Work Text:
Nico stared at the ceiling in her pink and white colored bedroom.
Across the hall of their small apartment, she heard the snores of her three siblings, all crowded together into their single shared bedroom. As much of a handful as they could be, hearing them meant that they were safe. She felt comforted.
Yet, despite the familiar atmosphere, Nico couldn't help but dread what the morning had in store for her and her family.
She flipped open her phone. 22:31, 24 December.
Tomorrow was Christmas.
Christmas never brought the joy it promised for her family. Ever since her father died, the presents underneath the Christmas tree for her and her siblings dried up to naught. Only on special occasions, when her mother happened upon a raise or she got lucky with her expenses that month, were there gifts for the kids, but never any for Nico.
Nico was too old for gifts, after all. And anything she got was one less gift that could've gone to her younger siblings who deserved the world.
She was ok with that. She loved her siblings with all her heart, after all.
Nico closed her phone and rolled over in hopes of getting some sleep.
....
*bzzt*
A phone call.
"At this hour... who could it be?"
Nico haphazardly picked up her phone and noticed who was calling.
"Maki, what the hell are you calling me this late for?"
The first thing Nico heard was the sound of the wind, muffled but still audible through the phone speaker.
"Nico-chan, um... I'm at your apartment. Can you let me in?"
"Ehhh? What are you doing here at this hour?"
"Just let me in and I'll explain! I need some help carrying things in."
Nico hung up the phone and sat up in her bed.
"What the hell is she up to..."
Nico grumpily got up out of bed and walked over to the front door. Out of habit, she still made sure to open the door quietly to not wake her siblings up.
"Maki, it's so cold outside! Why are you-"
Nico's words got caught in her mouth as she audibly gasped.
Before her stood Maki, but what caught her attention was the pull cart full of wrapped gifts. Festively wrapped boxes populated the cart with small bows on the top with a tag attached. Nico read the names on the gifts.
Cotaro.
Cocoa.
Cocoro.
Nico.
"Hey Nico-chan... um, Santa-san asked me to help bring you some presents this year so... here they are."
Nico couldn't speak.
Was Maki doing this out of pity? Was this some sick joke?
She felt a flash of anger bubble up in her but then she looked up at Maki's face and saw her wide, innocent eyes.
Those deep, purple eyes gazed back at Nico with a look of soft excitement. Then she saw the little Santa hat she had on.
And just like that, those eyes, those darned eyes, had disarmed her anger.
"I have the presents with me, if you want to- Bweh!"
Nico leaped forward and pulled Maki into a deep embrace.
"Nico-chan, are you ok?" Maki felt Nico's dainty hands trembling against her back.
"You... you idiot..."
Maki sighed and wrapped her arms around Nico, letting her senpai get her emotions out.
----
Nico and Maki sat next to the modest plastic Christmas tree in the Yazawa family living room. Making sure not to wake up the rest of the family, the two laid out an impressive looking gift array under the tree. Small gifts sat next to big gifts. Nico had never seen a tree so full of life before.
Nico didn't have the willpower for retorts or snarkiness at this point.
"Maki... how could I ever repay you for this?"
"Santa-san told me that you and your family were on your best behavior this year, so there's no need for repayment. Santa-san knows everything, after all!"
Maki-chan blushed and looked away from Nico for a second.
"And... you've been a really good friend to me too, so I think he's right."
Nico smiled. She smiled the widest smile that she had ever felt. Bigger than the shining, perfect smiles she could pull off on stage on command. This smile was completely uninhibited, the kind of big dorky smile that deserved to be photographed and framed and put on a wall of precious family photos.
"Thanks, Maki. Cocoa, Cotaro, and Cocoro are gonna be so excited."
Nico instinctively reached her hand out and pulled Maki's hand into her grasp.
In the dark living room, the two basked in the warmth of the Christmas Spirit.