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A truly dad-like sneeze rocked the walls of the small apartment as Kiryu sat down to reach for the box of tissues next to his bedspread.
Empty.
“Haruka?” He called out, voice nasal from being so congested.
She came running from the kitchen with a handful of tissues. Her hand was so small on his forehead, it made a wave of guilt wash over Kiryu instantly. This was Haruka's first Christmas since last year, the anniversary of her mothers passing, and Kiryu couldn't even cheer her up, because he had the worst flu he probably ever had in his life.
“Uncle Kaz, you are burning up!” she said, taking her hand away and going back to the kitchen to put cold water on a towel.
“I'm okay,” he said, even though the cold rag on his forehead felt like heaven for a moment.
“No you're not,” Haruka huffed, her little hands on his cheeks now, squishing. She was making such a serious face that Kiryu couldn't argue. Sometimes he felt like Haruka was so much more capable than he was at normal things.
“You’re right,” he sighed, sniffling. “I'm pretty sure I have a fever. Could you get me some medicine? I'll feel better once it goes down and we can get started on dinner.”
“On it. Just stay here. Tuck in! Stop moving!”
Kiryu smiled, letting Haruka pull the covers all the way up to his nose, before rushing off to the pharmacy.
As soon as she left, Kiryu reached for his phone, flipping through his few contacts to find what he was looking for. It rang only for a few seconds, before a familiar voice rang on the other end.
“Kiryu-chan? What's up? You never call me these days…” Majima drew out his words whinily.
“Nii-san–” a huge sneeze cut Kiryu off, “–can you do me a favour?”
“You sick or somethin’?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, ask away!”
Kiryu shifted a little to blow his nose. “It's Christmas and I didn't really realize until it was too late and I got sick…. Can I ask you to get something for Haruka? I want to try to cheer her up a little. She doesn't say it, but I know she is thinking about last year,” he said, voice growing softer at the last part. He hated to ask Majima to fix his mistake of not thinking about this sooner, but he cared too much about Haruka to be prideful right now. Besides, even if Majima didn't say anything, he knew he cared about her too.
“A little Christmas magic, huh? I’m on it!”
Kiryu could tell that Majima was grinning from the tone of his voice. It made him smile too, a huge weight off his shoulder.
He dozed off before Haruka came home and shook him awake with a cup of tea and medicine.
*
The sun had already set when there was an obnoxiously loud knock on the door. It jolted Kiryu awake again, who had been stuck in a feverish in-between state of dreaming and being awake for a while now, since Haruka had told him he wasn’t allowed to take medicine again for another hour.
Majima strutted through the door wearing a Santa costume that was way too big on him, falling off his bare shoulder to expose his tattoo in stark contrast to the bundle of Christmas lights he was carrying in his hand and the sack he was dragging behind himself.
“Yo Kiryu-chan, Haruka-chan!” he called out loudly, making Kiryu wince.
Haruka perked up from where she sat next to him with a cold towel in hand, running to the door.
“Uncle Majima?”
“Wrong! It’s Santa, obviously!” Majima smiled as he tossed everything in his hand on the kitchen counter. It made Haruka giggle, something Kiryu hadn't heard from her in a few days now. He couldn’t believe Majima actually came. He just wanted to make sure he had a gift for her, but it seemed like Majima’s plans were much grander, since he was already unfurling the lights he bought and Haruka was already sitting on his shoulders putting it up across the cabinets.
“You could get sick from Uncle Kaz,” she said, fixing the crooked Santa hat on top of Majima’s head.
“Santa doesn’t get sick,” Majima replied without missing a beat, quickly finding an outlet to plug the lights into.
Another giggle, contagious, making Kiryu finally at least sit up on his bedroll so he could watch them.
It was a lovely sight, in the strangest way. Seeing Haruka smile was worth every bit of property damage Majima was doing to this apartment by taping everything to the walls. Once they were done, it looked like the inside of a Don Quijote during December (minus the music), yet still, Kiryu couldn't stop smiling.
When he sneezed they both turned towards him.
“Jeez, Kiryu-chan, that’s brutal. Your nose is all red too. You could be my Rudolph!”
Kiryu rolled his eyes, before blowing his nose just as loudly. After Haruka hopped off Majima’s shoulder, they both joined him around the small table again.
“Santa’s got some food too. Everything on the menu of Wild Jackson,” Majima said as he opened the sack he was dragging behind himself earlier to take out multiple boxes of chicken wings and burgers with fries. Probably way too much food for three people. The bags were all shaken up too by Majima chucking them into the sack.
If Haruka didn't mind, Kiryu didn't either. She chatted to both of them about small things while Kiryu struggled to eat with his nose constantly running.
“Try the spicy sauce, it’ll clear ya right up,” Majima said through a mouthful of chicken.
It definitely helped at least a little. If anything, Haruka got another chuckle out of how red it turned Kiryu's whole face, while Majima made fun of him.
Kiryu never cared much about Christmas. At the orphanage it was hardly a notable day, so he grew up never caring to celebrate on his own. That was part of why he forgot all about it in the first place. But he wasn't alone anymore. There was someone entirely dependent on him, someone who needed this today more than anything. She looked so much happier with Majima-Santa wiping the sauce off her chin. Kiryu felt the looming clouds of what happened last year start to clear away from over his head too, even if just for tonight.
Majima slapped his knees once no one was touching the chicken anymore. “It's gifting time!” he announced, dragging the sack closer to take out something that was clearly wrapped by himself.
Kiryu was glad Nishida wasn't called in on Christmas for his favor…
“This one is for you Haru-chan, because you’ve been on the nice list all year!” Majima said, sliding the bigger package across the table. Haruka looked surprised, but her eyes were all wide with excitement as she started unwrapping.
“Woah!”
“Is that a sword???” Kiryu exclaimed, turning towards Majima, who only shrugged nonchalantly.
“It's all the rage with girls these days I heard!”
“It's so heavy… Haruka mumbled as she tried to pick it up by the handle.
Despite being sick, Kiryu immediately jumped from his seat. “Be careful! Oh my god…”
Haruka only giggled, swinging the sword around the room while Kiryu frantically tried to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself. He gave up quickly. Haruka could enjoy the sword under supervision…just because it was Christmas.
“Let her play! It's your turn now, Kiryu-chan. Even though you’ve been pretty naughty, you still get a gift.”
Majima dug through his sack again to take out a smaller box, packaged similarly poorly in colorful wrapping paper. He slid it across the table, leaning over it while he waited for Kiryu to unwrap his package.
The wrapping paper revealed a simple black box, so Kiryu carefully lifted the lid. He couldn't imagine what Majima dressed like Santa could have gotten him as a gift. Especially after calling him naughty.
Inside lay a tanto, much like Majima's own, except for the handles motif. Instead of delicate petals, there was a snake curled around the base, holding it tightly, as if it was saying. “I have you. I'll protect you.”
At first Kiryu didn't know what to say. He lifted the weapon up to inspect it closer for a moment. “Thank you, Nii-san. That's really nice.”
“Thank Santa,” Majima grinned, though he seemed softer now, Santa hat discarded somewhere as he scooted a little closer to Kiryu while Haruka happily swung the sword around.
Kiryu couldn't help himself, from the fever perhaps, but he leaned closer too, until their faces were so close he could almost feel Majima's goatee tickling his face.
He parted his lips slowly, breathing in and then…
“Achoo–!”
Majima recoiled, wiping his face in disgust.
“Sorry! So sorry…” Kiryu apologized, quickly turning around to blow his nose.
“Did you sneeze on Uncle Majima?” Haruka asked, covering her face as she laughed.
“He sure did,” Majima grumbled. “On the naughty list now for next year already.”
“I said I was sorry! I can't stop…” Kiryu said, laying his head on the table in defeat.
After clearing up the takeout boxes they ended up playing card games. Majima had bought hot chocolate and Kiryu watched Haruka help him make it properly, once again his heart swelling in his chest from the sight. Seeing Haruka at ease was everything to him.
The evening passed by so fast, the ache from being sick slowly fading into the background as the pile of used tissues grew next to Kiryu.
Haruka was barely keeping her eyes open, demanding one more round, just so she could beat Majima once again, who would dramatically cry and tease her for cheating.
“Last one, okay? It's getting really late,” Kiryu said, placing his hand on Haruka's head affectionately. She nodded, focused on shuffling the deck.
“Alright. Uncle Kaz, you have to sleep too, otherwise you'll never get better.”
“I know I know…”
*
By the time Haruka was fast asleep, tucked in on her bedroll, Kiryu was half-dozing off again from medicine. He carefully stood to walk Majima out, closing the door behind them.
“Thank you,” he said, reaching for Majima's hand to keep him a little longer.
“You don't have to thank me at all, it was nothing,” Majima waved his hand dismissively, putting the Santa hat back on. Kiryu couldn't tell if it was because it was chilly, or if it simply grew on him.
It definitely grew on Kiryu…
“I mean it. I haven't heard Haruka laugh in days, but she had such a good time tonight… I should have specified no weapons when asking you to get a gift though,” he said, still clutching Majima's hand in his.
Majima smiled, relaxing his shoulders and taking a step back towards the door. “You still don't have to thank me. I know what it's like. And she loved the sword, so you don't get to complain!”
“I didn't get you anything…” Kiryu said, frowning at himself. He was so horrible at this, he couldn't even blame it on the sickness. Would he have gotten Majima a gift even if he felt better?
Majima shrugged. “Don't beat yourself up over it, Kiryu-chan. I had fun with you two. Plus maybe—” he started, leaning a little closer, just like at the table before. “Maybe you can still get me a little something.”
“I can do that,” Kiryu hummed, closing his eyes.
“Wait–”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to sneeze in my face again?”
“No!”
Majima's chuckle was sharp like ice, yet Kiryu felt warmed all the way to his core from the closeness, the fake white fur of the costume ticking his neck.
Finally, Majima pressed his lips against his and Kiryu didn't sneeze. He leaned against the door, pulling Majima closer to him by the lapels of his jacket, dragging the moment out for as long as he could.
“I kinda like this,” he chuckled once they pulled apart to breathe, tugging at the Santa costume.
“You do, huh? Well if you get a break from being a busy father you could pay Santa a little visit in his workshop,” Majima said, with what Kiryu assumed was a wink and not just a very long blink.
“I will. I'll see you around, Nii-san. Thank you again.”
After another parting kiss, Majima strolled off with the empty sack hanging off his shoulder and Kiryu returned to the warmth of the apartment.
He left the Christmas lights on, casting the room in a warm glow. Haruka was still asleep, clutching the blanket tightly in her hands. Gently, Kiryu swept the hair away from her face, pulling the blanket all the way up to her neck.
“Sleep well,” he whispered before tucking in himself, holding in the sneeze twisting his nose to not wake her up.
It was all peaceful and quiet, Kiryu’s limbs slowly getting heavy with sleep, until Haruka’s tiny voice broke the silence all of a sudden…
“You too Uncle Kaz. You do know that it's okay to kiss in front of me, right?”