Chapter Text
The sun was still out, light snow drifted across the streets, dusting the sidewalk in thin sheets of frost. On those sidewalks, was a particularly buzzing bee, skipping happily while humming a tune under his breath, not caring for the crunch sound underneath his thick boots. He held a small box, pressing it close to his chest. Cold air rushed past his face, his nose and cheeks red.
He stopped skipping and turned to the house right in front of him, not plain, but not overly decorated. Small lights hung from above the door, flashing the brown wood green and red. The buzzing bee skipped up the steps, knocking softly on the door.
With a soft click, the door opened. “Oh! Bachira,” the woman behind the door said. “Come, come, it must be freezing out there!”
“It’s okay!” Bachira said, rubbing his boots on the welcome mat to get rid of any snow, before making his way inside the house. Inside, he was hit by a wave of warmth and the soft yellow glow of the lights. “Are you making cookies, Mrs. Isagi?”
“Oh? You noticed?” Mrs. Isagi asked, gesturing for him to move to the kitchen. “You’re exactly right! Made them just for Christmas,” she said, walking to the kitchen aisle. “Why don’t you go to Yo-chan’s room? I’m sure he’s waiting for you, he’s been nervous all day!” She winked at him, before pointing to the stairs.
“Alright then! See you Mrs. Isagi!” He gave a cheerful wave before venturing on to the wooden stairs.
…
Alright, time to admit.
Bachira was nervous.
Crazy nervous.
Sure, he had met Isagi’s mother many times, and sure, he knew he was well liked by her and his father, but, this was the first time they’d hung out romantically.
He continued walking up the stairs in silence, only the sounds of it creaking there to accompany him. His heart was beating so fast, he could swear it would burst out of his chest. He walked down a long corridor, neatly decorated with picture frames and medals, before reaching Isagi’s room.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
“Hold on!” Said the all too familiar voice on the other side. “Give me a sec—”
He opened the door.
For a second, he and Isagi just stared at each other; Bachira couldn’t help but notice his messy hair and flushed face. “Meguru…” Isagi started, before being interrupted.
“Isagi, are you rushing to get somewhere?” Bachira laughed.
“I–what?” Isagi looked at Bachira confused, before realizing what he was talking about. “No! I just put on my hoodie! That’s all,” he reached his hand out to his hair, in an attempt to smoothen it. “It’s okay,” Bachira said again, waving his hand dismissively.
Then, silence again. Isagi shifted uncomfortably at the door, clearly not knowing what to do with the silence. “Hey, wanna come in?” He tilted his head to the inside of his room, all plain.
“Sure!”
Bachira stepped inside, taking sight of the room. He gazed at the thick stack of soccer magazines and books on the wooden dresser, then back at the plain white walls. “Where are all your posters?” He asked, eyes wandering around the room. “Oh? My Noel Noa ones?”
“Yeah, those.”
“I took those down,” he shook his head. “After the Neo Egoist League earlier this year…”
He didn’t need to continue. “Oh, I get it.”
“You do?” Isagi lifted an eye brow. He walked over to his bed and sat on it, patting the spot next to him for Bachira to sit. “Yeah! Of course,” Bachira started, walking over to Isagi. He sat on the bed, leaning back as he spoke, “it’s like the monster. But mean.”
“But mean?”
“Yeah, like…” Bachira stopped for a moment, looking up to the ceiling thoughtfully before continuing. “The monster wanted to awaken me for my own gain. Noel Noa wanted to awaken you to awaken Kaiser for his gain. Selfish monster.”
“Selfish monster…? That actually makes sense,” Isagi lifted his hand to his chin.
“Course it does!” Bachira giggled, now leaning onto Isagi.
Isagi, like an instinct, wrapped his arm around Bachira’s shoulders, pulling him closer.
“What’s that you got there?” He pointed to the neatly wrapped gift that Bachira still held.
“Oh! My gift for you!”
Bachira outstretched his arms with the gift, as Isagi took it.
“Early Christmas gift?”
Bachira nodded.
He carefully opened the blue and yellow wrapper, revealing a cardboard box. Opening it, he gasped. “Meguru…is this…?”
“Yup!” Bachira said, taking account of Isagi’s face.
“A Totoro figure!?”
Isagi practically jumped on Bachira, pulling them both down to the bed, yelling, “it’s adorable! How’d you know it’s my favorite movie?”
“Just a hunch,” Bachira put a finger to his lips and winked at him, “oh, and don’t forget the other thing in the box.”
“Another thing?” Isagi shook the box, causing three packs of sour gummies to fall out. “Meguru…holy shit. How’d you know?”
“I’m a psychic!”
“At this rate, I’m really gonna believe you are.” He stared at the Totoro figure, then back at Bachira, then back at the figure. He got up, and put the figure and gummies on his night stand, before falling back onto the bed. Again, he wrapped an arm around Bachira, facing the ceiling as he pulled him closer.
You could never really get enough of Bachira.
“Hey, Meguru…?” He turned to fully face Bachira, blue meeting yellow, as he spoke.
“Thanks.”
“Always, partner!” Bachira smiled back at him; laughter filled the not so plain room, now decorated with the colors of laughter and love as the two lay side by side together. Bachira shifted on Isagi’s arm, gazing at him like he hung the moon.
Outside, the snow gently fell down, painting roads and sidewalks and windows white, whilst the frigid air moved wispily. Inside, two lovers lay, warmth curled between them, carrying memories and secrets and stories that they hope will stand for eternity and after.
“Did something happen?” Isagi asked, seeing the look on Bachira’s face. Bachira didn’t answer, snuggling into Isagi’s warm embrace.
“Hey, Isagi?”
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas.”