Mirage Of Blaze Fan Fiction ❯ The Most Precious Gift ❯ The Most Precious Gift ( One-Shot )

A/N: As promised, a Mirage of Blaze Christmas Story! Well, I like Takaya and Naoe as much as anyone, but everyone else is writing about them having fun, and I want to give Chiaki a little love after all I'm putting him through in `Chasing Twilight' so this will be a Chiaki/Yuzuru Christmas story. Call your dentist, you might get cavities. Possibly some OOC…primarily because if I was 100% true to the chars, this would be one helluva long one-shot…

The Most Precious Gift

by: Banshee Puppet

One-Shot

Chiaki paced, glowered, then paced some more. He hated Christmas. Correction-he hated shopping for Christmas. Correction-he hated shopping for Christmas for Yuzuru. He got Takaya a watch-maybe it would get the dark-haired teen to be on time for once. Naoe was getting a tie. He wore them enough so Chiaki figured he must like the damn things. Haruie-earrings; couldn't go wrong with jewelry. Saori-a charm bracelet-using the same logic he had for Haruie. And Yuukio? Necklace. Check.

He glowered at the sweater he'd picked out for Yuzuru though. It was just…a sweater. It was impersonal and bland, just like what he'd gotten for everyone else. That was no good at all! He knew Yuzuru would like the sweater, but that wasn't the point-it was nothing special. He'd considered getting something engraved, but didn't know what to say. `Merry Christmas. I love you.' Yeah right, he'd been infatuated with Yuzuru all year and hadn't managed to get the guts to say anything. In the end, he had given up and bought the damnable sweater. It was too late now. Christmas Eve and long past the time when all the stores had closed. He hastily wrapped the sweater. Nothing to be done about it now. If he'd gotten something special he'd be too embarrassed to give it to the other man anyway and he knew it. Damn. This was pathetic.

---

Christmas morning. Yuzuru smiled to himself. This was great. He'd gotten everyone the perfect gift! Sake for Haruie-she liked to drink. A kendo sword for Saori-he chuckled to himself-it beat the hell out of a shovel and he was sure she'd appreciate the joke after how many times she told that story. For Yuuiko, new gloves, the leather on hers was torn. Naoe and Takaya got a joint gift that would make his best friend blush for sure-a framed, enlarged photo of their first kiss that Takaya had nearly murdered him over. Yuzuru had sworn that he got rid of the negatives…after all, what was one little fib between friends if it was for a good cause! And for Chiaki…

Yuzuru lifted the final parcel to put in his bag and kissed it. Oh, Chiaki…what a fool he was. Even Yuzuru wasn't oblivious enough not to notice how the other man felt about him, but Chiaki was apparently oblivious enough to not realize the feeling was mutual. Well, today Yuzuru intended to take matters into his own hands. The present was only a book, really, but that was just something for under the tree, it wasn't the real gift. He only hoped the other man took it well and didn't panic.

"Oi, Yuzuru! Hurry up slowpoke!" Takaya called, hanging out the car window. "Don't make everyone wait for you like always!" he added when he saw the young man lugging his bag out of the house and once again wishing his parents a happy holiday and promising to be home in time for dinner.

"This coming from you!" Yuzuru complained, lugging his bag of presents out of the house and climbing into the back seat. "Merry Christmas, Naoe."

"Merry Christmas," the monk said back.

"Merry Christmas Slowpoke," Takaya told him, sticking his tongue out. He was in unusually high spirits today. That meant either it was the holiday spirit or morning sex. Sadly, Yuzuru didn't put enough faith in the holiday spirit that it could even make Takaya this happy. Heh.

"Merry Christmas Idiot," Yuzuru retorted. It was a game they'd been playing as of late, this trading insults thing. No harm done.

"So today's the big day then," Takaya commented.

Yuzuru crossed his fingers and smiled. "If all goes well," he replied.

"You gonna do him?" Takaya asked primarily for the sake of embarrassing his friend.

"Takaya!" Yuzuru protested, blushing furiously.

"Well, it's only natural…" Takaya prodded. `Definitely morning sex…' Yuzuru thought, pouting at Naoe. It was essentially all his fault, after all.

"He doesn't even know I like him yet!"

---

"What the hell are you doing?" Chiaki demanded. It might be Christmas, but that didn't mean he had to be nice to two crazy women running around the house at 8 a.m. in Santa hats hanging garland, candy canes, and a few other things he didn't want to think about from everything they cold get scotch tape to stick to. Yuuiko was the calm one. She'd made some breakfast Danishes and was now downstairs putting presents around the tree. Saori and Haruie…maniacs, deviants, and just downright annoying. He'd decorated! (If you called buying a tree and putting ornaments on the sides that could be seen decorating.) It wasn't that he was a grinch. He'd just been busy. He even wore a red shirt today and everything. What more did they want?

Haruie dropped a Santa hat on his head, held something over him and before he knew it, she'd given him a big smooch and taken off down the stairs. "It's not Christmas without mistletoe!" she yelled behind her.

"Oh no! You know I said no mistletoe! HARUIE!!!" And right around the time the doorbell rang, Chiaki was chasing the woman down the stairs to confiscate the offensive plant.

---

"Merry Christmas!" Saori cheered, hugging all three men as they entered in that bubbly manner she had, even Yuzuru. She had long since gotten over her crush; it was ancient history now. She couldn't help but be cheerful-it was Christmas, for crying out loud! And she'd gotten gag gifts for everyone. Naoe got a shirt that said "I'm with stupid" and had a hand pointing right, and Takaya had got one that said "stupid" and had a hand pointing at his crotch. On second thought, maybe that should have been the other way around…she shrugged to herself. "Everyone is downstairs," she said, pushing Yuzuru forward so he'd be the first to descend. He wasn't the only one who had plans for Chiaki today. Haruie and Saori had worked out this teeny little plan to help things along.

"Where did you put it," Chiaki was demanding from the bottom of the stairs when the rest of the group arrived.

"It's a secret," Haruie said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Yuuiko chuckled from where she was setting gifts out under the tree.

"Yuuiko…" he tried.

She shook her head simply. "It's Christmas, Chiaki. Enjoy the surprises," she said. After all, she'd been sworn to secrecy.

Once again, Chiaki was glowering when an all too familiar voice said, "Merry Christmas Chiaki."

He stiffened and turned, trying to look natural. "Yuzuru. Merry Christmas." He looked up the stairs to find Takaya and Naoe there. "Merry Christmas guys."

Haruie squealed in delight. "First victims!" she crowed, pointing up at the mistletoe hanging in the doorframe above where Chiaki stood.

"Oh, for pity's sake," he complained. "Forget it Yuzu…mmpfh!" Before he knew it, the smaller man had pulled him down into a lip lock. His eyes widened in undiluted shock and then, just as suddenly, it was over.

"It's a holiday tradition, Chiaki!" Yuzuru said cheerfully. "Don't be such a Scrooge."

And down the stairs he went. Chiaki fell against the wall, blinking. He was lucky his legs didn't give out. As it was, he couldn't hear a damned thing over his wildly beating heart.

Naoe and Takaya exchanged a small, comfortable kiss before passing the mistletoe, `in the name of tradition' and into their little holiday party. They'd finally fallen into a place where this relationship was comfortable. Well, good for them-about damn time.

The day went on comfortably after that. Exchanging gifts-many laughs at Takaya's expense, Saori's bangle jingling as she waved her new weapon around, a few more laughs at Takaya's expense, with Takaya actually laughing along…

And Chiaki smiled a little when he found that Yuzuru had remembered him wanting the book he'd received as a gift. A small token, but one that was much appreciated, especially coming from the object of his infatuation.

"Open it!" Yuzuru insisted. "There's something inside." This was it. Yuzuru fought down the nervous butterflies in his stomach. Today was the day he let Chiaki know just how he felt, even if he had to beat it into the bespectacled man's skull.

Chiaki flipped back the cover to find a small note that Yuzuru had scribbled on the inside cover. `To Shuhei, with love. Merry Christmas. I hope we'll be able to spend many more together. ~Yuzuru~'

Not Chiaki, but Shuhei. Yuzuru had used his first name. Chiaki's heart thundered. He read it over again. `To Shuhei, with love…'

"It's too dim down here," Yuzuru said. "Come on, let's go upstairs so that you can read it," he smiled, dragging a dazed Chiaki to his feet as the man tried to figure out exactly what Yuzuru had been trying to say and if it was even close to what he was hoping. Yuzuru stopped only long enough to plant another kiss on Chiaki's lips beneath the mistletoe before heading up the stairs. It seemed as if everyone knew that the host of this little party was the one getting the biggest surprise today and tried not to laugh until he got out of hearing range.

"Tradition?" Chiaki managed to choke out halfway up the steps.

"Yeah," Yuzuru replied in brief without stopping, dragging Chiaki right into his own bedroom. His heart was pounding. Confessing himself to Chiaki-he'd planned it for weeks now, so actually doing it was exhilarating. Especially since he knew that his chances of being rejected were pretty damn slim. He pushed Chiaki playfully against the bed and leaned over him. "Now read it," he said.

"How can I when you're right in my face?" Chiaki couldn't repress a tiny smirk. Yuzuru was just too cute. This was for real, he realized. Yuzuru and him…Yuzuru was really…

"I'll tell you what it says then," Yuzuru said, not taking his eyes off of the other man's for even an instant. A slight blush stained his cheeks even though Chiaki's own feelings were so painfully obvious that even he hadn't missed the signs. "It says, To Shuhei, with love…"

But this time, it was Chiaki who cut the other off by pulling him into a passionate kiss. "I love you too," he gasped out between breathless kisses, tongues tangling newly together, the moment only interrupted by a bright flash of light.

Wait. A bright flash of light? What the hell?

Chiaki blinked to find Takaya, camera in hand, grinning like an idiot. Ah, sweet revenge…

"KAGETORA!! I'm gonna kill him!" he yelled, ready to go chasing after him for that film. It was embarrassing damn it!

It was Yuzuru who stopped him with a hand on his chest, shaking his head. "Let them have their fun," he said. "It's only fair. We did the same to him before." After all, Yuzuru and Chiaki had had their share of fun at Takaya and Naoe's expense in the past, and had the pictures to prove it.

Saori grinned at them and shut the bedroom door between them and the rest of the house. "Merry Christmas you two!" she said. "Have fun!" The implication was obvious and made both men chuckle a bit. A few more kisses were exchanged, not as fevered as that which Takaya had immortalized on film by any stretch of the imagination. These were more tender kisses-the desperation of those first moments giving way to something more lasting.

"I still haven't given you your gift," Chiaki said. "Though it isn't much."

Yuzuru shook his head, smiling softly as he wrapped his arms around his new lover's neck. "The most precious gift I received today was your heart," he told him gently.

Chiaki scoffed at this. "That's not a gift," he said. "You had it all along."

~The End~

Wishing you all Happy Holidays filled with good friends, joyful memories, and lots of love.

~Banshee Puppet~

A/N: yeesh, that was really really sappy….heh.