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Trudging along in the cool, damp air, shopping bags clutched tight, Majima could hear Christmas music drifting out of the shops he passed along Nakamichi Street.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…
He hadn’t really thought about it, but that was the ideal you saw in the movies, wasn’t it? Christmas morning with a blanket of crisp white snow coating everything when you looked out the window. Watching kids racing downhill in their new toboggans. Building snow forts and having a snowball fight. Curling up in front of a roaring fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa to warm up afterwards.
It was about 10 degrees outside, and raining lightly. Far from the winter wonderland one would hope for a week before Christmas. Majima wracked his brain, trying to remember if he’d ever seen snow at this time of year. Maybe once when he was a kid? It wasn’t like his childhood Christmases were particularly memorable anyway, and he didn’t remember much snow as an adult. He’d have to ask someone with a better memory for this sort of stuff.
Majima collapsed into the huge leather armchair in his office, having dropped the shopping bags on his desk. He felt around in his jacket pockets and pulled out a slightly crushed pack of cigarettes. Lighting one up, he took a deep drag and exhaled slowly, watching the wisps of smoke curl towards the ceiling.
“Nishida!” He shouted out the open office door. Hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.
“Yes, sir?”
“I’ve been workin’ on Christmas stuff. Didja get that tree like I asked?”
“Yes sir, I had the guys set up the one in your apartment, and they delivered the box of decorations. I’ve got them working on the one for the family office right now.”
“Good, good, glad I can count on ya, Nishida.”
“Was there anything else, sir?”
“Hmm? Oh yeah, do ya remember ever havin’ snow on Christmas? I heard that song about white Christmas and it got me thinkin’.”
“Um, not recently, sir. It always did when I was a kid, but I’m pretty sure it hasn’t since I moved to Tokyo.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right, I forgot yer family was from Hokkaido. They still live up there?” Nishida was a little taken aback by Majima remembering that detail about him. Usually he was the one who had to constantly remind Majima of, well, everything.
“Well, my sisters moved to Akita a few years back, so last year Ma sold the house and bought an apartment near them. My older sister has two kids now and I think Ma wanted to be close to the grandkids.”
“You gonna visit them for the holidays?”
“Well, um, we’ll see. Depends on my budget and if I have enough time off,” Nishida mumbled, looking a bit sheepish.
“I gotcha,” Majima replied, nodding. “Now go find me some scissors and tape, I gotta wrap this shit I bought so it stays a surprise.”
Laden down with an armful of gifts, now carefully wrapped in glittering black and gold paper, Majima returned to the penthouse atop Kamurocho Hills. Something smelled delicious, and thank goodness because he’d forgotten to stop for lunch. He could hear the television faintly in the other room - it sounded like one of those cooking shows again, probably that Tatsuya guy. Majima didn’t usually cook for himself, relying too much on take-out over the years. Having Saejima at home experimenting in the kitchen in his time off was a welcome change and they were eating better than either of them had in a long time. He peeked into the living room and saw that the Christmas tree had been set up in the corner and was already twinkling with coloured lights. Perfect - he could arrange the gifts under the tree now and they could decorate properly later.
Majima snuck silently into the kitchen, his sock-clad feet sliding smoothly over the linoleum. Saejima faced away from him, his attention focused on getting a cake out of its pan. He crept closer, holding his breath. His fingers were so close to reaching the bowl of icing when a hand gripped his wrist tightly.
“Get yer mitts outta there, bro, I need that for the cake,” Saejima ordered. Majima sighed, face falling in disappointment.
“Man, how’d ya even hear me coming? I’m usually pretty good at this whole stealth thing.”
“I dunno, probably got some kinda Goro-radar after knowin’ ya for so long.” Saejima’s grip loosened from his wrist, instead pulling him close for a hug. “C’mon, lemme finish the cake and then we can sit down for dinner. Don’t want everything to get cold so go make yerself useful and set the table or something.” He planted a kiss on the top of Majima’s head.
“All right, all right,” he grumbled, pulling open the cutlery drawer.
Having finished dinner and tidied up the kitchen, Majima flopped onto the living room couch, plate of cake in hand. He shoved his feet into Saejima’s lap, startling the other man into nearly spilling his cup of tea.
“Thanks for cooking dinner, bro. Should we get started on decorating the tree tonight?” Majima asked, shoving a huge forkful of cake into his mouth.
“Yeah, sure. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to do somethin’ like that,” Saejima replied, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He set down his now-empty teacup and stood up to stretch, dislodging Majima from his lap. He padded over to the large plastic tub of ornaments and peered inside. A bizarre assortment of wildly coloured, tacky decorations filled the box.
“Hah, can’t mistake your taste, can ya? Where the hell did you find glittery leopard-print balls?” Majima perked up and went to check them out.
“What? Those sound cool as hell, I didn’t see what Nishida bought yet.” He started rummaging around, picking up a glass hamburger and a miniature Bunchan and excitedly hanging them up. Saejima grabbed a handful of tiny disco balls and started distributing them among the branches.
“Heard that White Christmas song today and it got me thinkin’, do ya remember ever havin’ a snowy Christmas? Like when we were kids maybe? This rainy weather don’t feel too festive, ya know,” Majima mused, pulling a bunch of hot pink tinsel garland out of the box.
“Hmm. Kansai ain’t really known for snow, but I’m sure I remember one Christmas with me and Yasuko makin’ a snowman. Why, you hopin’ for a blizzard this year?”
“Maybe not quite that much snow, but it’s a nice idea, huh? Sittin’ by a fire, watchin’ the snow fall all romantic-like?”
“Mm, sounds good to me,” Saejima replied. “Now, why don’tcha open that little present in the red paper?” Majima picked up the box, long and thin, surprisingly light, and shook it.
“Are you sure? Kinda early to start openin’ these.”
“Yeah, I need ya to open it before Christmas anyway. You’ll get it when ya see what it is.” Majima raised an eyebrow at him, but ripped open the paper anyway. He was expecting a necktie, maybe a pair of gloves, considering the shape and weight. His eye widened in surprise when he opened the box, removing the folded papers inside.
“First class tickets to Sapporo? And a reservation for an onsen ryokan?”
“Yeah, figured it’d be nice to get away from the city for the holidays. Plus we’ve always talked about goin’ to a traditional hot spring.”
“Bro, this is crazy. I woulda been happy just stayin’ home and eating fried chicken like we used to. You didn’t have to do somethin’ like this,” Majima laughed, giving Saejima a hug.
Saejima released him from the embrace, pulling back to look him in the eye.
“Gonna be the first Christmas we've spent together in nearly thirty years. That deserves somethin' special, don'tcha think?”
“Fair enough. Guess it kinda stopped matterin' without ya around. Been a long time since I did anythin' other than drink myself to sleep on Christmas Eve. Hard time of year to be alone, ya know?” He leaned his head against Saejima’s chest, still always a little doubtful that the other man was really here, back with him, not just another dream that would fade in an instant. The firm, warm touch of those big hands rubbing his back was reassuring as he felt Saejima’s words rumble from deep inside.
“Yeah,” came the sighed reply. “Yeah, I know.”
“Hurry up, bro, I’m freezing my ass off!” Majima grumbled.
“I toldya to wear a toque and a scarf. Got all yer luggage?” Saejima grabbed his bag from the back seat of the rental car and headed towards the ryokan’s entrance.
“Yeah, yeah. I got it. You sure we’ll be allowed in the hot springs with our ink?”
“Don’t worry, apparently this place is run by some retired Kitakata guys,” Saejima chuckled. “Heard about it when I was in Tsukimino. ‘sides, our suite has a private spring too.” He held the door open, ushering Majima inside. A neatly-dressed man with a scar on his right temple greeted them from behind the desk. Definitely yakuza, Saejima thought.
“Welcome, gentlemen. Do you have a reservation?” A flicker of recognition seemed to cross the man’s face when he saw Majima.
“Yeah, private suite under the name Saejima.” The clerk tapped away at his computer.
“Here we are, one week in the deluxe suite. Here are your keys,” he said, handing two cards to Saejima. “Your room is on the top floor, just follow the stairs to your right. Your dinner reservation for tonight is at seven in the dining hall. Please let me know if you need anything, and enjoy your stay.”
“Thanks,” Saejima nodded. As they made their way up the stairs, Majima suddenly piped up.
“I swear I’ve seen that dude somewhere before. Can’t remember where though.”
“Eh, he’s yakuza, maybe he wasn’t always with the Kitakata. Sounded kinda Kansai to me.”
“Hmm, maybe you’re right. Might just be some Omi dude I beat up once.”
“Damn, this place is fuckin’ incredible! Look at that mountain out there!” Majima exclaimed, peering out the window of their room. Saejima came up behind him, embracing him loosely and kissing the back of his neck.
“Heh, looks like we’ll have that white Christmas ya were talkin’ about. There’s like a foot of snow already and it’s only the 23rd. Forecast says there’ll be more tomorrow.”
“Perfect, that means I can kick yer ass in a snowball fight! Then we can warm back up in the hot springs. Man, this is gonna be awesome.” Majima’s enthusiasm was almost palpable as he chattered away. Saejima smiled to hear his cheerful voice as he went to put their luggage away properly, unpacking some of his clothes into the closet.
“Bro, check this out!” Majima called from the other room, a lounge with a sofa and small fireplace. Saejima peeked through the door, curious. Majima was pointing at a small Christmas tree, glittering with gold bells and soft white lights.
“They thought of everything! Where’d ya put the bag with all the presents in it? We oughta put them under the tree.”
“In here, it’s on the bed with yer suitcase,” Saejima replied, taking a moment to finally sit down and relax in a nearby armchair. Majima grabbed the bag of gifts and started arranging them.
“What d’ya wanna do first? Go for a hike? Play some ping-pong?”
“It’s already kinda late, dinner’s in an hour. Maybe we oughta just have a quick soak and then head downstairs. Save all the excitement for tomorrow,” Saejima sighed.
“Aww, yer such a party pooper.” Majima stuck out his tongue in response. “Ya better be prepared for a full day of snowball fights and outdoor wrestling though! Gonna be a Christmas Eve to remember!”
Majima’s prediction of a memorable day was accurate. A hearty breakfast and plenty of hot coffee got them off to a good start. The weather, as predicted, brought a fair bit more snow. Much to Majima’s delight, it was the perfect texture for snowballs. By mid-afternoon a gang of snowmen stood guard as the two men pelted each other, laughing and darting around the grounds of the ryokan. Eventually their clothing was soaked, boots full of snow, and they were forced to return inside to warm up. A long soak in the mineral-rich waters left them more relaxed than they’d felt in ages. Their games of ping-pong brought out a competitive streak that nearly broke the table. Dinner was an elaborately gorgeous kaiseki affair, unlike any meal they’d ever had before, and paired with a selection of rare sake.
Late in the evening, they were curled up on the couch together, still clad in yukata from their after-dinner soak in the hot spring. Majima’s head rested in Saejima’s lap as they idly watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. A quiet calm surrounded them, the windy snowstorm having stopped in the afternoon, now the only sound was the crackling fire.
“Thanks for all this, Taiga. Think this is the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had,” Majima murmured. Saejima hummed in agreement, lazily stroking Majima’s hair.
“I can think of one thing that’d make it better, though,” Majima mused.
“What would that be?” Saejima looked down at him, curious.
“Seein’ yer face when ya get yer present.” Majima grinned widely, jumping up off the couch.
He scurried off to the bedroom, quickly grabbing a small box he’d had hidden.
“I was gonna save this for later, but I can’t wait any longer. Close yer eyes,” he ordered, returning to the lounge.
“Okay, they’re closed,” Saejima replied, trying to imagine what the gift could be. Honestly it could be anything, he thought, remembering some rather odd presents he’d received from Majima over the years.
“All right, you can look now!” Majima crowed excitedly. What Saejima saw took his breath away momentarily. Majima knelt before him, a tiny velvet box cupped in his hands. A silvery ring, inlaid with dark grey stone, sparkled in the firelight.
“Goro,” he whispered, voice cracking. “Is this… are ya askin’ what I think yer askin’?” Majima nodded.
“I know it can’t really be official, but yeah. I shoulda asked ya like thirty years ago, but nothin’ can keep us apart now. Taiga, will ya marry me?” Saejima felt tears welling up, overcome with emotion.
“Yes. Yes, of course, yes!” He grabbed Majima’s hand, pulling him up for a kiss. “Love ya, Goro. Yer right, nothin’ can keep us apart. I ain’t ever gonna let ya go.” Majima plucked the ring out of its box, slipping it onto Saejima’s finger.
“Love ya, Taiga.” He pressed another kiss to Saejima’s lips.
“Gotta be honest, never thought I’d be gettin’ proposed to,” Saejima chuckled. “Made it more of a surprise, though.” He held up his hand, admiring the way the ring caught the light.
“What kinda stone is this? Never seen anything like it.”
“It’s a meteorite! Pretty fuckin’ cool, huh? Wanted somethin’ unique and figured a rock from outer space fit the bill.”
“Really? Huh, never knew that’s what they looked like up close,” Saejima observed. “Thank you, it’s beautiful.” Majima curled up next to him on the sofa, leaning his head on his shoulder.
“You deserve somethin’ special. Merry Christmas, Taiga.”
Saejima wrapped his arm around Majima, planting a kiss on his forehead.
“Merry Christmas, Goro.”