him took on the very first few photos they took out of the country. The first being in Times Square, Nobara was in a gray turtleneck and Kei in his puffer jacket. They took a photo of last year's countdown. Pictures of their rock climbing experience in Mexico. He flipped the pages and they were empty, but they encouraged more traveling in the upcoming year.
He laughed, "Do you know what this reminds me of? That one movie. That Pixar movie- I forgot what it's called."
"Up?"
"Haha, Up, yeah! Oh man, Nobs, I love it." He kisses her without hesitation, wrapping an arm around her hip. She kissed back and they stayed like that for a while before breaking apart.
She says, "It's for next year..to make more exciting, wonderful memories."
And he agreed with her. Not only did he want next year to be a good one, but hopes that for all the people in the world. His friends and loved ones. To those who are reading right now.
TO A HAPPY NEW YEAR.