Chapter Text
Christmas is one, if not THE, most magical time in HeartLand. The snow, the holidays, the food, the gifts and family reunions... This period can be the saddest for people without family, but that was before. Now Yuto is surrounded by loving friends. And that's why he runs under the snow, barely dressed, to look for a missing piece of the gift he has to give to one of his friends.
It was Ruri's idea to do a Secret Santa this year. At the same time, given everyone's budget, no one contested. Shun, Kaito, Allen, Sayaka, Ruri and Yuto met a week earlier to draw their first names from a box. And of course no one should open their mouth until they give each other the gifts And guess which name Yuto drew
Shun...he drew his boyfriend's name, so why is he so desperate? He didn't know at all what to offer him, ok he knows him well enough to know his interests but this task seems so difficult. He tried to reassure himself by telling himself that the person who fell on Kaito must be in a worse state than him. He had spent the whole week thinking without finding anything. There are the basic things to give at Christmas like a cup, Christmas baubles or socks, anything would do, no, even a stapler ? But Yuto wanted to do more, and that led to him running on Christmas Eve desperately looking for a missing part of Shun's gift.
But since karma loves Yuto, he received a message from Ruri telling him to come help with the decorations and food. Damn he forgot he told Ruri he was going to help her. Yuto can you stop agreeing to help people if you can't even help yourself? It seems like he must forget the idea of the gift, he will never have time. Unless he helps Ruri and he quickly runs to the market before the others arrive. Yes that seems like a good idea.
Shun likes Christmas but how cold it could be during this period, he was slumped on the sofa when he heard the doorbell ring "Ruri you ordered a package?" he shouted loud enough for Ruri who was upstairs hear it
"It must be Yuto, I'm coming" A few seconds later she ran down the stairs and headed towards the door to open it "Hi Yuto, Merry Christmas Eve!" she took him in her arms
“Happy Christmas Eve Ruri” replied responding to her hug “Thank you again for coming, you help me a lot”
“Happy Christmas Eve Yuto” said Shun as he came up behind his sister to greet his boyfriend “Happy Christmas Eve Shun” he said while kissing the nose of the owner of the Raid Raptor deck still being trapped in Ruri's embrace. The 3 got to work, they started from the inside by hanging light garlands throughout the house, we could rephrase this sentence by saying: Ruri and Yuto choose the decorations and Shun hangs them given his size. The other two tried to hang some by doing the short ladder but it ended in abandonment and a fall worthy of Yuya, if they knew each other ,but let's return to the Xyz dimension.
Once the interior was finished Shun went into the kitchen to start the boring steps like preparing the dough, putting the preparations to defrost, while his sister and her boyfriend decorated outside. Even if he was paid, he would have refused to go outside and frankly he would rather do these boring things than go under the snow. How can these two manage to stay outside without flinching and what's more, they're not even not as covered as him. It looks like they are wearing their everyday clothes with a sweater and a beret on top.
Speaking of them he heard the door of the house open but did not turn around to look because he knew very well who it was and even if he had a doubt, the sweet voice of Yuto talking about cookies vibrated in his ears."Wow Shun you've made good progress, I didn't think you were going to be so effective" said Ruri leaning over her big brother to watch what he was doing "Ruri your attempts at humor are less and less funny" replied Shun inside him throwing a black look "It's you who's not funny, Mr. Birdie," a mad laugh took over all of them, it's not the funniest thing they've said but just the fact of being together in this warm atmosphere made them happy.
It was almost 12pm, and the others should arrive soon. Shun got back on the sofa under a duvet to warm up and Ruri went up to her room to get ready with Yuto.
“I really should buy a mirror” said the girl, a little disgusted to have a mirror with fewer cracks and pieces."Sorry it's kinda my fault it's broken" Yuto apologized "It's Shun's fault too so don't worry" Ruri said nudging him “He pissed me off…” replied Yuto "Why did you two fight so much, it didn't seem like you were a couple" said Ruri, thinking back to the punches that Shun and Yuto gave each other until Yuto gave a bell to Shun who fell on him and incidentally on the large pink mirror in Ruri's room. After this accident there were pieces of glass for 1 month in his room and the couple found themselves with cuts and scratches on their bodies and faces in especially Yuto. Besides, Shun apologized for it throughout the hospital stay that his adorable boyfriend had spent“I don’t even know why we fought anymore.”
"Seriously? Are you serious?" Ruri began with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You two fought because Shun didn't want you to go home because it was late and he was afraid something would happen to you and you didn't want to disturb us and since you're both stupid, you started arguing." Ruri paused so that the information would sink into Yuto's head. started to feel guilty again "To decide between you, you wanted me to give my opinion, I said I didn't mind if you stayed so Shun wanted to pull you to take you to his room to sleep but you resisted and you started to attack and you know the rest of the story"
“It’s okay, it’s okay I understood Ruri” Said Yuto lowering his head “Don’t worry Yuto, I don’t blame you. I’m going to get dressed, you can go back to the living room if you want.” Yuto went back down the stairs, there was nothing more to do in terms of preparation so he took the chance and went outside to get the other part of Shun's gift.
"Shun! Allen, Sayaka and Kaito will arrive soon, you can go get dressed" Ruri said as she ran down the stairs. Noticing the absence of his ghost boyfriend, Shun asks: "Wait, isn't Yuto with you?"
“But I thought he was with you” Ruri replied. They looked into each other's eyes for 3 seconds before speaking
“Fuck” they said in unison. They searched everywhere in their house and not even a trace of their friend
“He didn't was kidnapped?” Ruri said, turning over a trash can because she had lost hope. “Stop talking nonsense, Ruri, you know very well that’s not the case.”
Ruri growled in frustration before starting to search through the panels again. The bells ring and the two siblings look at each other expectantly. “Is that him?” They were indeed their friends but not Yuto
“Hello guys, I’m sorry to received you like this but Yuto is missing”
“How did he disappear?” Kaito replied
“He came home this morning to help us with the preparations but he just disappeared and he didn’t say anything,” Ruri said."So what are we waiting for, we have to find him" Allen said like it was the most obvious thing in the world
They then started searching the city without really knowing where they were going.
Even Shun who was reluctant to go outside rushed to look for his bestfriend.The group of friends have been searching for half an hour, they split up for 15 minutes in order to have more space before finding themselves in front of a café where they used to go
"No trace of him..." Kaito said, pulling up his scarf. He glanced at Allen who was shivering slightly from the cold
"Damn! He wasn't even well covered" added Shun hitting the wall of the cafe "Friends...going back home maybe he's there..." said Sayaka rubbing her arms because it was really starting to get cold "Honestly I don't think Yuto will magically reappear..." Allen said a little on edge. "Let's go and if he's not there we'll call the police okay?" Kaito said to calm the mood, it was almost Christmas after all.
They set off and Kaito approached Allen to put his scarf around his neck, over his to better cover him. "Keep it" Kaito whispered because Allen was never going to admit that he would die of cold "I don't need it" he replied with a slight blush appearing on his cheeks and burying his face as best he could in the scarves in order to hide the blush on his face. Kaito pulled him closer and lifted his chin. “I don’t want you to get sick and God knows what a spoiled princess you can be when you are.”
"Well I like being a princess. What's the problem?"
"There's none as long as you're mine." Kaito smiled and Allen looked away. He saw a shadow in the corner of his eye and shouted.
“Yuto!”
The young duelist was sitting on the ground in an alley with a blue package clutched in his arms. The two lovers rushed to him to help him. Kaito touched his cheek to measure his temperature and took his pulse. "He passed out..." Soon the rest of the group arrived alerted by Allen's shouts earlier calling for Yuto. Shun picked him up and shook him gently to try to wake him up. "Yuto my love answer me..." He will be stronger to warm him up and Ruri took his hands and applied pressure. "Quickly we have to bring him back to warm, he must be in hypothermia" said Sayaka taking the gift package so that Shun can lift him Yuto heard lots of voices talking but he didn't understand a word.
He hoped so much that it was his friends who came to rescue him. Soon the cloudy snow in his vision turned more and more into white light and nothing... The last thing he remembered when he woke up was that he had walked out of a store near the cafe with his boyfriend's gift when he had a sudden rush of heat and was walking towards the wall to tune in when he passed out and fell into the alley.
After what seemed like an eternity, he abruptly stood up and took a deep breath as he thought of the murky voices and the pure white landscape."Yuto? Everything's okay, are you in pain somewhere?" It was Sayaka who gently held his back to support him "The others went to get you some hot towels and some food to get you back on your feet"
"Sayaka..." Yuto said looking around. "Hmm?" she replied worriedly, after all they had just returned home and Yuto had woken up faster than expected “Can you help me get up please?”
"Of course" He got up with a headache and took her in his hands.He barely took a step when Shun entered the room
"Yuto are you okay!?" Said Shun as he entered his room to take his cheeks in his hands "Yes, yes I'm fine" replied Yuto, his cheeks slightly puffy because of Shun's hands
"Mmhh" Shun groaned "you don't look very good asshole" he continued touching Yuto's forehead.“Shun, your hands are cold…” Yuto shivered, looking very tired.
"And you're even more cold. You look like you have a fever..."
"I'm fine..." He breathed as he let himself fall into Shun's grip.“How stubborn can you be?” Shun whispered in his ear. He gently laid him back in his bed, ignoring his boyfriend's protests. “Rest, that way you'll be better for the party later. I'll stay with you, Sayaka, you can go back with the others, we'll join you later”
The room was now in total silence. Except for Yuto's sniffles and Shun softly humming a lullaby that Ruri loved to sing. The hand stroking his hair stopped to caress his face instead. Yuuto groaned in frustration, he wanted more. Shun's hand felt so good
"It's nice...."Shun kissed her nose and continued to caress her face. “Right?” Shun smiled and rested his head on her forehead. He sighed after a few minutes
"Yuto, why did you come out in this temperature dressed like that?", Although Yuuto was now more covered up and had a blanket draped over him, he came out without gloves and hat, he was dressed in his normal outfit as if it were spring
"I...I had to get out-"
“Not in this weather Yuuto!” he raised his voice.
Yuuto lowered his head and closed his eyes
"Sorry...."
"It's okay...The main thing is that you are in good health Yuto"
After Yuto had rested enough the 2 lovers went down to join the others and they began their activities They played a few games like Uno and Mario Kart, yes the two most annoying games. Besides, during the last race Kaito and Shun were fighting for the first one so that it was ultimately stolen by Yuto at the last moment. The two friends turned around with murderous looks while staring at the big winner of the tournament “Yuto..” they said before jumping on the poor little one to tickle him “N-NO NOT THE TICKLLLES-” The rest of the evening passed wonderfully, the Kurosaki house was filled with laughter and cries of joy. At midnight they lit fireworks at the doorstep. Now it's the long-awaited hour, the most magical moment of Christmas, especially if it is done with love. Opening the gifts. The bitter man, a.k.a Kaito opened his present first. He received headphones from Shun.
"Shun..." Kaito looked at his friend with an undetectable expression. “See, that’s why we call you the bitter person” laughed Shun“I’m not bitter…” replied the person concerned. “Well I hope you like it.”
Then comes Sayaka's turn. Kaito gave her a blown glass flower. Sayaka loves flowers but every time someone gives her one they end up withering, so a flower made from blown glass was perfect for her. Sayake squealed with joy when she realized that the flower was made from blown glass, she was so happy "Thank you Kaito, if you knew how that makes me happy"
“Glad to hear it,” he said, smiling. “He’s not that bitter,” Allen joked. "Allen, as long as you're laughing, why don't I open your present?" Ruri said with a smile on her face. “Your smile scares me, I don’t have much confidence there”
“Go ahead, Allen, open it,” Sayaka added impatiently. He tore the gift package “I-Is that a telescope?”
“Yes, this way you will be able to observe space as you always wanted”
“Thank you so much Ruri, you couldn’t have given me anything better”he said blushing
"Glad you like it. Shun I picked yours" said Ruri taking the gift with Shun's name written on it. Of course it was Ruri who had written everyone's names on the presents so they wouldn't recognize the handwriting on any of them. He opened his present and found a camera with a lens that looked powerful with a little packet of candy. "But it's..."
"I knew I wanted to make an album of bird photos so I wanted to give you a camera to get some really nice photos but this morning I realized that the camera's eyepiece was missing.... that's why I went out earlier" said Yuto, almost whispering the last part of his sentence. "Yuto...Oh fuck, I freaking love you" Shun took his boyfriend and kissed him passionately "Shun..." The blue-haired boy hugged him tighter “Please don’t do that anymore. You mean more than any bird photo to me.” he brings him even closer
"I love you Shun whispered" Yuto snuggled into his boyfriend's neck.
“Oooooh it’s so cute” said Ruri while taking a photo of the scene “Let’s finish opening the presents so we can enjoy the activities and the food”
"Plus it smells really good. Yuto open your present" Allen quickly said at the mention of food "guess who gave it to you" he finished by giving him the gift with blue and purple wrapping
"Um...I think it's Kaito" said Yuto as he moved away from Shun to take the gift. They all looked at each other until Allen, who was holding back laughter, burst into laughter. “No, but you’re doing it on purpose?There’s only one person left who didn’t give any gifts.”
“Who is that? You?” said Yuto confused
"Open" Allen breathed in despair.
Yuuto opened the smallest package and out came a phantom pen. Since Yuuto had seen an ad about this pen which has a compartment to change the color and even add glitter and effects "Allen, you didn't do that..." Yuuto came closer to him and hugged him "I took a packet with as many colors as possible, I hope it will be enough to draw you" he said responding to the hug
"Of course it's enough. Thank you very much Allen" Yuto slowly started to sob "I love you with all my heart guys" he said a few tears running down his cheeks "We too Yuuto" they said in a collective hug. They are all crying now that the adrenaline had worn off. They knew very well that they love each other like family but today's adventure made them realize that they really love each other.
The evening continued in good humor and Christmas joy.For nothing in the world he wanted it to end, they were so happy at the moment.
Christmases with loving family are the best....