Archive of Our Own

An slams her hands down on the table, cutlery clattering with the force of the impact. "Christmas."

Her… announcement, if it could be called that, makes all three of them jump; Akito curses under his breath, Kohane makes a frankly adorable little squeaking sound, and Toya almost spills his coffee as he jolts. An succeeds at her goal, at least– all three of them look up at her as the shock passes.

"…Yeah, it's almost Christmas," Akito deadpans, looking extremely unimpressed. "Why does that mean you have to give us all a heart attack?"

"Because!" An leans forward more from her position standing at the edge of the booth table, shooting Akito a glare. "I'm excited to spend Christmas with my partners. So-rry for being loud about it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get on with it."

"R-Right!" An's expression shifts; she looks oddly serious, the same way she does when they make big event decisions, excitement buried under a healthy dose of apprehension. She takes a breath, and continues. "Here. December twenty-second. Christmas gifts and sleepover date." Her eyes narrow, and she looks across the three of them. "Is that… okay."

There's a brief moment of quiet as the three of them process the information. Then, Akito sighs, exasperated. "You could'a just invited us normally, y'know."

"W-Well, yeah, but… I got ahead of myself, okay!?" She huffs, expression morphing into a pout. "Are you free or not, jeez."

"Twenty-second… yeah, should be fine on my end," Akito responds; though his voice and expression are nonchalant, Toya can see his excitement in the way he stretches unnecessarily, just to let out the energy. It's cute.

"Ah, I think I should be able to sleep over that night!"

Kohane's voice is much more chipper as she tugs her phone from her pocket; Toya can see her open her calendar app, themed with cute colours just like everything else she owns. "I'll double check with my parents later, but our family plans start on Christmas eve." She smiles, bright and open. "Thank you, An-chan!"

"Ehehe, no problem! Of course I want you three here for Christmas," An responds, finally beginning to lose the tension she seemed to have built up over the matter. She turns to look at Toya, expression eager. "So, Tou-chan, are we on? We can change the date if you can't make it—"

"No, that's perfect," Toya soothes, watching the way the three of them each perk up a little. "I'd love to spend some of my Christmas here, An-san."

"Yesss!" An beams, so bright it's almost blinding. She sighs, relieved. "Ahhh, I'm so glad!" Her tone morphs into one of full-hearted excitement– enthusiastic and animated, perfectly An. "You guys are gonna love me sooooo much, trust me."

"Like we don't already…" Akito mutters it so quietly it's almost inaudible, but Toya catches it– before he can comment, Akito forges on. "So, what've you got planned?"

"Secret!" An winks at him, exaggerated. He still blushes. "But you don't need to do anything special aside from bringing your presents. Just trust good ol' An to get everything organised!"

"I dunno if I trust you with any kinda organisation," Akito shoots back dryly; it draws a laugh from Toya and Kohane and an offended pout from An. After a second, he adds more quietly, "And… thanks, I guess."

Toya nods, feeling his lips rise. "Yes. Thank you, An-san. I'm very glad I'll get to spend a proper holiday night with you all." He'd been a little worried they'd miss out; all four of them have family plans surrounding the holiday, not to mention the stress of their upcoming trip to the U.S. and schoolwork due over the break. A Christmas sleepover feels like a luxury– Toya can already feel excitement beginning to build.

"Hehe, I'm glad too! I'm sooo excited to show you all," An starts to ramble. "I think you'll especially enjoy it, Toya– oh, we'll have the place to ourselves, too! I'm gonna make it super nice for you guys, promise."

She continues on, talking vaguely about her plans and how much fun they'll have together, but Toya finds himself zoning out after the first few sentences. It's not that he's not interested; quite the opposite, in fact.

He feels the smile on his lips grow as he thinks about it. The four of them, spending the night bundled in blankets and surrounded by Christmas decorations, exchanging gifts and drinking hot chocolate, celebrating the holiday and their love. It's the first time they'll be spending Christmas together the way they are now– as more than teammates– and though Toya doesn't read many romance novels, he knows that's considered a milestone for a relationship.

His mind begins to rush with ideas as excitement buzzes in his fingertips. He'll have to buy them all perfect gifts, of course, use the opportunity that is Christmas to show his partners just how much they mean to him. A giddy feeling builds in his chest, one he's starting to become familiar with– the thrill of new experiences with his most beloveds, and the adoration that comes with getting to do good for them.

Grinning, Toya exhales, clenching his fists in excitement. He's ready to do everything he can to celebrate the holiday properly. His partners have shown him love and kindness beyond what he ever could have dreamed of, and to pay them back—

He's going to give them all the best Christmas ever!

As it turns out, Toya may have set his sights too high.

He huffs in annoyance as he steps out of another shop empty-handed. It must have been well over an hour since he left the house, and despite the fact that he's trawled through every shop through Shibuya's streets he thinks could possibly carry items worthy of his goal, he hasn't made a single purchase. It's irritating– he knows the three of them better than he knows himself, and he can't find a gift for even one of them?

Spending so long searching the shelves has made his feet hurt, too. Thankfully, there are some benches nearby; Toya makes his way over and sits, gazing longingly at one of the decorative Christmas trees that have been set up around the plaza. It's not that he couldn't find anything– there was a Phennyland ornament set he's sure Kohane would love, and some sneakers from a brand he knows Akito has his eye on– but none of them feel quite right. There are plenty of things that remind Toya of his partners, they're his whole world, and he never hesitates to let them see it. He's bought An more accessories than he can count, wins plushie after plushie for Kohane, foots the bill for Akito's pancakes every time he's there to do so. He enjoys treating them.

It's because of that that these gifts need to be perfect. This is Christmas, their first Christmas spent together romantically, and Toya would hate for these gifts to simply blend in with the rest. This is a special occasion, and he needs to treat it as such.

…If only that weren't so difficult.

Toya blinks, dragging himself out of his head and tugging his phone from his pocket. It's only the twelfth, more than a week before their date, and yet that doesn't do anything to lighten the pressure he feels weighing on his mind. Logically, he knows that the three of them would be happy regardless of the quality of their gifts; they're just that sweet, always thanking and praising him. He wants– needs– to pay them back properly for that.

Toya sighs softly, tapping his phone and scanning over the time. Half-past seven in the evening. He hadn't registered all that time passing– he could have sworn it was five p.m. just a minute ago. His expression pinches as defeat crashes over him; so much time, and nothing to show for it.

Idly, he lets his gaze drift to the handful of notifications stacked up on the screen. A stream of messages from Vivid BAD SQUAD's group chat takes up most of the space, primarily filled with stickers from An; a reminder about his English homework due the upcoming Monday; a memory from his photos app, displaying a photo from this time last year—

Hm.

Toya taps on the photo. It's exactly what he remembers doing this time last year, something that he'd cherished, three smiling faces surrounded by sparkling decorations. An idea lights up in his head.

His fingernail taps against the side of his phone, considering. He doesn't want to bother anyone else with his problem, especially one so personal, but he really can't think of anyone more equipped to deal with such a dilemma. That, and spending hours wandering around in the winter evening has left him more than a little chilly– he's eager to get somewhere warm.

Shaking off the hesitation, Toya closes his photos and navigates to his contacts. It only takes a moment of scrolling his recents to find the person he's looking for; he opens it, smiling briefly at the newly-changed, Christmas-themed profile photo before hitting the call button. The phone barely gets through two rings before he picks up.

"Toya, good evening! To what do I owe the pleasure?!"

"Good evening, Tsukasa-senpai. I apologise for how sudden this is given the time, but would it be alright if I came over?"

He knocks on the door, and it swings open before he even blinks. "Toya! Welcome, little star!"

As always, Tsukasa's greeting is loud and bombastic, instantly beginning to fight off the chill set into Toya's body. His senpai grins, gesturing grandly to the hallway. "Please, come inside! Let's get you out of that cold!"

A smile blooming on his lips, Toya dips his head, stepping gratefully into the entryway as Tsukasa swings the door closed behind him. "Thank you, Tsukasa-senpai."

Tsukasa beams at him. The warm expression does just as much to ward off the cold as the house's heating; Toya keeps his eyes on his senpai as he toes his shoes off, not wanting to miss a moment of the performance. Tsukasa laughs, bright and genuine. "Of course, Toya! You are always more than welcome here."

"Still, I apologise for the short notice…" Toya pulls on his slippers– his, a pair the Tenmas always keep to one side, perfectly his size. "I hadn't meant to come here, but your house was closer than heading home myself, and I didn't realise how late it'd gotten. It's very cold out now."

Tsukasa hums, "Indeed it is… I'm glad you came here instead of staying out, Toya! I'd hate for you to catch a cold."

It's a simple sentiment, but the care in his senior's words makes Toya's chest feel fuzzy; the homely feeling is familiar, settling into his bones and wrapping around him in a comforting embrace. When Tsukasa's warm hand takes a hold of his own, Toya doesn't fight back, simply allowing himself to be half-dragged through to the main room.

When they arrive, a delicious scent floods Toya's senses; some kind of food, quickly reminding Toya that he hasn't eaten since lunch. Looking into the kitchen for the source of the aroma, he sees the Tenmas' father, pink hair tied into a tiny ponytail at the base of his neck. The man turns quickly the sound of their entry.

"Toya, good evening!" Lines crease on the man's face as he smiles widely, pulling a pair of glasses down from their resting place against his hair to look at Toya properly. "It's been a while, hasn't it? You look well!"

Instinctively, Toya leans into a small bow; he knows it's not something they've ever been bothered by, but he can't help the urge to be respectful still cemented in his head. "Hello, Tenma-san," he says, straightening again to meet the man's gaze with a softer smile. "I am doing well, thank you. And thank you for allowing me over so suddenly."

"Of course! You really don't need to ask, we're more than happy to have you." His voice is warm, entirely genuine; Toya can't help but notice that both his words and tone are almost identical to his son's, and a wider smile blooms on his face. The man turns back to the stove, "Your timing is perfect, too! I thought you might not have eaten if you'd been out, so I've reheated some stew from our own meal earlier! Wait just a moment, I only need to dish it up for you."

"Ah, you really didn't have to—"

Tsukasa interrupts him. "Have you eaten?"

"N-No…"

A hand lands on Toya's head, gently pushing into his hair and ruffling it side-to-side. "Then we did have to! You must eat properly, Toya!"

It's a conversation they've had plenty of times– though, lately, the frequency has decreased massively. Still, it makes Toya's heart warm. "Mhm. Thank you, Tenma-san, Tsukasa-senpai."

"Of course!" Tenma-san turns from the kitchen, placing a bowl and a spoon on the table and pushing it forwards. "I hope it's to your liking, Toya. It's hot, so be careful."

Toya nods and picks up the bowl, appreciating the warmth against his hands. The food looks and smells delicious; a rich aroma drifts up to his face, the vegetables and meat in the broth all looking to be perfectly cooked. "Thank you very much."

"Of course!" The man leans over the counter, patting Toya's head. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, our Saki would like to see you upstairs."

Toya blinks– he hadn't known anything about that. "Hm?"

"Yes, she would!" Tsukasa grabs the spoon from the table, then turns to Toya, leading him towards the stairs. "She'd like your help with something, if you don't mind."

Toya nods, curious. He takes the stairs slowly– he'd hate to spill the food that was made for him so kindly– but the two of them arrive outside Saki's room soon enough, the door decorated with stickers and a colourful sign of her name. Tsukasa knocks (though with how boisterous his voice is, it isn't very necessary). "Sakiii! May we come in?"

Muffled footsteps thump behind the door for a second before it swings open. Saki's eyes land on Toya, and she beams, expression just like her brother's. "Toya-kun, hi!"

"Hello, Saki-san," Toya replies, feeling his own lips curl into a wider smile. "I was told you need a favour from me."

"I do! Come in, come in!"

She holds the door open, letting Toya and Tsukasa walk in. Her room is tidy enough, but the bed is strewn with clutter: Christmas decorations. Mainly tinsel, alongside some hanging ornaments. Some decorations are already placed around the room– string lights wrapped around the bedframe, a miniature Christmas tree on the desk, four festive Phenny figures lined neatly on the vanity.

"Sorry about the mess," Saki says quickly, pushing some of the loose decorations to the side to make room on the bed. "You can sit at my desk to eat, Toya-kun!"

"Thank you." He makes his way over to the desk, pushing a manuscript book aside and placing down his bowl before sitting down. He turns the chair to face the bed more. "What is it you needed my help with?"

"This!" She grabs some of the tinsel, brandishing it with a wide smile. "I wanna put some around the walls, but me and Onii-chan are both too short… curse Dad's genes!" With that last part, she pulls on the tinsel in mock-frustration.

Toya nods, laughing softly at her theatrics. "Of course. I can do that."

He gets the expected beam and eager thanks from Saki, and she swiftly launches into a ramble about her decorations. The Phennies were given to her by Emu, remarking that the colours matched she and her bandmates, she's decorating for their own Christmas sleepover later this month; on and on she goes, Tsukasa chipping in with his own commentary and ideas. Their voices, paired with the warm food and heated room, send Toya into something of a stupor– it's not particularly unusual, but stepping into such overwhelming comfort amid his stress about the gifts feels like a soothing relief, and he can't help zoning out as he embraces it. The feeling is sweetly, lovingly familiar, and he can't get enough.

"…Toya-kuuun!"

"Ah–?" He looks up sharply, breaking out of the mild daze; Saki and Tsukasa are both smiling at him, clearly amused. He exhales a small laugh, "Apologies, I zoned out. What were you saying?"

"Hehe, I wanna know what you're doing for Christmas, silly! It's not fair if I'm the only one rambling," Saki teases gently. "Right, Onii-chan?"

"Mm, mm! Do tell us, Toya!"

"Ah, well…" A little of the stress from earlier in the evening resurfaces as Toya thinks of his plans– technically, what brought him here. "I'm spending Christmas morning with my parents before I come here. I'm going to try to help my mother make the cookies."

"That sounds fun!" Saki exclaims, eyes alight with joy; Toya knows, it makes both she and Tsukasa happy that he's able to relax more at home now. "You'd better bring some for us too!"

Toya laughs, "Of course, of course…"

"And what about your partners? The four of you must have plans together!"

Tsukasa has an impressive lack of intuition, for someone so supportive. He continues to beam, even as Toya feels himself wilt a little at the statement. He swallows, "Ah, yes… I was hoping I could get some advice from you about that, actually."

Saki and Tsukasa both perk up at that, proclaiming a chorus of "Anything for you, little star!" and "We'll do our best, Toya-kun!" The matching expressions are enough to make Toya smile again, exhaling a soft chuckle. It really is sweet how similar they are.

"Well," he starts, "As you know, this will be the first Christmas the four of us are spending together since we became… romantically involved. We'll be having a sleepover at An-san's a few days before Christmas to exchange our gifts and have our own celebration, since we're all spending the day with our families." Toya glances down, mildly embarrassed by the rest of what he has to say; he doesn't hold any shame for his love, and he knows Saki and Tsukasa would never make fun of him, but it's still flustering to have to lay it all out verbally like this. Still, he continues. "Since this is our first Christmas together, I really want to do the best I can to make it special. I care about all three of them a great deal and want to make sure my gratitude is clear in the gifts I give. But that's proving to be… more difficult than I imagined."

His siblings both hum as Toya finishes speaking, once again wearing matching contemplative expressions. Saki pipes up, "So it's just the gifts you're having trouble with?"

Toya nods. He feels awfully silly for being this stressed when it's said so plainly. "It doesn't feel right to just… buy them something. I do that all the time. This should be special, shouldn't it?"

"Well, yes… but I don't think you need worry so much, Toya!" Tsukasa's voice is as bold and confident as it usually is, enough to revive a little confidence in Toya himself. "You're an incredibly earnest individual, Toya. No matter what gifts you get, I'm sure that Akito, Shiraishi, and Azusawa will understand the feelings behind them!" His voice softens; a little less grand, and a little more caring. "There's no need to work yourself up. I know they'd hate for you to worry this much."

Saki nods at her brother's side, gaze warm. "Yeah! You don't need some super special present to show you care. Spending time with them is most important!"

…Their words are reassuring. Still, Toya can't help exhaling a soft sigh; he knows that none of his partners are so materialistic to be that bothered by something like a Christmas present, and yet the desire to give them something special persists. Maybe it's selfish, but he really wants this to be memorable, to give something they can cherish as a truly romantic Christmas gift– the first of many, he hopes.

"It's… not so much that I think they'd mind a small gift. I know that us getting to spend the holiday together is what matters most," he explains, trying to untangle the feelings and sort them into words. "But I want to do something special. I want to give them something that they'll remember was from our first Christmas together, rather than just… another gift like I always do."

Saki and Tsukasa both nod with a matching thoughtful hum. Toya is glad, at least, that they aren't simply repeating the same advice, that his partners will be grateful regardless; they understand his need to express his love and gratitude appropriately. Even if it's a little sappy, these two are the last people who'd judge him for it– hell, Toya probably learned it from them.

"…Could you do more than one thing?"

Toya blinks himself out of his thoughts at the suggestion. He looks over at Saki, cocking his head curiously. "How so?"

"Well! You could buy them a gift like you would normally, 'cause everyone loves opening Christmas presents. But you could do something unique to show your feelings, too!" Saki smiles as she explains, in a way that makes Toya think she must be imagining her own bandmates. "You're probably not gonna be able to buy anything that would express your love how you want, so do something yourself alongside the gifts! That way, it can be something more personal to show them you care, but they'll still have a present to go with it. It works both ways!"

The explanation settles in Toya's mind. It makes sense, kind of… he hums, intrigued, "What sort of thing would I do?"

"You'll have to pick something that works for you! But you could write something, or perform something…"

Tsukasa nods emphatically, "Yes, yes! A performance is the perfect way to share one's feelings!" He puffs his chest out proudly with the exclamation– speaking from experience, clearly.

Toya nods, gaze falling down in thought. It would be a good solution; he can give them the gifts he had seen while out shopping, whilst still making sure they understand his feelings. He's always preferred being direct with these things (much to Akito's chagrin, given how often Toya flusters him with his words), and something personalised and homemade would allow him to do that. Paired with a material gift to associate the memory with, it sounds perfect.

Possibilities begin to crowd his brain. As much as he loves performing for his partners, there isn't much he could do there that they haven't done a hundred times before. Writing would be nice– tell them everything in words, and have the letters themselves as keepsakes– but he isn't sure he could lay it all out on a page given his difficulty with verbalising his emotions. To explain his feelings, show just how grateful he is for each of them, share the emotions bought on by their shared experiences…

An idea. Toya perks up, chest flickering with excitement.

"Tsukasa-senpai, could I stay here tonight?"

"This is really what we're having…?"

"Yup!" An turns to him, a grin on her face as she hits the confirm order button on her phone. "I can't believe you've never had KFC on Christmas, Toya, it's classic!"

"Mhm! My dad usually makes fried chicken at home, since the orders around the holidays are always so busy," Kohane says, leaning on An's side. "What do you normally eat for Christmas, Toya-kun?"

Casting his mind back to previous Christmases makes an odd feeling appear in Toya's chest. It can't overtake him, not when he's with his partners, but it's still there, and he pushes past it to speak. "Ah… my father and brothers usually attend special concerts around the holiday, so it might not be on Christmas day, but we try to have a nice dinner at some point." He thinks, "Usually… turkey, some vegetables, bread, soup, that sort of thing."

"Huh, so more western-style," Akito muses. Toya nods, "My parents have spent quite a few years in Europe during the holidays, so I suppose they picked it up there."

"That's cool!" An leans past Toya to look at Akito, smile bright on her face. "What about you, Akito?"

He shrugs, expression indifferent. "We don't really do Christmas stuff at mine. Mom gives me 'n Ena a couple thousand yen and says happy holidays, but that's it. Might have somethin' nice at new years, but we don't really have any big tradition."

"Aww that's so boring." An pouts, but only for a brief second; she's barely stopped smiling since the three of them arrived. "But I guess that can make it a first for both you and Toya! Vivid Christmas Squad, babyyy!"

Light laughter bubbles up between them at her enthusiasm, chasing away any lingering discomfort from thoughts of tense family holidays. Frankly, it's impossible to feel uncomfortable right now; An had spared no expense, setting up Weekend Garage's stage area to accommodate the four of them on a closed night. They're sitting in a nest of bundled blankets and pillows, on top of an inflatable futon to spare them the discomfort of the hard floor. Weekend Garage's holiday decorations illuminate the space with twinkling fairylights, glinting off of tinsel and baubles hung along the walls. Upon their arrival, An had giddily shown the three of them her first gift of the night, a digital wall projector; Toya has been told he has a lot of Christmas movies to catch up on.

It's already one of the most exciting Christmases of his life, and they've hardly even started celebrating.

Kohane hums, arms wrapped tight around An's beloved hamster plushie. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, rather than tied in her usual pigtails, and she's nearly drowning in the thick Christmas jumper An had forced them all into; it's painfully adorable. "What are we gonna do until the food arrives? It said it'd be about forty-five minutes, right?"

"Yup! So I was thinking we could start with a movie, or play a game," An says, crawling out of their nest over to a stack of small boxes set beside the stage console. "I have Uno, playing cards, trivia, and I can link the Switch up to the projector. Any takers?"

"Yeah, I'd rather not spend my Christmas getting smoked by Toya, thanks." Akito interrupts before anyone else can answer, expression deadpan (though there's humour hidden underneath). It takes a moment for Toya to break down the meaning– it isn't anything bad, Akito just has a tendency to get overly competitive and frustrated when they play those sorts of games– and he tries to suppress a smile as the understanding settles in his head.

Taking the present opportunity, Toya presses himself closer to his partner, leaning against Akito's shoulder and looking up at him through his lashes. He swallows, trying to keep his tone steady. "You dislike playing with me that much…?"

"Wh– oi!" Akito (gently) shoves him back, face flushing a pleasant shade of pink. "Don't look at me like that, you're the one who suddenly gains the soul of a fuckin' demon as soon as we deal cards!"

It takes a huge amount of effort for Toya to suppress his laughter– instead, forcing a pout. "I'm only trying to have fun… but it's alright if you don't want to play with me, Akito, I understand…"

The words make Akito groan, shoving his face into his hands– Toya can't help giggling, now. "Who the fuck taught you to be so manipulative," his partner laments, voice muffled into his palms.

"A side effect of being classmates with Akiyama, I suppose," Toya laughs, pressing himself to Akito's side once again. "I'm sorry, we don't have to play if you don't want to."

A long-suffering sigh escapes his partner in response (though it's rendered obsolete by the smile pulling at the corners of his lips). "No, we can, it's fine," he huffs, "just go easy on us, would ya'?"

Toya giggles. "I'll try."

"Aaalright then!" An smiles widely, pushing through the pile of games until she pulls out her Switch case. "As the host and also your girlfriend, I would like to request Switch Sports as our first game of the evening! We finally have the space down here to play it without breaking anything. And," she turns to Akito as a more mischievous grin settles on her face, "Toya won't smoke you this time."

"Oh, you're on."

Much to Akito's displeasure, he is still smoked.

He says it's unfair, that basketball primes An for these games a lot better than football, but she flaunts each victory regardless. The two of them work up a sweat competing so viciously. Meanwhile, Toya finds that he really isn't good at this; his coordination leaves a lot to be desired, and he ends up losing most of his matches. The two-on-two games are a bit more evenly matched– between An's prowess and Toya's lack thereof, they manage to just about equal Akito and Kohane's slightly-above-average scores. The most entertaining part of the games is getting to watch An and Akito compete, to be entirely honest.

Their meal arrives at a perfect time, just as all the waving around has started to tire Toya out. He goes to the door with An, helping her carry the assortment of red and white packaging back to the stage and smiling when she leaves an especially generous tip. Of course, dinner means it's time for a movie; whilst Toya begins divvying out the food with Akito and Kohane, An hooks her laptop up to the projector and begins searching through the streaming site.

"…Ta-da! My selected movie for tonight," An declares, gesturing at the wall. It's illuminated with the page for a film Toy hasn't heard of before: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

"…An."

She meets Akito's deadpan head-on, swinging around to glare at him indignantly. "Do not give me that! It's literally the perfect movie! It is Christmas, next month we are going to New York, and we will for sure get lost! Do not take this away from me!"

"Alright, alright," Akito mutters, "we can watch it, jeez."

"Thank youu~!" An pumps her fist in the air, triumphant. She begins navigating the play options for the movie, talking as she does. "Toya, I assume you haven't seen the first one, but it's not all that important. American kid gets left home alone on Christmas and some stupid old dudes try to rob his house so he booby-traps 'em and almost kills the guys. Also there's an old guy with a shovel." She clicks her tongue. "Shockingly violent for a family movie, to be honest."

That's… well. For 'not all that important', Toya feels like he's missed a lot of context. Perplexed, he turns to Kohane for further explanation; she just giggles gently, reaffirming that it's really not that important. Somehow.

As An selects the viewing options for the movie, Toya notices a menu to pick different audio dubs and subtitles. Upon realising the film is American, he perks up eagerly. "Can we watch it with the original audio? It'll be good listening practice for our trip, especially hearing different American accents. I've heard that New York has a very unique way of speaking."

This brings what might be the first agreement An and Akito have made all night. They turn to him with matching expressions, almost looking disgusted.

"Toya…"

"On Christmas…?"

He frowns– it really would be good preparation. In a bid for support, he turns again to Kohane, only to find himself met with a sympathetic smile and a placating pat on the arm. "Not tonight, Toya-kun," she says simply.

Disappointed, Toya nods, lamenting the missed opportunity. It would have been a perfect exercise, especially for Akito and An… he'll have to find them something else before their trip.

An clicks play on the movie after a few more seconds. She hops up to switch off the brighter set of Christmas lights, leaving them in a dim glow that reminds Toya of a cinema; the projector really does help, adding to the comforting atmosphere of the celebration as the opening credits begin to play. With An seated again, they finish sharing out the food, giving a quiet chorus of itadakimasu before they dig in to the meal.

The food ends up finished before the movie, shared between the paper boxes and buckets, the four of them reaching over and past each other for the food and sauces. It isn't Toya's favourite, and he easily eats the least out of the four of them, but there's something undeniably exciting about it regardless; eating from festively decorated fast food containers, watching An try to throw small pieces of chicken into Akito's open mouth, simply spending the holiday with his partners like this. It makes his heart buzz with affection.

They spend the remainder of the film cuddled close, the way they often are. An's nest is shockingly comfortable, and Toya ends up half-laid down between her legs as she plays with his hair, twisting it this way and that while Kohane is curled sweetly in Akito's lap. Blankets are draped across them, wrapping Toya in pleasant warmth– it would be stifling if he weren't so used to it by now.

Almost as soon as the credits start to roll, Toya feels An inhale behind him. "Sooo… gifts now?"

"You're like a little kid," Akito scoffs in response. An gasps, offended, "It's not a crime to be excited! Everyone has gifts, not just me!"

"Still. Impatient."

"And you're rude—"

Just as An starts shifting towards Akito, Kohane pipes up softly. "An-chan, Akito-kun, play nice," she says, her voice half-amused and half-placating– it's enough to draw a chuckle out of Toya. "We can do gifts now. Me and Toya-kun can go get them."

Toya blinks. It takes a moment (and far too much willpower) to move out of An's lap and away from the comfort of the blankets, assisted by Kohane taking his hand and pulling him up. Once he's steady on his feet, the two of them begin walking over to the table they'd all left their gift bags on. Kohane giggles at his side once they're out of earshot. "Akito-kun says An-chan acts like a child, but…"

At the words, Toya can't hold back his own fond hum. "They're just as bad as each other," he agrees, warmth igniting again as Kohane laughs. Their partners' bickering is incredibly amusing, and moreso, incredibly cute– he and Kohane have developed a shared fondness for listening to it, recognising the atypical expression of love for what it is.

He and Kohane take two bags each from the table– Toya, his own and Akito's, and Kohane hers and An's. The bag containing Akito's gifts is heavier than Toya expected, based on its size. Excitement flits around in his chest and fingers as they walk back over to the stage.

Thankfully, Akito and An haven't engaged in any further violence in the short minute they've been alone for; Toya exchanges an amused glance with Kohane before the two of them sit back down. They form a loose circle, and Akito speaks up as they hand the bags to their respective owners. "Okay, how are we gonna do this?"

Pulling his gifts from the bag, Toya hums, "We could go one at a time? Each of us open our gift from the same person, then move on to the next."

"Mhm, mhm!" An's excitement is obvious, pushing her gifts into the middle with a wide smile on her face. Not that Toya doesn't feel the same– his hands tap against his thighs in an attempt to regulate the energy, anticipation building in his chest. There's a small pile of gift packages in at the centre of their little circle once each bag has been emptied, wrapping paper glinting in the lights. An speaks again before anyone else can– her grin is audible. "Can we do mine first?"

No one objects, and An exclaims a bright "Yay!" before reaching in for her gifts. She takes a moment to read each label before passing them around; it's clearly some kind of clothing based on the weight and feel of the package, with the names written on a star-shaped tag. "You can all open them at the same time," An says once they're all handed out, practically vibrating with excitement.

Toya's fingers rush to pull at the tape as soon as she says it. He not-so-carefully pulls at the paper, unfolding it until he can see what's inside.

Fabric. A t-shirt. And printed on the front– a bold black arrow, pointing to the left, with the text my boyfriend written underneath.

Before he can voice his confusion, Akito's voice bursts out. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Toya looks over to his partner, mildly startled. Akito is holding a near-identical shirt, though the text on his reads my girlfriend. Turning the other way, he sees Kohane's; the same again. It's only when An pulls out a fourth shirt, printed with a simple me, that Toya understands.

His lips quirk up in amusement– it's certainly a gift An would buy. Akito doesn't seem to feel the same, though; his face is painted a vibrant red as he glowers at An, brows furrowed in such a way that Toya can't quite tell if it's due to anger or embarrassment. "You did fucking not."

"Ehee, I did!" Her voice is smug, triumphant, as if she's been waiting for this moment. "You can't say no. It's a Christmas gift from your girlfriend."

A deep-chested groan escapes Akito at the statement, and he drops the fabric to bury his face in his hands. "You're such a fuckin' asshole, An."

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure I am," she placates, looking entirely satisfied with herself as she brandishes her own shirt to pull it over her head. "Come on, we gotta take a photo!"

Toya laughs faintly as he and Kohane exchange another look– they wouldn't have expected a better reaction. Neither of them object to An's command, tugging the shirts on over their Christmas jumpers; to An's credit, they fit perfectly, just a little snug due to the excess layers. She must know all of their clothing sizes. (Sweet, Toya muses.)

It takes a little more cajoling on An's part to make Akito follow along, but he eventually relents, dragging the t-shirt on with a highly disgruntled look on his face. It's more than a little cute, especially when his hair ends up springing out of place after he pulls the collar down. With all four of them ready, An excitedly tugs them to their feet, manhandling them to stand side-by-side in a lineup; herself, then Kohane, then Akito, and finally Toya. An, her girlfriend, her boyfriend, and his boyfriend, as the shirts helpfully demonstrate.

Laughing giddily, she darts forward to place her phone on the stage console, switching the camera to selfie mode and starting a ten-second timer. "Come on, guys, smile!" she calls, taking Kohane's hand in her own; it prompts Kohane to grab Akito's, and understanding, Toya takes a hold of his other. Now they're all holding hands, and Akito can't cover his face.

With his free hand, Toya elects to hold up a peace sign. His wide smile isn't forced at all, and he can see the way An and Kohane are giggling as the timer clicks down to 1. The final photo is perfect; three matching smiles, and Akito's flustered scowl.

An giggles again as the screen flashes, running forward again to grab her phone and look at the photo. She grins at the result, quickly turning it to Kohane, who bursts into a bout of equally bright giggles. Toya squeezes Akito's hand before releasing it and stepping forward to view the photo himself; it is funny, his smile widening as laughter bubbles up from his chest and exacerbates the warmth there. Finally, Akito approaches. He looks over An's shoulder at the phone.

"…Fuck all of you."

An coos, turning to face him and throwing her arms over his shoulders. "Aww, we love you too, Aki," she hums, pressing a grinning kiss to his cheek. His blush visibly darkens.

An gleefully taps out something on her phone whilst the four of them sit back down, presumably sharing the photo with Mizuki or Haruka (thank god Akito doesn't catch on to that). As Toya settles himself back into the pillows, he notices something resting on the partially-crumpled wrapping paper; a keychain, he determines as he picks it up, with a small bottle of sparkling liquid and a figure of a white cartoon dog. A cutely-decorated label reads Pochacco.

Beside him, Kohane and Akito pick up similar keychains depicting different characters. At Kohane's sweet-sounding coo, An looks up, swiftly lighting up again; she digs a fourth keychain out of her pocket, brandishing it proudly, "I got us all matching Sanrio keychains! Mizuki helped me pick the characters 'cause I don't know very much."

"Can I guess that you picked Kohane's?" Akito's voice is fondly amused; the keychain in Kohane's hand appears to depict a hamster with a flower on its head, something An would gravitate to in an instant. Sure enough, she brightens further, exclaiming proudly, "That's the one that gave me the idea!"

Faint blush paints Kohane's cheeks as she giggles, shifting across to An to kiss her cheek and murmur her thanks. Naturally, Toya follows suit, gently combing his fingers through her silky hair. He lets his lips graze the corner of her own, feeling her face warm as he whispers, "Thank you, An-san. I'm so glad to have you."

She laughs– fond and mildly flustered. Her head turns so that their noses brush together. "Of course, Tou-chan."

A moment passes before they part. Toya shifts back into his space, watching Akito take his place; the two of them exchange hushed laughs, cheeks pink, the exasperation on Akito's face fading to a fonder smile as his facade drops. His tough-guy act gets less convincing by the day– the three of them have turned him soft, he complained once. Toya can't take any issue with it.

After a minute, they're all back in their own spots, An shaking off her fluster to ask eagerly, "Okay, who next?"

Toya, Akito, and Kohane look between each other briefly. None of them seem particularly impatient– Toya would rather leave his to the end, not mentioning his nerves– and so Akito steps up, half-raising his hand. "We can do mine, if that's cool."

"Yeaaah! Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

An's overexcited cheer draws laughter from all three of them. Akito shakes his head, trying to seem irritated but failing tremendously; "Like a little kid, see," he says fondly, grabbing her box from the pile and handing it over, then passing Toya and Kohane identically sized boxes. Again, Toya finds himself noting the weight; anticipation makes his fingers twitch once again as he thinks about what could be inside.

"You can just go ahead and open them," Akito says, voice careful as he rubs the back of his neck– a nervous habit. "'S nothin' special."

An rips into the paper instantly. Toya laughs softly at her enthusiasm before pulling at the tape on his own gift, eagerly unfolding the paper until a plain cardboard box is revealed. He glances up at Akito, and his partner nods. Open it.

Excitement makes Toya's movements a little jerky as he pulls at the tape sealing the top of the box. Once it's off, he unfolds the flaps, pulls away a piece of styrofoam, and uncovers the contents.

Toya feels his breath cut off and eyes widen as he lays his eyes on the gift.

Inside the box, tucked safely into more packaging, is a microphone. There are cables and plugs packed around it, but he pays no mind to identifying them all as he usually might; his gaze is focused entirely on the microphone, and he lifts it with careful hands.

It's wrapped in plastic, but even through it he can see the alluring shine of the metal, dark grey and clearly high-quality. A band of metallic blue wraps around the base of the mic, glinting under the dim lights. What catches his eye most, though, is the engraving; his name, romanised in silver letters above the coloured band. He turns the mic, carefully feeling the buttons, and finds an engraving of Vivid BAD SQUAD's logo on the opposite side.

Toya has handled a lot of musical equipment throughout his life. He knows, from the expertly carved wood of his violin to Nagi's perfect preserved microphone, just how much feeling can be imbued into not just the music itself, but the items used to create it.

Holding the microphone now, that's never been more clear.

He's broken out of his awe by Akito's voice– still in that self-conscious, nonchalant tone. "I thought, since we're goin' across to America, we'll need all our own equipment and adaptors… may as well get somethin' nice."

They remain in silence for another few moments. Kohane is the first to break out of it, still staring at her microphone. "Akito-kun…"

His eyes finally drift over to her, Toya ripping his own away from the mic as well. He watches Kohane carefully put the mic back in it's spot, close the box, and set it to the side, before all but launching herself at Akito.

"You're amazing, Akito-kun," she murmurs against his side, little hands curled into his t-shirt and jumper, cheek squished against his chest. Instantly, his face is alight with a dark blush, painted all the way down his neck and glowing on the tips of his ears. His eyes widen almost comically, hands jerking up and down as if unsure how to hold her, barking out a choked sound as embarrassment seizes him– it's cute.

Robbing him of any chance to recover from the fluster, An pipes up, an almost indignant expression on her face– though it's offset by her lips twitching towards a smile. "Yeah, what the hell! I get a joke gift and then you come out with that?!"

"I– I mean, it–," it takes a moment of flustered stumbling for Akito to even get the words out, "'s not, like– a huge deal or anything. 'S just… practical. No point gettin' all worked up."

"Don't downplay yourself, Aki." Toya finally breaks out of his lovestruck stupor, crawling forward to take his partner's face into his hands; he's been staring at his lap this whole time out of embarrassment, and that simply won't do. Akito meets his gaze– eyebrows upturned a little, he's adorable– and Toya smiles at him. "It's a wonderfully thoughtful gift. I love how practically-minded you are, and how singing binds us all together. It's perfect."

Another choked noise slips out of Akito's mouth as his blush (somehow) darkens further. He's only rendered less coherent as An follows her partners' lead, moving into Akito's personal space. He looks like he could overheat.

"Yeah, seriously," An insists, "how'd you even afford them? Equipment is expensive, man. You really love us that much?"

Akito manages to speak, even as An's last few words make him grunt again. "…Ken-san got me in touch," he forces out, voice a little hoarse with the effort it takes to keep it steady. "A-And managed to get me a discount too. 'S not all that impressive…"

"Yes it is, Aki-kun." Kohane's voice is almost cooing; she lifts herself from his chest to look at him properly, and Toya releases his grip on their boyfriend's cheeks just enough for him to look at her. "We all love them, you couldn't have done anything better for us."

"Yeah, I can't wait to use these. You have any idea how cool we'll look with matching branded mics?" An's voice is entirely sincere as she smiles at him, excitement twinkling in her eyes. "This is way better than I expected from you!"

"A-An—"

"I know, I know, I'm kidding." Her smile softens, taking one of Akito's hands to squeeze it softly. "Thank you, pancake."

Another of those choked noises comes out of him– usually, he'd respond to the petname with annoyance, but he's clearly far too flustered for that right now. Toya laughs softly, giving Akito's cheeks a gentle squeeze to redirect his partner's gaze back to him.

Their eyes meet. Affection squeezes Toya's chest, warm and comforting. "We love you, Aki. We're grateful. Accept it, okay?"

Toya keeps his gaze focused on Akito as the girls hum encouragingly at his sides. After a few long seconds, Akito finally moves– he hunches inward, hands coming up around Toya's to hide his face. He whines, muffled– "'S enough…"

At that, Toya finally releases his hold, another soft laugh escaping him. An and Kohane shift away, too, finally giving their boyfriend the space he needs to work through the emotion. The three of them can't help doing this every now and then; it's not that they enjoy seeing Akito suffer, but his flustered reactions are just so endearing, so cute. Watching him melt as soon as they pile affection on too thickly is unbelievably sweet, like syrup. It's far too heartwarming, too entertaining, to pass up– and it's important that he understands their affection, anyway.

A couple moments pass as Akito breathes, shaking off his fluster, before he finally lifts his head. He looks disgruntled, but the remaining pink on his cheeks makes it more cute than anything else. "You guys're… too much, fuckin' hell," he rasps, trying to sound irritated despite the light tremble in his voice. "Could'a just said thank you."

"We did, and then you started going on about how it's no big deal and it's just a practical gift, Mr. Tsundere," An says, her voice dipping into a poor imitation of Akito's, earning a real scowl from him as the embarrassment finally wears off.

"Regardless of whether you think it's a big deal, we're all very grateful, Akito-kun." Kohane's voice is sweet, and she leans up to fix Akito's jumper and t-shirt where they'd been tugged out of place by she and An. "We just wanted to show it properly."

Akito huffs softly, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he mutters, before a moment later, his voice softens into something smaller. "…Thanks, guys. Love ya'."

"Aww, Akiii~! We love you too, pancake!" An exclaims happily, once again throwing herself onto his side. This time, Akito fights back, gently shoving her off with a gruff, "Enough, alright?!"

Once again, Toya shares that look with Kohane– her affectionate little giggle is contagious, laughter tumbling out of him like it's the most natural thing in the world, like he never even struggled with it. It warms his heart to realise; expression has never come to him as easily as it does now, with his partners. It's impossible not to smile around them.

The four of them shift back to their respective places after a few more seconds, ready to continue with the remaining gifts (though a little red still lingers on Akito's cheeks). Kohane pipes up softly before Toya can, asking, "Um, can I hand out mine next? I'm getting nervous waiting so long…"

An's response is instant. (As usual, when it comes to Kohane.) "Heck yeah! I want a gift from cute Kohane-chan!"

"Oi, 's not your decision," Akito huffs, gently tossing a bit of crumpled wrapping paper at her before shifting his gaze to Toya. "That okay with you, partner?"

"Ah– yes. I don't mind going last, if Kohane-san doesn't want to." It does work out better given his plan, too, even if the excited nerves in his chest disagree.

"Thank you, Toya-kun," his girlfriend hums, leaning towards the remaining gifts to pick them out. Somehow, her wrapping paper is colour-coded– a blueish night sky for him, glittering cyan ornament patterns for An, and a cozy fireplace orange for Akito. "Um, they're all kinda the same thing, but it's unique for each of you. So just similar, I suppose. I hope you all like them!"

Her nerves are more evident now, fingers threaded together as she fidgets in her lap– Toya wishes he could lean over and kiss them away, sweet thing she is. He remembers he can do that, but before he gets there, An interrupts. "Yaayy! Present from Kohane!"

And with that, she's ripping into the paper, eagerly reaching into the package and pulling out its contents. She holds it up with a triumphant brandish– from Toya's angle, he sees the blank back cover of a ring-bound hardback book.

An's side, though, must have something more exciting. Her eyes widen with a gasp, which melts into a squeal, her knees bouncing as she looks between the book and her partner– Kohane giggles softly, moving to sit at her side.

"A– Ai-bu-kku," An reads slowly, sounding out what must be katakana on the cover. Again, Kohane giggles, her hand drifting onto the book and pointing.

"Ai-book," Kohane corrects, "a book of everything I love about my partner."

Briefly, An makes another kettle noise– it's cute, and another gentle laugh tumbles out of Kohane as she guides An's hand to open the book. Curious, Toya leans closer as they begin to flip through the pages together.

Though he can't see particularly well, it becomes clear what the book is. Each page is patched with photos, sticky notes, receipts and cut-outs. It's neat, as Kohane usually is, but filled with character nonetheless; stickers and writing fill the empty spaces, sparkly gel pen accenting each page, frames stuck or drawn around each photo. There's so much love in it– it's not Toya's gift, but his heart sings regardless.

"It's a diary of our entire partnership," Kohane explains softly, fondness colouring her voice. "Well, not exactly a diary, but it has as many photos of us as I could find, and it's all chronological. So that you always remember how grateful I am that you picked me as your partner."

Her hands move to turn the pages, flicking forward until she lands on a blank one. "The rest of the pages are for us to fill in together, or for you to add whatever you like." Kohane's voice quietens, tone a little more shy; the way she usually is when she's embarrassed like this. "I hope you like it, An-chan."

There's a brief moment of silence, then, whilst An simply stares at the book in awe for a few seconds. Toya knows, though– the quiet won't last.

"Ko– Kohaneeeeee!"

An practically dives onto her partner, arms around the smaller girl's shoulders and face hanging against her collarbones as a half-wail, half-squeal sound erupts from her. Kohane's reaction is just as typical; she yelps, flustered little noises mixed with trembling "An-chan"s, spilling from her lips as her cheeks glow pink. It's funny that she isn't completely used to this treatment yet.

"Kohaneee, you're so perfectttt," An laments, a smile stretching her lips, eyes squeezed shut with tears clumping in her lashes. She hugs her partner for an extra moment, squeezing extra tight and pulling a cute squeal from Kohane, then moves away to flick through the book again; she looks through the pages quickly, leg bouncing as she struggles to contain her glee. She babbles through faint tears, "This is so perfect, Kohane, what the hell, I love you so much, you're so—"

"A-An-chan, I get it–!"

"Still!" An turns again, eyes meeting Kohane's; half a second passes before they're tangled up again. "I-I love you. Thank you. I'll treasure this, okay?"

The hug is more cohesive, this time. Kohane is able to return it, her arms wrapped around An as they press close. "I-I'm glad," she says softly, voice still trembling a little. "I love you too."

A couple seconds pass as they hold each other, recovering from the overflow of emotions; Toya has always admired how expressive they both are, and that rings just as true now. Watching them fall apart in each other's arms only to be pieced back together, seeing how comfortable they are with one another, it warms his heart to no end. His own smile matches Akito's as they watch the display of love (sure, Akito pretends to hate how affectionate An can be, but at the end of the day he loves her just as much).

Finally, An and Kohane separate, both of them taking a grounding breath and sharing a giggle before turning back to the boys. "Alright, your turn, big guy!"

Akito jolts, cheeks pinkening ever so slightly at the nickname. "Wh– why me?!"

"'Cause I'm the host, and I said so," An responds– despite the reason (or rather, the lack thereof) Akito doesn't object, lifting his gift from his lap and examining it. It's smaller than An's, fitting in his hand as he turns it over to pull at the tape and unwrap it.

Out of the paper slips a wallet. It's leather, nice quality, a simple plain design with a star-shaped button buckle. Akito turns it, looks it over, feels the material. As he does, Kohane shifts from An's side to his; gently, her hand takes his own, guiding his fingers towards the button.

Obediently, Akito pulls at it, and it opens with a soft pop. The cover of the wallet folds upwards.

Out of it falls a stack of polaroids.

"I thought you probably wouldn't want something as showy as An-chan or Toya-kun," Kohane explains gently, a soft smile on her face as Akito's eyes widen and he picks up the photos. "I noticed your wallet was getting rough, so I thought this would be the nicest way to give you these. I hope you like them."

With slightly jerky movements, Akito begins to flick through the prints. Each is decorated with gel pen, dates and little messages of love written under the photos; one of Akito and An cuddled close as they nap in a café booth, a blurry image of the four of them caught up in post-show euphoria, a picture of Toya himself placing a flower crown onto a blushing Akito's head. A couple of the image don't even contain Akito himself, instead depicting his partners. There must be about twenty photos, each unique, with their own notes. Toya manages to read one from where he's sitting– I love your voice, Akito-kun. you're amazing, especially when we sing together. I could listen to it forever, written underneath a photo of Akito on stage in Weekend Garage, cheeks flushed with effort as he sings into a microphone. Kohane must have taken it in secret whilst he was practising. (She can be so mischievous when she wants to be.)

By the time Akito has finished looking through the photos, his cheeks are glowing red again, expression pinched in the way it always is when he's flustered. With a grounding breath, he slips the photos back into the wallet before raising his hands to his face– wiping at his skin as if he could clean away the blush. "Ko– Kohane."

She giggles. "Akito-kun."

"You're a– a nuisance, y'know that?"

And with that, he tugs her forward into a hug, settling her halfway into his lap as he squeezes her tight. Akito buries his face in her hair– clearly an attempt to hide his blush, though it only darkens– and Kohane laughs again, soft and self-satisfied as she tucks her face against her neck. "Mhm. I know, Aki-kun."

She lets him hold her for a while, allowing the worst of the fluster to pass over him as he hides against her. When he finally loosens his grip, Kohane smiles, shifting to look up at his face. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Akito rasps, clearing his throat before he continues. "Thank you. 'S– really nice."

A pleased smile stretches Kohane's lips, affection obvious in the way she looks at him. "I'm glad," she coos, moving one hand from his shoulder to instead cup his cheek– in spite of his embarrassment, Akito leans into it. "I know that sometimes you struggle to remember all the things we love about you. I thought… maybe you could use some reminders."

That makes Akito jolt again, a soft sound escaping his parted lips. Kohane continues, "You can keep some of them in your wallet or your jackets, around your room… anywhere you like. And they'll always be there if you need them."

The sentiment behind the gift makes Toya's chest bloom with affection. Akito has always struggled with his own worth– he's much better now than he was in the past, but the habit of downplaying his achievements or denying their kind words about him still rears its head at times. With this, Kohane has given him an antidote; ever-present reminders of their love, affirmations and compliments he can read any time he falls into those thoughts. So that it's as difficult as possible for him to doubt himself.

Again, Akito pushes his face into her hair, though this time it only lasts a few seconds before he pulls back. "Thanks," he says, affection obvious despite his still-trembling expression. "Love you. Fuckin'– evil hamster."

That gets a bright giggle out of Kohane, and she leans up to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I love you too," she says against his lips, voice almost smug.

Akito huffs at the tone, pecking her once more before releasing his grip and letting her slide out of his arms. Kohane smiles up at him for a moment longer before she turns to Toya. "Now your turn, Toya-kun!"

He blinks. "Ah, y-yes," he stutters, nervous once again; Kohane had said Akito's gift was less 'showy' than An's and his own. Given how heart-burstingly loving both of their gifts have been, Toya isn't sure he'll survive.

Kohane moves to sit at his side, now, and Toya takes it as his cue to begin unwrapping his gift. The shape is uneven, something rigid with a softer layer around it; when he uncovers the gift, he sees bubblewrap. Intrigued, he pulls away the paper and begins unravelling the protective plastic.

His heart sings as the item is finally unveiled. It's a photo frame– or rather, four; they're built into an asymmetric shape, sides securely stuck together. Rather than the photos themselves, his attention first falls to the frames. They're made of a dark wood, but Kohane has clearly but time into decorating them herself. Patterns are drawn on with what must be paint markers, pink, teal, blue and orange shapes designed prettily around the photos. Pressed flowers are stuck to the wood, care clearly taken so they remain undamaged and there's no visible adhesive. Small doodles sit at some of the corners; microphones, a sunflower, a chibi hamster, pancakes stacked on top of one another and a mug of coffee. It's clearly homemade, but neat and elegant nonetheless. So unique– just for Toya.

Finally, after having examined the frame, his eyes fall to the photos themselves. His gaze first takes him to an image of he and Akito– the twin photo to one of the ones Kohane had gifted his partner, it shows the two of them in a park, Akito leaning forward to place a messily-made flower crown onto Toya's head. Both of their faces are dusted pink, and warm sunlight makes Akito almost glow, his hair a bright, fiery colour– Toya remembers that day. It was late in the summer, after their morning practice. The weather was too pleasant to not take advantage of, and the four of them ended up spending the afternoon in Nonogi Park, sharing a picnic and getting smoothies together; the flower crowns came as a result of a book Toya had been reading at the time, something he'd read and decided to try. It's only natural that he'd end up doing it with his partner.

The next photo is of Toya and An. Again, it's a candid; the two of them are seated at the bar in Crase Café, An's tongue poking out in concentration as she pins stars into Toya's hair. It's something she's done a few times, now, a sign of boredom, and though Toya had initially found the proximity difficult, it's become something he enjoys in equal measure. Getting to wear something of An's like that makes him feel warm, like he's taking on a part of her; she always loves matching, and it's oddly satisfying for their relationship to be made that visible. By now, Toya has some of her star clips to himself, occasionally wearing them simply because he can. He hadn't realised something so small would make him feel so loved.

Predictably, the next photo is of he and Kohane. It's the only of the three to make him feel a twinge of embarrassment; Kohane holds the camera above herself, a meek smile on her blushing face as she points the lens to make her lap visible. On her lap is Toya himself– his head resting against her legs, eyes closed, lips parted, Kohane's hand in his hair. Beside them is a book. Toya recognises the cover– a long mystery novel he'd poured hours into trying to solve. The vague memory returns to him, then. He'd spent the whole night awake reading and crafting theories, and whilst trying to continue the following day, the consequences of his insomnia had caught up with him. Kohane was… the unsuspecting victim. He'd fallen asleep at her side, and woken to find her staring down at him, eyes gooey with affection. It's a sweet memory, when he looks past the mild embarrassment; she'd been so caring, her thighs making for a comfortable pillow as she combed her fingers through his unbrushed hair. There's even a blanket tugged up to his shoulders– she's so considerate, it makes his heart flutter in his chest.

The fourth photo might be his favourite, though.

It's another selfie, the camera held high to catch all four of them. He recognises the setting quickly; the aftermath of the first snowball fight they'd ever had, heading home after practice last winter. The lighting isn't perfect– it had been evening, after all, the setting sun bathing them in a faint orange glow– but their expressions are so bright that it isn't a problem.

Wide smiles are fixed on each of their faces, squinting into the camera. An's hands are stuck to Kohane's shoulders, peeking past her with a bright grin, hair messy around her neck. Just looking at the photo, Toya can almost hear Kohane's laughter; she looks so cute, expression open and gleeful, only made cuter by her reddened nose and cheeks.

Behind the girls stand Akito and Toya. As usual, Akito's arm is slung over Toya's shoulder, pulling him close as he holds up a peace sign with his opposite hand, grinning with his teeth. Looking at himself, Toya almost can't believe his own smile; he's spent so long unable to smile properly that seeing it is a bit strange, his lips stretched and parted, cheeks lifting and making his eyes squint. All four of them are dusted with snow, but Toya has it the worst– his hair is messy where it flares out under his hat, fringe damp and scattered with white. (At least he knows now what to do when An says duck.)

Altogether, the photo practically oozes happiness– blindingly bright, a memory that Toya cherishes, making his heartbeat rise just from thinking about the fun they'd had. One of so many new experiences his partners have shared with him, and he couldn't be more grateful.

Finally, Toya breaks himself out of his memories– blinking his way back into the present and tearing his gaze away from the photos to look at Kohane. She smiles at him, tilting her head. "You like it?"

Toya's voice catches in his throat when he first tries to respond– he swallows, stuttering over his words. "Y-Yes, of course, Kohane-san," he mumbles, finally freeing himself from his reverie enough to move. He leans towards her, hands twitching, and just like always, Kohane understands; she tugs him into a hug, shifting into his lap so that Toya doesn't have to hunch, gently rocking them both back and forth as Toya squeezes tight to release the pent-up happiness.

"Thank you, Kohane-san," Toya whispers– with their proximity, he doesn't need to be any louder. "I love it. I love you."

He could say more– he can't wait to take it home, place it on his desk or his bedside, there for him to appreciate and admire any time he likes– but that isn't entirely necessary. Kohane clearly understands, giggling softly and pressing a kiss to the side of his head. "I love you too, Toya-kun. I'm glad you like it."

Toya wishes he could stay with her like that all night, with her comforting weight resting against him and soothing his nerves. He knows there's more to do though; as is, he allows himself a couple minutes before finally loosening his hold, allowing Kohane to crawl out of his lap and settle back into her spot.

Toya hums. "I suppose it's my turn now." Nerves are still pulsing through him, mingling with excitement as he thinks about what's to come. An nods eagerly, her expression bright, "Yeah, I want Tou-chan presents!"

An's enthusiasm always has a way of soothing Toya, and that's no different now; he laughs gently, leaning forward and handing his gifts to each of them. "These aren't much, but I hope you enjoy them regardless," he says, tucking his hands into his lap, fidgeting with his thumbs. He won't mention the other thing just yet.

The three of them begin unwrapping the gifts together, this time. Toya doesn't mind; the anticipation of waiting so long for each of them to do it individually might kill him. To his surprise, Akito is the one to react first (he'd honestly expected An to speed through the unwrapping).

His partner gasps, followed by an awed, "Shit, what the hell?" as he tears through the rest of the paper. Beneath it is a shoebox; branding is printed on the sides, a well-known pro sportswear company, and Akito quickly flips the lid open to look inside. "Toya, dude–!"

Toya smiles, feeling a little meek. "Are they the right ones? I know you'd wanted some but I didn't want to give away the gift by asking, so—"

"Yeah, but–!" Akito turns to him, clearly fighting a smile as he tries to look annoyed. "The reason I didn't get them myself is 'cause they're expensive as shit! You shouldn't'a spend that much, somethin' cheaper would've—"

"But I wanted to get you this one," Toya says simply, tilting his head. "I didn't mind the price. So long as you're happy, so am I."

Exasperated, Akito huffs, his smile finally breaking through in all its handsome glory. "I am happy, but you're one hell of a nuisance, y'know that? Goin' around droppin' that much money on me, honestly…"

Toya cocks his head. "It's because I love you."

At that, Akito pauses. He blinks at Toya for a moment, as if trying to work something out– but then he laughs, leaning over to ruffle Toya's hair with an affectionate smile. "Yeah, love you too, dork," he chuckles, voice warm.

And Toya still doesn't get what's so funny, but he doesn't really mind so long as Akito's hands are in his hair.

A gasp causes Akito to pull away after a few seconds. Toya feels himself pout ever so slightly, immediately missing the soft touches, even if he has more important things to worry about now. With some effort, he drags himself out of the affectionate daze, directing his gaze over to the source of the noise– Kohane.

Stars are twinkling in the girl's eyes, smile glowing as she tears open the paper. An excited squeal escapes her, hands wiggling up and down for a moment before she picks the package up again; she turns it in her hands, looking it over with an elated giggle before finally turning to look at Toya. She opens her mouth to speak, but only manages a few half-words before her voice falls back into that joyful laughter– Toya smiles, affection squeezing his heart.

"Tsukasa-senpai helped me get it," he explains, predicting what she'd wanted to ask. In her hands is a Phoenix Wonderland gift set, containing all sorts of exclusive memorabilia; it had been a limited product, only sold at a one-day park event, when circumstances had kept Kohane from attending herself. It was quite a long time ago, early into their time as teammates, but even now, Kohane mourns it– a single missing piece from her collection. Toya had planned to simply get one of the many seasonal Phenny gifts, but when Tsukasa mentioned he might be able to swindle something more special out of the Otoris… well, he couldn't turn down the opportunity. Apparently, the park management always keep some copies of past merchandise for archival purposes; with Emu's help, Tsukasa had managed to get his hands on one. The mild guilt Toya felt at taking advantage of his connections like that doesn't matter in the face of Kohane's joy.

Finally, Kohane calms herself enough to speak coherently, moving the box off of her lap to dive into Toya's arms. "Thank you so so so much, Toya-kun!"

Her voice is thick with happiness, as she continues to giggle and fidget in excitement. Toya finds himself matching her smile, fond; she's adorable when she gets like this, watching a new show at Phoenix Wonderland or rambling about Count Pearl, passion making her seem brighter than ever. He hums, gently petting her hair, "I'm glad you like it, Kohane-san."

She giggles again, looking up at Toya and making his heart flutter. With one more squeeze, she shifts off of him, picking up the box again, beginning to examine the packaging and read the labels with an adorable focused expression.

With Kohane occupied, Toya turns his attention over to An; she's clearly been impatient, waiting for him to acknowledge her before she pulls out her gift. She's already partially unwrapped it, but there's bubblewrap keeping it from her view. Laughing softly at her disgruntled expression, Toya gives her a nod– she has his full attention.

With that, An finally begins pulling at the package again, ripping through the protective plastic rather than simply unwrapping it from around the item– it's funny, seeing her so impatient. Her expression blooms into a smile as she finally frees her gift from its confines; beneath the wrapping is a deep blue ceramic plant pot, decorated with moon and sun illustrations. She gasps lightly, lifting it up and turning it in her hands. "Tou-chan, this is so pretty!"

He nods, pleased. "It made me think of you, and I noticed that some of your mint was overgrowing its space. I thought you could use another one."

"Mhm, mhm! You can help me replant them, I know you've been wanting to try it," she smiles, placing the pot down in her lap. As she does, though, she perks up again– "Hm?"

An reaches into the pot, and Toya smiles– inside are a few more gifts. First, she pulls out a few bottles of nail polish, in sparkling shades of red and pink.

"Ahh, these are so nice!" An exclaims, smiling even brighter as she holds the bottles up to the light. She's been painting her nails a lot recently; Toya noticed the polish whilst out shopping with Saki, swirled with iridescence, and he had moved to buy them almost immediately.

She places the bottles down, next picking up a small jewellery box, decorated with a colourful star pattern. "You usually just use drawstring bags for your accessories at sleepovers, but I thought you might want something a bit more secure for America," Toya explains. He gestures to the box, "Open it."

Excitement glimmering in her eyes, An does so, popping the button open and pulling the top of the box up. The inside is well-designed, with little pockets for rings, a flap with holes designed to hold earrings, small compartments and pockets to hold all sorts of accessories. What catches An's attention, though, are the hairclips tucked into the box.

They're nothing special, but she smiles regardless, immediately popping out her current clips and sliding the new ones into place. They suit her– bold acrylic colours complimenting her dark hair and bright expression. "How do I look?!"

Toya's answer comes easily. "Perfect," he hums, watching affectionately as she runs her hands through her hair, the compliment earning a giggle and faint blush.

Smile fixed wide on her face, An moves over to Toya, leaning over his lap to take his face in her hands. "Thank you, Tou-chan," she says, tugging him forward to press a kiss to his nose; one of her favourite things to do with him, it seems. "And thank you for the gifts. You're sweet."

Toya hums, leaning into her hands and managing to force something close to a pout. It makes her giggle, moving to kiss his lips instead, and Toya laughs gently against her, satisfied. "You're very welcome, An-san. I'm glad you like them."

She holds him for a moment longer, faces pressed close, soaking in the affection fully before she finally moves back to her own seat. The four of them are quiet for a few moments– each admiring their pile of gifts– before An nods, conclusive. "Well, that's everything! What do we wanna do now?"

And that– Toya feels himself jolt. He knows what he needs to do now; it's been in the back of his mind all night, making him ever so slightly jittery and nervous, anticipating this moment. Now, he barely knows what to say, heart jumping in his chest. He knows he wants to– he really does, no matter how skittish he feels– but it's difficult to find the words.

Just as An opens her mouth again, no doubt to suggest another game, Toya manages to force his voice into action.

"A-Actually, um," he stumbles, "I have one more gift for you all."

The other three turn to look at him. Curious, An tilts her head, peering past him towards the table they'd left the gifts at earlier: "What is it?" she asks, clearly a little confused. "You bought something else?"

He wets his lips, fingers threaded together nervously, "Ah, no. It isn't… here."

"Mm? Then where is it, Toya-kun?" Kohane's voice is soft, as if sensing his worry.

All three of his partners continue to stare at him with matching intrigued expressions. Inhaling carefully, Toya places a hand on his chest, a futile attempt to calm his racing heart– it's now or never.

Determined, he finally looks up, meeting their gazes.

"Could we go over there?"

Their Sekai is bathed in moonlight when the disorientation of arriving there finally dissipates.

It always reflects the real world, at least when it comes to the time. Though it isn't terribly late, winter brings on shorter days and early sunsets, altering their practice hours along with it. Distantly, Toya wonders what will happen to the Sekai's days and nights when the four of them are in America.

"So… why are we here, Toya-kun?"

Kohane's voice jolts him out of his thoughts. Anticipation makes Toya feel stiff and jittery; still, he takes a step forward, looking at the three of them over his shoulder. "If you would follow me."

Their footsteps echo softly through the empty streets, unusually silent. Usually, there's a constant thrum of music here, but it's absent tonight; whether it's due to the late hour or Toya's plans, he isn't sure, but it doesn't help his nerves either way.

They weren't dropped too far from the café, and Toya feels his heart rate jump as it comes into view. His pace picks up ever so slightly, too– in what feels like an instant, they're at the door.

Toya blinks. Lifts his hand to the handle, excited fingers wrapping around the cold metal, the door clicking as he turns his wrist. The entry bell chimes above them. This is it.

He pushes the door open, and the four of them step inside.

The café is almost as dark as it is outside, lit by nothing more than the gentle Christmas lights strung across the room. It's exactly like he'd asked; the tables and chairs pushed to the walls, making room for a pretty, mahogany, almost vintage-looking upright piano.

"Toya…?"

He doesn't respond to the call– he's too nervous, and moreso, too excited to do so. Rather, he continues forward. His hand gently skims the edges of the wood as he walks around the piano; the Virtual Singers had been happy to help him, making arrangements to bring the piano in and put it in place before they vacated the café for the night. Rin and Len had wanted to watch, but it wouldn't feel right for anyone else to be here. It's a moment for his partners, and them alone.

Toya can't help spending a moment admiring the piano. It's a beautiful make, so different to the one in his bedroom; the warm reddish wood faintly reflects the Christmas lights, with flowers carved into the edges and the music stand. The material curls and flows, unlike the straight lines and stark black of his childhood instrument. It's almost surprising– his experience with the piano is wrought with struggle, and yet this manifestation of his feelings is beautiful nonetheless.

Toya finds that the bench is already adjusted perfectly when he sits. A trick of the Sekai, or a consideration from Meiko, he isn't sure, but he's grateful nonetheless. On the fallboard of the piano are three envelopes; Toya smiles faintly, picking them up and placing them on the top of the piano, short enough for him to see his partners over it. He gestures, and the three of them step forward, each picking up a labelled envelope.

Their expressions are easy to admire. Awed, worried, shocked, all with an overlay of love. Toya watches as they pull at the paper, carefully opening the envelopes. An gets there first; in her hands are a few sheets of manuscript paper and a small USB. She looks at the items for a few seconds, then back up at Toya. "What's…?"

Akito and Kohane have their own envelopes open now, with the same contents. Toya feels his fingers twitch in anticipation as he watches them unfold the paper, lay their eyes on the sheet music. A few seconds pass before they look back up at him.

He smiles. This is it.

Heart racing, fingers trembling, Toya moves his hands to the correct starting positions. Counts the beat in his head, his pulse working as an uneven metronome. He breathes in, out, two, one, and…

He plays.

The first notes ring out, breaking the silent anticipation like ice. Though it's only been two weeks since he even began the piece, Toya is able to play it more-or-less from memory, glancing up occasionally at his own copy of the music resting on the stand. All four of them are handwritten, with his partners' pages each uniquely annotated; perhaps taking Saki's suggestion of handmade a little too far, but it was worth it. Each version is slightly different, memories written in the margins and notes out of place. He couldn't just write one version of his feelings– not when each of his partners love so differently.

Toya had written and practised the piece at the Tenmas', still finding it too painful to play in his own house, at his own piano. For this, he needed peace, separation from the harsh memories so they wouldn't taint the sound; Saki and Tsukasa had happily accommodated the impulse, bringing him snacks and drinks and dragging him to his room when the hour fell too late to continue. Toya hadn't thought he was capable of spending so much time at the piano again, the idea far too reminiscent of the painful nights of his past, but once he got to work the thought didn't even enter his mind– all he'd wanted to do was continue, put his overflowing feelings to music, sort them into quavers and harmonies and place them on staves. The piece has barely gone through any kind of revision or editing; he's sure his father would disapprove of such carelessness, but Toya finds it all the more appropriate this way. To preen his feelings into a neat, perfectly-presented song like that– it would only be dishonest.

As is, the song flows from one melody to the next in uneven patterns, shifting tempo and key as he goes. That had been the only proper way for Toya to present his feelings; a medley of upbeat excitement to sweetened melancholy to soft comfort, all unified by the familiar love threaded throughout the piece. It's only around two and a half minutes long– not bad, given his time constraint– but Toya had poured all the emotion he could into it, every cherished memory and every gentle touch and every loss and every victory bleeding into presses of keys.

Toya knows he isn't very good at expressing himself. Even after he's improved so much, there are still times when his words fall flat or his expression lags behind. It's difficult to find his feelings, to put a name to them and make sense of his response. But where everything else fails– when his hands, his mouth, his language can't express what he needs to; music has always cradled his feelings. Kept them safe and sound, waiting for him.

All it took to find the melody again was a little bit of love.

The piece is ending before he knows it. Toya lets his fingers glide up the piano, pressing gently, stretching out the melody, notes gradually ringing away until the room is silent once again. He wants to keep playing– so many of tonight's experiences are already forming harmonies in his head– but he forces his hands to still, pulling his trembling fingers away from the keys and resting them in his lap as he exhales carefully.

A few moments pass in silence. Once his hands stop shaking, Toya looks up.

They're crying.

They're crying, all three of them; Akito's eyes are wide and glimmering with tears that make his long lashes clump together, whilst Kohane beside him bites her lip almost bloody as tears slip down her cheeks and An holds her hands in front of her mouth. For all of his worrying, Toya hadn't really been sure how they'd react, and the tears make his heart jump anxiously. "A-Ah, are you…?"

The question lingers for a moment, tentative and unfinished. To Toya's surprise, Kohane is the one to break the silence.

"To– Toya-kun," she utters, voice trembling and soft– a hiccup follows, more tears, and then the pattering of footsteps, and then—

And then Toya finds himself almost knocked off of the bench with the force of her embrace.

"Toya-kun," she babbles against his shoulder– he's floundering a little, messily bringing his arms up to wrap around her, curled up her back to hold her close– "Toya-kun, that– that was so beautiful, I-I—"

He gasps, and only then realises– he hasn't taken in a breath since he finished playing. His lungs ache, partially from the lack of air but mostly due to the unbidden strength with which Kohane is hugging him. After a second spent remembering how to breathe, Toya squeezes back with renewed force, hiding his warm warm warm face against her.

Another weight piles onto him, and then a third; he recognises An's quickened breathing, the soft hiccups Akito always ends up with when he tries not to cry. They shift, a comforting mass, surrounding Toya entirely, finally soothing his nerves as they squeeze and whisper his name.

"Toya, you– h-how?"

That voice is Akito's, mumbled brokenly against Toya's hair. His arms are looped loosely over Toya's shoulders as he leans into his back, arms tangled with Kohane and An's, until the four of them are wound into an inseparable ball of limbs. An mumbles close to his ear, one arm around him and one around Kohane, "T-Tou, that– that was perfect, wh-what the hell?"

Surrounded like this, with their questions in his ears, Toya exhales– slow, soothing.

And then he laughs, warm and right and perfect as warm tears slip down his cheeks. "It was easy," he says, the happiness in his voice recognisable to even himself.

"I just thought about you."