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Trembling fingers clutched the box in his coat pocket. It was almost a nervous tic at this point, his restless fingers fondled the gift to make sure it was still where it was supposed to be. Adachi had spent much more time than he'd like to admit on the gift, studying online catalogues for just the right shape, color, and price. Finally, two months ago he had found exactly what he was looking for. The company had even managed to do the personalized engraving he wanted so desperately. It had all worked out just in time to get him the gift the evening before, barely making it for their special Christmas Eve date.
He was honestly relieved that Kurosawa's obsessive nature had rubbed off on him a little. Otherwise he would have had to get something less meaningful. And, it being the first Christmas after they had gotten married, he had wanted to give his husband something truly special. The gift was exactly what he had imagined it would be, and he could only imagine the look in Kurosawa's eyes onced he opened the gift and had it in his hands. He just had to hope that Kurosawa would be happy to recieve it. Not that he was that worried about it. Kurosawa was a little too enthusiastic about gifts from him sometimes, even if it was something as simple as a pen.
"What did you think of the set meal?" Kurosawa asked as they left the restaurant. "I know we don't usually go out like this for holidays, but I wanted us to try it at least once. Just so you could experience it…"
Adachi smiled, touching the box once again to make sure it hadn't managed to spontaneously combust or something as they made their way outside. With his luck, he wouldn't have been surprised. "The sauce with the asparagus was delicious," he agreed. "Everything was good, but I'd never had anything like that before."
"The hollandaise sauce?" Kurosawa said thoughtfully. "I haven't actually tried it myself, but I'm sure I could learn to make it if you like it so much. It's good in some breakfast menus too."
There he went again, taking a small comment and running off with it so he could make Adachi happy. It was a part of Kurosawa that he liked quite a bit. Adored even. He was always so willing to give his all just to put a smile on Adachi's face. Who could ask for a better, more attentive partner? He had clearly won the jackpot when it came to relationships. It was something he would never take for granted. Ever.
"Maybe we can learn how to make it together? I'd like to do a bit more of the cooking at home."
Kurosawa's face lit up with a brilliant smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners in the way Adachi loved most. "We could take some classes together next year! Or would you rather try at home, just the two of us?"
"A class might be fun," Adachi admitted, imagining working together at a small kitchen station, almost as if they were back in a home ec class. The only downside to a public class would be all the women that would hit on his partner. That part didn't sound particularly appealing. "Maybe we should just learn together at home…"
Gloved fingers found his and threaded their hands together. Kurosawa brought his hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the chilled fingers. "I don't want to share you with anyone else either," he said in a low, sultry voice. The kind of voice that sent chills through Adachi and brought a soft sigh from his lips.
That wasn't fair. They were out in public, for crying out loud!
"How far away is our hotel?" Adachi asked as evenly as he could manage. Kurosawa had arranged a suite for them as his Christmas gift, and Adachi had a need to get there quickly. And not just so he could kiss his husband in the privacy of their room.
He wanted to be alone together so he could hand over his gift. He had considered doing it in the restaurant, but it had been filled to the brim with couples on dates and the mood hadn't been intimate enough for him to hand the box over. His fingers couldn't help reaching for it one more time, now that it was finally almost time to present it. The cool, smooth curves and the metal clasp comforted him. Soon he would get to hand over the gift he had been planning for months! It was almost time.
Kurosawa chuckled and squeezed Adachi's hand in his. "It's just up the street another block. Don't worry, we'll be there soon."
~*~
Two hours later, as Adachi rested his head against Kurosawa's broad chest, the thought of the gift still sitting in his coat pocket brought him back to the purpose of their date night. While Kurosawa's gift of the hotel suite had been nice (very nice), there was still one important gift left to give. So, he pulled himself out of the spacious hotel bed and dug into his coat pocket. The box was still there, wrapped prettily in a red ribbon and looking perfect enough to hand over.
"I know you paid for dinner and the hotel," Adachi said as he sat on the edge of the bed, "and I know you said you didn't really want anything in return. But I wanted to get you something too. Something you could have with you every day."
Kurosawa sat up then, looking down at the box clutched tightly in Adachi's hand. "You really didn't have to. Having you with me is gift enough…"
Adachi rolled his eyes and placed the box in Kurosawa's lap. "I'm going to ignore that. Please just open your present."
The pretty red ribbon was rubbed between Kurosawa's thumb and forefinger as he looked down at the box. Adachi could see the constant stream of ever changing emotions on his face as he hesitated to open the gift. Knowing him, he really did think that Adachi just going out on this date with him was gift enough and anything else was too much. But, he was probably also a little overwhelmed to think that his partner had taken the time to find him something that he could carry with him on a daily basis. It was sweet, but Adachi was eager to see his reaction to more than just the box.
With a trembling breath, Kurosawa pulled the ribbon and freed the box. The little metal clasp opened easily at his touch, revealing a silver tie clip with a small aquamarine stone set into one end. It was classy and deceptively simple, but he had put a lot of thought into it.
"A tie pin?" Kurosawa asked quietly as he moved a finger to touch the aquamarine. "It's pretty."
A flush deepened Adachi's cheeks as he moved a shaking hand to point to the stone. "The aquamarine is my birthstone. I wanted you to be able to have a reminder of me whenever you wear it. And… well, no one at the office would guess that's what it means."
Tears gathered in Kurosawa's eyes as he looked at the small silver pin. When he rubbed his thumb over the stone, the tears trickled down his cheeks. He tried to open his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. He was speechless.
"And uh…" Adachi pulled the pin from the box and flipped it over, revealing the backside. In tiny kanji and hiragana, there was an inscription almost too small to read, but Adachi whispered the words in his husband's ear. "The more we touch, the more I know your heart."
Arms wrapped around him, pulling him tight into Kurosawa's chest. Soft sobs ripped through the otherwise stillness of their hotel room as Kurosawa held him close and whispered over and over, "I'll wear it every day."
"Merry Christmas, Yuuichi," Adachi said softly, stroking Kurosawa's hair.
"Merry Christmas, Kiyoshi. Thank you. Thank you for everything."