Putting Pen To Paper - Naegami Story

Ineffable Arc - 12: Holiday

Snow fluttered through the air, piling up on the ground outside. Makoto woke up to the sheets pulled up to his chin, his nightgown twisting tightly around his legs. He stayed in bed for a moment, realizing slowly what day it was. Last night he had laid restless, almost waiting to hear the jingling of bells, taps of hooves upon the roof, as if things were like they were before.

He rose from the bed, padding to the bathroom and splashing some water on his face. Christmas day.

Next he went downstairs, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. The Christmas tree was shining, the messy assortment of ornaments looking charming above the gathering of presents beneath the trees. He had set the gifts he had gotten for his friends there last night, but now many more were alongside them. He had gone to bed earlier than the others, and he knew that Togami and Hina had stayed up with a small glass of sake in their hands, a bottle on the coffee table in front of them. Looking over now, the bottle was empty, one of the two short glasses he had seen being swirled in their hands next to it.

Then a clank from the kitchen. Someone else was up? Makoto had told them that whoever woke up first should be the one to wake the others, but, then again, he was there, alone, leaving the others to where they were sleeping in order to sneak downstairs. Crossing to the kitchen, he saw Byakuya, opening the fridge door. A spill of white light illuminated Byakuya's legs.

"Morning," Makoto smiled, approaching closer to lean against Togami's side.

"Makoto." Byakuya's voice was honeyed, and he grabbed the bottle of syrup then closed the fridge, before turning away to the counter. Makoto reached his arms around his waist, continuing to lean beside him, looking at the plate of pancakes, eyes going wide.

"Byakuya!" he pressed a kiss to his cheek, then another and another. "Did you really make these?"

"Who else would have?" Byakuya's lips turned upward. Then he turned bashful, somehow. "I tried my best."

After breakfast, they gathered around the tree. Makoto watched eagerly as Byakuya opened the gifts he had gotten him: a stationery set, a silver hair clip, a couple of pictures of all of them together. And in return, Makoto gingerly stripped back the wrapping on a mug filled with packets of hot cocoa powder, a soft blanket, a box of sweets, and mistletoe to hang up.

Once all the gifts were opened and the wrapping paper was put in the recycling, they all cuddled up on the couch, Hiro at first trying to slip in between Makoto and Byakuya, before settling beside Komaru.

Makoto felt a deep comfort inside him. Komaru's head was on his shoulder as another holiday movie played on the TV, and it was all so close to the world before. He remembered this scene, when his parents had been next to him where Togami now was sitting, smiling at his first Christmas. Komaru had gotten a pile of gifts, and Makoto had remembered picking little trinkets out for her at the small holiday shop his school had set up every year. Thinking of this also made him think of his lost years at Hope's Peak. Had he and his friends celebrated the occasion like this before? Had Kirigiri curled into Hina's side, Hiro dozing off, the holiday spirit encapsulating them all in this small circle of warmth? He figured he had, that he had once picked out gifts for Sayaka and Chihiro, Taka and Sakura, and the world around him blurred. What had he chosen? A guitar pick for Leon, maybe, or a new chain to string on his belt loops? A small keychain for Mondo, probably something edgy to match him. As the world around him melted into hazy colors, he could almost see his parents in front of him, dressed in ugly sweaters, steaming mugs in their hands. And then his classmates were there too, Taka handing out presents in a red Santa suit, and he became enveloped with the feeling of being surrounded by family. Celeste had traded out her black dress for reds and whites, and a pair of antlers were fixed on her head. This all seemed so right. Hifumi was holding a holiday-themed anime figure above his head, celebrating the gift. Everyone was there, celebrating.

Hot tears fell to the corners of Makoto's mouth, and he tasted the salt of them as they slipped between his lips. He blinked a couple of times, the visions of his family fading away, back to the present.

"Byakuya?" His voice was weaker than he thought it would be.

"Yes?"

"Merry Christmas,"