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In this post: Eight fun, easy, creative, and scientifically-proven tips for how to pick meaningful gifts that you’ll be proud to give and that lucky someone will truly treasure.
- The Unconventional Route
#1 : Give Problem Solvers
Ritsuka is not a good gift giver. Whenever Yayoi’s birthday rolls around he usually ends up giving money to his mother so she can get a gift and put his name on it. Yayoi has obviously caught on to this but she won’t complain when she gets a new set of watercolor brushes every year without fail.
Anyways, this is to say, Ritsuka isn’t all that well-versed in the whole “gift from the heart” thing. Which is a problem considering Christmas is coming up and he has a boyfriend to woo. Asking Yayoi for tips was a fruitless venture since she just laughed in his face when Ritsuka asked what gifts a good boyfriend would give. And to top it all off, while Ritsuka may be completely clueless when it comes to all this coupley shit, Mafuyu has years of experience to compare Ritsuka’s crappy attempts at romance to.
Which brings us to the current predicament of Ritsuka staring intently at a Google search of “how to give a good gift” on his smartphone minutes before the first bell. Dozens of results appear under the search bar, none of the sites selling themselves as particularly reputable but Rome wasn’t built in a day so Ritsuka clicks on the first link-
“Uenoyama-kun!”
Ritsuka fumbles his phone in surprise, dropping it on the tiled floor. For a moment, the school seems silent as Ritsuka’s phone makes contact with the ground and the crack of his phone screen resonates louder than when you plug in a guitar to an amp that’s already on. Then, just as quick as it happened, the moment passes and the first bell rings.
Mafuyu comes up to Ritsuka with an apologetic expression, “Oh no, is your phone okay?”
Ritsuka bends down to pick up his phone, trying to convince himself that the cracking sound was just a bone or something and not his phone. Unfortunately, as Ritsuka picked up his phone to reveal the very cracked screen, he realized that reality had other plans.
“Shit, it’s totally fucked.” Ritsuka curses as he repeatedly presses the power button to no avail.
Ritsuka looks over to his boyfriend and finds Mafuyu staring guiltily at the broken phone.
Ritsuka sighs and lightly bumps Mafuyu’s shoulder with his own, “C’mon, Mafuyu. It’s okay. It was my fault for being a butterfingers with my phone. I was saving up to upgrade it anyway.”
Mafuyu seems to lighten up a little at Ritsuka’s reassurance so there’s no reason to mention that there was no way he could trade in his old phone now. Oh well, it’s not like he needs his phone that bad anyway. Not like Hiiragi, who’s apparently glued to the thing from how often he tweets on his private.
Except… Shit. His one and only hope for finding a gift for Mafuyu was on that phone.
Ritsuka parts with Mafuyu at the intersection of the hallway to go to their respective classes and as soon as Ritsuka gets to his desk, he slams his forehead down on it, hoping the concussion will provide him with some answers.
Above him, Itaya and Ueki trade concerned glances.
Itaya decides to take initiative and pokes Ritsuka’s head, “Dude, what?”
Ritsuka just grumbles in response.
Ueki decides to chime in before Itaya gets his finger chewed off, “Are you and Mafuyu fighting or something?”
Ritsuka shoots up straight in his seat, “What! No! Why would you-! I mean-! No!”
“Dude, chill. What’s your problem?” Itaya asks.
Problem…
That’s it! Give Problem Solvers.
“Yo, is he having a stroke? Why’s his face all weird like that?”
Ritsuka and Ueki simultaneously sock Itaya upside the head.
.
.
.
Give Problem Solvers.
A simple enough concept, but one that’s definitely more complicated in practice. For starters, none of Mafuyu’s problems seem like things that could be fixed with a simple gift. In fact, it seems that most of his problems have been caused by things that were “given” to him. They’ve learned together that there’s no quick fix for mourning or communication.
Ritsuka shakes his head as if physically getting rid of the heavier thoughts, Stop it. You’re thinking too big. The article obviously meant little problems. Like getting a sweater for someone that’s always cold.
Okay, little problems then. Well, Mafuyu is always breaking strings from how hard he practices. Maybe another set of strings?
Like the ones he buys himself every other week? Yeah, that’s real original. I bet he’ll really appreciate that for a week.
Fine, then an effects pedal? Mafuyu seems really interested in those.
With what money? You aren’t exactly rolling in it right now. Not to mention you have to get yourself a new phone too.
Alright! Alright. What about a set of guitar picks?
Wow.
Ritsuka grips his hair in frustration. Why is this so hard?
While Ritsuka is having his crisis on the living room floor, Yayoi is trying desperately to watch her serials through the haze of teenage angst. As Ritsuka sighs yet again, Yayoi decides she’s had enough.
“Rikka! Either you deal with whatever the hell is making you so pissy or you get out!”
Ritsuka shoots her an unimpressed glare, “It’s my house too. And I’m not being pissy.”
“Your sighs could fill up a hot air balloon. You’re acting worse than a girl whose crush won’t get the hint that she’s into him.”
“Oh yeah, you’d know a lot about that wouldn’t you.”
Ritsuka is exiled from the apartment in sub-one-minute.
He decides to take this development in stride and takes the train down to the music shop in Shibuya to see if inspiration for gift giving will strike him as unexpectedly as it does for song writing.
Entering the store, he’s reminded of the first time he came with Mafuyu. His eyes were filled with wonder as he took in the cavalcade of band culture. It encouraged Ritsuka to remember how it felt back then: new to the music scene, arrogant about his skills, yet tentative about his ability to perform and fit in. They’ve both grown since then. Ritsuka rediscovered his love for music through his love for Mafuyu and went from full-time guitar-head to sometimes soft lover-boy. Mafuyu went from clueless about music to having calluses on his hands that could rival Ritsuka’s. Not to mention the signature shoulder pain from practicing with a hand-me-down guitar strap.
Guitar Strap.
It fulfills all the requirements. It’s cheap, solves a problem, and since Ritsuka had to think this hard to figure it out, it’s gotta be from the heart, or whatever.
Ritsuka confidently walks up to the counter and presents the same guitar strap he’s been using for years. He’s about to pay when a sign behind the cashier catches his eye.
“How long does the custom embroidery take?” Ritsuka asks.
The cashier, being familiar with the frequent customer, raises his eyebrow, “Depends on the design, why?”
“If it was simple, would it be ready by Christmas?”
“Sure, what’s the design, kid?”
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.
.
“Uenoyama-kun, you didn’t have to get me a gift.”
If Ritsuka wasn’t already blushing from the embarrassment of handing over the gift, he was definitely beet red now, “I know, but, uh, I… I wanted to?”
Mafuyu tilts his head like a curious puppy, “That sounded like a question.”
Ritsuka covers his burning face with his hands, “It’s not! I really wanted to!”
Mafuyu laughs quietly and Ritsuka wants to sink into the floor of his boyfriend’s bedroom (he was in his boyfriend’s bedroom holy SHIT! No, no. Stop that. Get your mind out of the gutter), “Just open it!” he groans.
Ritsuka is still covering his face when Mafuyu takes the gift out of the decorative bag so he only hears a small gasp before Mafuyu’s arms are around him, squeezing tightly.
“Ha-! Maf-! Mafuyu? What-?”
“Thank you,” Mafuyu mumbles into Ritsuka’s chest, “I love it.”
Ritsuka finally gains enough consciousness to reciprocate the hug and process Mafuyu’s gratitude, “Really? You like it?”
Mafuyu nods with his head still against Ritsuka’s body, “Yes, it’s perfect. How did you even find a guitar strap with a snowflake on it?”
Ritsuka buries his face into Mafuyu’s hair, “They, uh, they do custom embroidering. So I asked for a snowflake because, y’know.”
Mafuyu pulls away to look at Ritsuka, “Yeah. I know,” Mafuyu puts a hand on his boyfriend's cheek, “Hey, Ritsuka-kun?”
Ritsuka’s heart skips a beat at the use of his given name, “Yeah?”
Mafuyu smiles, “I love you.”
Ritsuka kisses his boyfriend. Maybe he should do this gift giving thing more often.
#2 : Don’t Give them More Problems
Mafuyu watched his boyfriend’s face fall in sync with his phone.
Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to surprise him.
Mafuyu speedwalks to Ritsuka, avoiding the curious stares of his classmates, “Oh no, is your phone okay?” Mafuyu asks, hopeful that the answer will be positive.
Ritsuka picks up his phone and turns it over, “Shit, it’s totally fucked.”
Mafuyu’s initially sunny mood darkens at the confirmation of his fears. He wanted to tell Ritsuka how he’d been practicing the new chord progression all night and he made some progress, but now he doesn’t want to bother the lead guitarist with his trivial problems.
Problems. It seems like all I do is cause problems. From the very beginning, it’s been like that.
Ritsuka seems to notice Mafuyu’s dampened mood and attempts to reassure him that everything’s fine. Mafuyu tries to put on a more cheerful disposition, for Ritsuka’s sake, until they part ways to go to their separate classes.
Mafuyu has taken to a particular habit ever since joining ‘Given’, the habit being that every time something goes wrong, Mafuyu would think about what Haruki-san would do (after the groaning about the problem, that is). So, what would Haruki do if he indirectly caused his boyfriend to break his phone?
Well.
Let’s be honest, Haruki could personally take a sledgehammer to Kaji-san’s phone and Kaji-san would thank him for it.
Mafuyu resigns himself to a guilt-filled morning when he overhears the conversations of his classmates.
“Dude, you’re just gonna get her a box of chocolates for Christmas?”
“Yeah? What’s wrong with that?”
“There’s no thought behind it. Your girlfriend is gonna blame you if she gains any weight after eating those. You’re literally the reason girls make all those posts online about guys being dumb and shit.”
“Oh, come on. Like you’re any better. Didn’t you get your girl amusement park tickets last year?”
“That’s hella romantic!”
“Yeah, except you put all the stress of planning the date on her, and she didn’t want to interfere with your schedule but at the same time she was so busy with other stuff, and then there was the whole thing with the missing family heirloom, and the tickets ended up expiring before you could use them.”
“How the fuck do you even know that Tanaka?”
“...”
Ignoring the manga-like realizations that were happening between his two faceless classmates, Mafuyu had an idea. He could get Ritsuka a new phone for Christmas!
No. That’s stupid. He doesn’t have the money and even if he pays in installments, a big present like that would probably just weird him out.
More problems.
Then, maybe he could pay for it to get fixed?
Uenoyama-kun already said he was going to get a new phone.
Maybe just a phone case then?
A little late for that, isn’t it?
It’s like what his classmates were talking about. A gift is only good when it doesn’t cause problems for the person it’s given to.
Then again, most of the things that Mafuyu has ever been given have caused him problems.
Then again, again, he wouldn’t have really had it any other way.
Mafuyu hadn’t really put this much thought into gift giving in the past. When it came to his friends, he’d get them all similar gifts, like matching keychains or socks from the same department store. That didn’t really change after he and Yuki started dating. Neither of them really saw the point in changing a system that had worked for so long, so Mafuyu never thought about what Christmas gift to get your boyfriend.
Uenoyama-kun was different, though. He would probably be just as happy as Yuki would be if Mafuyu ended up getting him a keychain, but somehow, it didn’t seem like a fitting present for their relationship. Mafuyu grew up with Yuki, they were like two sides of the same coin. They didn’t need to show each other what their love was worth on special occasions because it was a given between them. But with Ritsuka, occasions like Christmas were chances. Chances to show the other how much they’ve helped. How much better they are now that they’re together. Being with Ritsuka isn’t as easy as being with Yuki, but that’s part of what makes it so great. Their relationship isn’t sealed by fate, it’s up to them to determine how far they go and how much they mean to each other. The work that their relationship takes is shown in small questions, good morning texts, impromptu song lyrics, and this time, a Christmas gift.
Maybe Mafuyu will keep causing problems for Ritsuka. And maybe that’s okay, because their relationship has always been about fixing what’s broken.
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.
.
Mafuyu clutches his new guitar strap even tighter as Ritsuka kisses him.
A snowflake. He’s adorable.
Ritsuka may be a little slow when it comes to communicating about their relationship, but he always seems to know if something is wrong with Mafuyu’s music before Mafuyu himself. His gift was personal but still professionally made and functional.
Mafuyu doesn’t know if he can say the same about his gift, though. He spent days mulling over possible gift ideas, but no amount of Amazon browsing or window shopping turned up the perfect gift. In the end, Mafuyu had to turn to his last resort. Home-made.
“Actually,” Mafuyu starts, pulling away from the kiss, “I got you a gift too.”
Ritsuka's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, “Really? But you-”
“I didn’t have to. I know,” Mafuyu smiled, “I also wanted to get you something.”
Mafuyu pulls the small, wrapped square from its hiding place under the bed, “Here.”
Ritsuka takes the gift from Mafuyu’s hands gently, as if he was handling an expensive set of china. Or a highly explosive substance.
Ritsuka looks at Mafuyu in awe, “Mafuyu, this is amazing-”
“Uenoyama-kun, you haven’t even opened it yet.” Mafuyu interrupts his boyfriend’s pre-mature praises.
Ritsuka begins unwrapping the gift, with the same care one would have when holding a baby for the first time. His expression of awe morphs into one of slight confusion upon encountering the CD marked only by a heart drawn in Sharpie.
“Uh, Mafuyu, what…” Ritsuka trails off, not wanting to sound ungrateful for the gift.
“Open it,” Mafuyu instructs.
Ritsuka complies, opens the clear case, and takes the disc out. A piece of folded paper falls to the ground between them. Ritsuka opens the paper and scans the writing before looking up with awe back on his face, “You made me a mixtape?”
Mafuyu gently takes the piece of paper, “Yeah, all the songs I used on here.”
Ritsuka points to one of the various starred songs on the paper, “Why do some of the songs have an asterisk next to it?”
“Oh, uh,” Mafuyu looks down in embarrassment, “Those are the songs that I sang, uh, covers of.”
“Mafuyu.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I kiss you again?”
Mafuyu laughs and embraces Ritsuka. Sometimes it pays off to surprise your boyfriend.
#3 : Be Practical, Not Flashy
Akihiko chuckles as he watches his second youngest band member reluctantly sign up for more shifts before the upcoming holiday season.
Ritsuka shoots Akihiko an icy glare at the sound of the drummer laughing, “It isn’t what you think.”
Akihiko nods in faux sympathy, “Mhm, so you’re not picking up extra shifts because you need more money to buy a Christmas gift for Mafuyu?”
Ritsuka’s ears turn impossibly red, “No! I just broke my phone so I need some extra cash to pay for the repairs.”
“And what about your savings?” Akihiko taunts.
“I need that money for… other stuff.” Ritsuka grumbles.
“Ah yes, stuff like buying gifts.”
Ritsuka pushes past Akihiko, “I’m going to clean up aisle 4.”
“Don’t forget to restock the drinks, loverboy!”
Ritsuka groans from the next aisle over.
Akihiko resists the urge to keep teasing the kid and makes his way to the backroom to take inventory.
Christmas, huh?
His dad always celebrated it as a family holiday since that’s how it is in the west but ever since moving out and breaking up with Ugetsu, he’s spent Christmas making it less lonely for others.
But now there’s Haruki.
That’s right. He has a boyfriend to spoil now.
Why does it always seem like the kids have their shit together faster than him? It’s like just yesterday Ritsuka was facedown outside the studio at the thought of making a move on Mafuyu and now here he was, thinking about buying the kid a Christmas present all on his own.
They grow up so fast.
But he should get on that. The gift-giving that is. The question is, what to get Haruki?
He’s no stranger to giving Haruki gifts. Whether it’s a drink or a souvenir, Haruki is always at the forefront of his mind when spending money. But so far, it’s all been small gifts. Little things to make Haruki’s life easier and to let him know that Akihiko was thinking of him. Christmas calls for something bigger. Something better.
Well, of course Haruki deserves the best. He’s always taking care of Akihiko, no matter how bratty the younger man is acting. Even when Akihiko is at his worst, Haruki would still greet him with kindness. There’s really no way to repay that. To make up for all the shit in his past. But he’s trying, and maybe one day, he’ll be half the man that could deserve Haruki.
But… an expensive gift could help his image a bit. Like one of those fancy snow globes with a picture of them on the inside. Or tickets to a concert.
Maybe he’ll have to work a few more hours, but for Haruki, it’s always worth it.
.
.
.
And just like that, somehow the days flew past and Akihiko was standing outside Haruki’s apartment with his gift. In a cruel twist of fate, Akihiko spent all his free time leading up to Christmas working and ended up having to find a gift last minute.
“Akihiko! Come in!” Haruki’s warm smile welcomed Akihiko into the apartment from the cold, December weather.
Akihiko enters the apartment and immediately envelopes Haruki in a hug, “I’m home.”
Despite Akihiko doing this every time he sees his boyfriend, Haruki still manages to get flustered every time, “Ah! Akihiko, wait! Let me close the door first!”
“Nope,” Akihiko tightens his arms around his lover, “Can’t wait. I’m super impatient to have my Christmas gift.”
Haruki struggles in the embrace, “Then let me go so I can get it for you!”
Akihiko bends his head to whisper in Haruki’s ear, “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“Akihiko…” Haruki warns.
“Fine, fine,” Akihiko lets go of Haruki and follows him into the kitchen, “What’s the plan for tonight then?”
“Well, I really did want to give you my present first.” Haruki says while checking the curry simmering on the stove.
Dread settles in the pit of Akihiko’s stomach.
It’s now or never.
“Actually, I have a gift for you too. Open it first?” Akihiko suggests.
“Sure,” Haruki turns off the stove and leads Akihiko to the couch, “I’m really happy that you got me a gift.”
“Haruki, I’m always getting you stuff,” Akihiko chuckles.
“I know,” Haruki laughs, “I said I was happy, not surprised.”
Akihiko braces himself and pulls a small package from the inside pocket of his jacket. The present is about the size of a greeting card and hastily wrapped in plain red wrapping paper.
He hands the package to Haruki.
Haruki unwraps the present and reveals a gentle smile after removing all the paper, “Thank you, Akihiko.”
Akihiko rubs the back of his neck, “It’s just hair pins-”
“But they’re from you,” Haruki interrupts, “And that’s what makes them special.”
At that moment, Akihiko felt that maybe he didn’t have to keep on proving his love. He just had to believe that Haruki knew.
#4 : Don’t Be So Thoughtful
“I say, just ask him what he wants for Christmas.” Yatake says, mixing creamer into his Americano.
“I can’t just ask him,” Haruki groans from behind the barista counter.
“Why not?” Take questions, “It takes all the guesswork out and you won’t end up giving him something he totally hates.”
“Because,” Haruki raises his voice to be heard over the sound of the milk steamer, “What if he just tells me that he wants something cheap because he doesn’t want me to spend money on what he actually wants?”
Take raises an eyebrow, “Do you really think that Kaji is the type of guy to do that?”
Haruki sighs, “No, but then what if he’s disappointed that there’s no surprise to the gift?”
“I don’t think the guy could physically be disappointed with you.”
“What if he says that he doesn’t want anything?”
“Then get him socks,” Yatake takes a sip of his coffee, “Look, Haru, you’re overthinking this. With stuff like this, it’s okay to be a little less thoughtful.”
Haruki chuckles, “I think you’re the first person in history to say ‘be less thoughtful’ about gift giving.”
“You being less thoughtful would still be an above average level of thoughtfulness,” Take sighs at the bitter taste of his coffee, “All I’m saying is that it can’t hurt to ask.”
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.
.
“Hey, Akihiko?”
“Yeah?”
“What do you want for Christmas?”
“Hm… a wallet, probably.”
“Really? A wallet?”
“Yep. Mine has a hole in it.”
“Is that really all you want?”
“Well, I could name a few things I want but the kids are listening.”
“Shh!”
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.
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“He told you he wants a wallet so get him a wallet,” Yatake says, engaged in the daily battle against his Americano.
“But what if-”
“Nope!” Take cuts Haruki off, “We’re not doing this again. What did I say about overthinking?”
“How am I not supposed to overthink this?” Haruki asks, “A wallet is such a vague item! What if he wants one of those sleek and slim ones and I get one of those bulky wallets that could hold a whole month’s salary?”
“Then get an average one!” Take sighs, this time not at his coffee, “Honestly, Haruki, you’re acting like your entire relationship depends on this one gift.”
Haruki focuses on wiping down the bar table, “It's just,” he sighs, “Akihiko is always buying me gifts. Little things to show me he cares and now I have an opportunity to return the favor but,” Haruki tosses the dirty rag into the basket under the counter, “What if I don’t measure up?”
“Haruki,” Yatake’s serious tone commands Haruki’s full attention, “We’re talking about Akihiko, the same man who apparently turned his whole life around for you?”
“Take-chan,” Haruki whines.
“No, I’m serious,” Take continues, “If there’s anything about your relationship that I envy, it’s your ability to be so honest with each other. When Kaji says he loves you, he damn well means it. So when he says that all he wants is a wallet, I know he’ll be ecstatic when you give him one.”
Haruki smiles at Yatake, “Thank you, Take-chan.”
“You’re welcome, now brew me a cup of something bitter. I need to get the taste of all this sap out of my mouth.”
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.
.
Haruki pins his hair back with one of the new hair pins Akihiko just gave him, “How does it look?”
“Amazing, as always,” Akihiko says while leaning in for a kiss.
Haruki stops his boyfriend’s face with his hand, “Okay! My turn now!”
Haruki hands Akihiko a small, red box with a gold bow on top. Akihiko opens the box to reveal his present.
A wallet.
Akihiko smiles at Haruki, “Thank you, it’s exactly what I wanted.”
Akihiko leans in for a kiss, but Haruki stops him again, “Wait, open the wallet.”
Inside the wallet, tucked in the backmost pocket, is a picture of Akihiko and Haruki kissing from the kite festival that summer.
“Just so you always have something to smile at, you know- OH!” Haruki is startled by the force of Akihiko pinning him to the couch.
“I love you, you know,” Akihiko murmurs into Haruki’s neck.
Haruki knows. And for that night, he lets himself stop thinking so much.
#5 : Put the “Present” in Presentation
Shizusumi entered the green room with Hiiragi and was instantly greeted with a small mountain of colorfully wrapped presents.
“Woah! What is all this?” Hiiragi asks, his eyes sparkling with glee.
“Christmas presents,” their manager chimes in from behind them, “From your fans. And the ones in the front are from the execs at the label. Perks of being a signed artist.”
The two had just performed at their most packed concert of the year on the day before Christmas Eve. Hiiragi was a little hesitant about performing so close to such a major holiday, but he vibed with the energy of the crowd and, of course, Shizusumi had no choice but to match his boyfriend’s energy.
“Hell yeah!” Hiiragi cheers while pulling out his phone, “Shizu, come here. We’ve gotta take a selfie with this stuff to post on the socials.”
“Why?” Shizusumi asks, as if he wasn’t already positioning himself in the frame.
“So the fans know we appreciate them!” Hiiragi holds his phone out with the front facing camera turned on, “Now, smile!”
Shizusumi holds up a peace sign.
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Later, on Christmas Eve, when they’re chilling at Hiiragi’s house going through the presents, Hiiragi makes an offhand comment.
“I can’t believe that these all came from our fans,” Hiiragi picks up a carefully wrapped present, “Look at the wrapping! It’s like, perfect, dude,” Hiiragi seems to reach a conclusion in his mind, “Well, I guess it only makes sense that our fans would have an equally superior taste in design.”
Shizusumi inspects the presents, the corners of the paper neatly creased and bits of tape cleverly concealed by cautious folding, “Do you… like it when presents are wrapped like this?”
“Hell yeah, man,” Hiiragi laughs, “Who doesn’t? I mean, half of the present is the presentation.”
Shizusumi thinks about the present that he bought Hiiragi about a week ago. It was a set of stickers for his laptop. He had always given presents like this ever since they were young. Some little thing casually handed to the other on Christmas day, even before they got together and even after it could have been considered weird to get your best bro a gift for Christmas. He never wrapped the present because it seemed like unnecessary work to put something in paper that was just going to be ripped and discarded later.
But maybe Hiiragi has always wanted that.
In any case, there’s nothing that Shizusumi can do about it now. They planned on exchanging their gifts at midnight and there’s only two hours until then.
But…
Presentation doesn’t have to mean fancy wrapping.
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.
.
“Shizuuuu… Can I open my eyes now?” Hiiragi whines.
“Almost.”
“You said that like, two minutes ago!”
“Okay. You can open your eyes now.”
Hiiragi opens his eyes and is confused by his surroundings. He cranes his head to look around him and, sure enough, arranged meticulously in a series of rings around his position cross-legged on the bedroom floor are stickers.
Hiiragi looks at Shizusumi, “Shizu, what…?”
“I…” Shizusumi uses a finger to push a sticker on the outermost ring out of its position, “got you stickers.”
“Yeah, but,” Hiiragi starts picking up the stickers closest to him, “Why didn’t you just hand them to me?”
“You were the one that said ‘half the present is the presentation’,” Shizusumi grumbles, embarrassment visible on his face (well, visible to people that have known him for years and can read him properly.)
“Shizu, oh my god,” Hiiragi laughs, setting down the stickers he was collecting in favor of climbing into his boyfriend’s lap.
“What.” Shizusumi deadpans.
“Nothing,” Hiiragi takes a moment to suppress his giggles, “Nothing, Shizu. It’s perfect, thank you.”
Shizusumi begins to wrap his arms around Hiiragi's waist when his boyfriend suddenly stands up.
“Okay! Let me get my present now!”
Shizusumi drags a hand down his face at the rigid cockblock.
This is exactly why I said I didn’t want anything.
#6 : Do This When They Say, “I Have Everything I Need”
God, Hiiragi hated Shizusumi.
Now, you may be thinking ‘Hiiragi, Shizusumi is your boyfriend! You can’t really hate him!’ But you would be wrong. Sure, Hiiragi loves his boyfriend, but love and hate aren’t exclusive feelings!
Hiiragi can practically hear Mafuyu saying that you can’t love someone you hate but what does he know!
“I bet Uenoyama tells Mafuyu what he wants for Christmas,” Hiiragi grumbles under his breath while tuning his bass.
Honestly! They’ve been dating for a while now, and he’s known Shizu-chan since childhood! You’d think that something as simple as a Christmas gift wouldn’t be some grand secret between them.
Granted, Hiiragi had never asked a question like this before. But that was before they were together! Back then, Hiiragi could take a shitty magnet he won at the arcade and give it to Shizu for Christmas and it would be like Hiiragi gave him a million dollars. So is it so bad that Hiiragi wanted to be better this time? To do something nice for his boyfriend for once?
Apparently so, since when Hiiragi asked what Shizusumi wanted for Christmas, he said, “I don’t want anything.”
Of course, Hiiragi asked why, but Shizu only replied, “Because I have everything I need.”
That’s not a real answer! No person is that satisfied with life! Who does that asshole think he is? Buddha?
So, Hiiragi did what any sane person would do and went to the internet. Unfortunately, all the articles he could find were trying to sell him stuff. And the one article that wasn’t an ad was telling him that all Shizu really wanted was to spend time with the people he loved. What a load of garbage!
This left Hiiragi no choice but to utilize his last resort.
“Hey, Mom, what do you get when someone says that they don’t want anything for Christmas?”
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.
.
“Here you go! Unwrap it!” Hiiragi says, pushing the wrapped package into Shizu’s hands.
“Hiiragi,” Shizu sighs, “I said I didn’t want anything.”
“And I got you something anyway,” Hiiragi pouts, “Now open it or I’ll never spend Christmas here again.”
Shizu rolls his eyes while ripping the wrapping paper, “We both know that’s a bluff.”
“Yet, here you are, opening the present,” Hiiragi teases, “Do you like it?”
Shizusumi pauses upon seeing his present, “You got me socks.”
“Mhm! Now answer my question.” Hiiragi demands.
“Thank you. I’ll wear them every day.” Shizusumi promises.
“What? No, dude, that’s gross. Wash them every once in a while, ew.”
“Nope. You got me a gift against my will and now you have to deal with the consequences.”
#7 : Always Buy the Best
“What do you mean I have to get them gifts for Christmas?”
Ugetsu’s manager nervously adjusts his glasses and flips a page in his planner, “Well, in the states, Christmas is a holiday for showing people that they’re appreciated.”
“In Japan, we give gifts to people that we’re dating and last I checked, I’m not dating the whole orchestra!” Ugetsu retorts.
“I understand,” his manager placates, “But you are performing with the New York Philharmonic in New York and it is customary to bring gifts to the last concert of the year!”
Ugetsu suppresses an eye roll, “Fine. What kind of gift?”
His manager smiles, relieved that the violinist won’t argue any further, “Oh, just something small! Like chocolates or candles!”
“Those sound like couples gifts,” Ugetsu grimaces.
“Fine! Choose something on your own!” The manager exclaims exasperatedly, “I have a meeting to get to, just make sure to bring the gifts to the concert.”
.
.
.
“Thank you, Mr. Murata. But, um, Mr. Murata, not that I’m ungrateful for this gift, but…” The conductor stares down at the diamond-encrusted fountain pen, “... This gift seems a bit expensive for you to buy almost a hundred of.”
Ugetsu laughs, “Well, sir, I thought you of all people would agree to never settle for less than the best.”
#8 : Give Gifts that Keep on Giving
“C’mon, Mafuyu! Everyone’s waiting for us at the New Year celebrations!”
“I’m coming!” Mafuyu calls over his shoulder to Ritsuka.
Mafuyu grabs his phone, keys, and wallet and heads for his bedroom door. His hand reflexively reaches for the guitar case by the door before remembering that today is about having fun ringing in the New Year, toasting to new beginnings. Maybe, just for today, he should leave the past behind and look towards the future.
Mafuyu casts one last look at the instrument case, the worst and best thing he was ever given.
“Thank you, Yuki. See you later.”