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Itaru didn't think the train would be this crowded.
He usually wouldn't mind being this close to Kazunari, his hair tickling Itaru's nose while using the top button of Itaru's coat as a phone rest, but Itaru feels stuffy under all his layers and between the mass of bodies around them. Itaru frowns as a bead of sweat drips from under Kazunari's bangs, feeling a little bad for making them take the train.
Like he can read Itaru's mind, Kazunari briefly lifts his gaze, shooting Itaru a small smile before returning his attention to his phone. Itaru lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his own gaze softening as the train brakes to a stop at the next station.
Itaru gently nudges Kazunari with his shoulder, Kazunari's eyes flicking upward once more. "Next stop," Itaru murmurs, leaning even closer as more bodies shuffle around them.
"Okies~" Kazunari whispers back, tucking away his phone. "Does this mean you're finally gonna spill the rest of the deets?" Kazunari teases, rocking up onto his toes and impossibly farther into Itaru's space.
"Nope," Itaru replies, popping the p. "My lips are sealed until we reach the next checkpoint."
Kazunari pouts and slumps dramatically onto Itaru's shoulder. "Not even a hint?"
Itaru huffs in amusement, pressing his cheek to the top of Kazunari's head. "You used your hint before dinner."
"I didn't realize they were limited!" Kazunari protests, the words muffled against Itaru's coat. "Totes unfair!"
Itaru chuckles, blindly patting one of Kazunari's arms. "There, there."
Admittedly, not asking for Kazunari's opinion on their date plans had been hard; Kazunari plans almost everything for them, other than spontaneous hotel nights and the occasional romantic snack run, and Itaru hadn't realized how hilariously under-leveled he was for the task until he offered to do so. Even so, he isn't the type to leave a quest unfinished, especially not when Kazunari is involved. More than anything, Itaru just wants to make their Christmas Eve special.
Kazunari deserves their Christmas Eve to be special.
"Itarun," Kazunari calls, jolting Itaru out of his thoughts. "The train's about to stop."
Itaru nods, adjusting his scarf and gloves to brace himself for the cold.
The two of them squeeze their way to the door as the train slows to a stop. Itaru shivers as they step out onto the platform, the sky above the station inching from late evening to night. He shoves his hands into his coat pockets, sinking his face into the fabric of his scarf while Kazunari stretches a few feet in front of him.
Kazunari twists to face him, his excitement palpable in the winter air. "Lead the way, Itarun?"
Do I take his hand? Itaru wonders during the few steps it takes to reach him. It's a short walk and I have gloves, but…
Before Itaru can do something dumb like panic, Kazunari solves his dilemma for him, latching onto Itaru's arm with one of his own. His side presses against Itaru's, exuding all the warmth of the train but none of the stuffiness. Itaru's chest warms as well, full of something beyond proximity.
"Let's go," Itaru answers, gently pulling Kazunari along. "It shouldn't be far from here."
The walk is short as promised, but still long enough for Itaru to second-guess his choice. Did he choose something too generic? Too one-note?
Too cold, Itaru thinks, closing another one of the non-existent centimeters between Kazunari's side and his. He does his best to hide his shiver as he exhales, the two of them stepping through the arch marking the entrance.
Itaru's next breath is flooded by the scent of pine and sugar – and under that, a hint of vanilla that he suspects is Kazunari's perfume – as colored lights twinkle at the edge of his vision. The murmur of the crowd seems distant as Kazunari briefly beams at him, his eyes quickly darting back to the wooden stalls lining the pavement. Somewhere to the left of the entrance, traditional carols play from a large set of speakers, but some of the stalls play music of their own, ranging from operatic hymns to the Today's Holiday Hits channel that Kazunari insists on blasting on Itaru's car radio.
"A Christmas market?" Kazunari asks, his voice rising with excitement.
"Yeah," Itaru answers, subtly shifting out of the way as another couple passes by them. "Press select to continue?"
Kazunari's smile is a shining thing, twinkling just like the Christmas lights around them. "Let's go, Itarun! I think I saw goats!"
"Goats?" Itaru questions, his mouth reacting before his brain.
"Ah, but maybe we should grab something warm first," Kazunari ponders. He stands on his toes to see over the crowd, his hair brushing against Itaru's temple. "I think I see a hot chocolate stall!"
"My treat," Itaru insists, fumbling his wallet out of his pocket.
"Wha – no, let me, Itarun! You already paid for dinner and the train!"
Itaru walks forward, Kazunari's arm still linked with his. "Because I said I'd take care of everything." Itaru ducks his mouth behind his scarf. And yet you're already trying to take care of me.
Kazunari plucks Itaru's wallet from his grip, Itaru gratefully shoving his hand back into his pocket. "It's still my job to warm my boyfriend up~" Kazunari replies.
Itaru raises an eyebrow. "Is this when you offer something more than hot chocolate?"
Kazunari's cheeks are dusted pink as he retorts. "I have your wallet, Itarun, so you shouldn't tease me!"
"Mhmm," Itaru hums.
"I mean it, Itarun!" Kazunari whines.
Itaru smiles under his scarf.
Kazunari slides Itaru's wallet back into his pocket before handing him one of the steaming cups. The hot chocolate warms Itaru's fingers and burns his tongue, Kazunari snorting at him when he nearly spills it all over his coat. Itaru pouts, pointedly turning toward the nearest display as Kazunari continues to laugh.
"Huh," Itaru comments, coming to a stop. "Those are actually goats."
Kazunari picks up one of the straw goats with his free hand, its body held together by red ribbon. Around its neck is a small ornament, glittering as it sways. He holds it up to Itaru's nose. See? his gaze seems to say. Told you so.
Itaru glances back down at the table, lips quirking upward at the tiny accessories. "Doesn't this one kind of look like Tonapon?" he points out, picking up another of the straw creatures. The red-and-green striped scarf is surprisingly soft to the touch.
"Oh-em-gees, it totally does! I guess it's his cousin from the Goatsphere?"
"The – what?"
"Like the Reinsphere, but goats! The magical world of Christmas goats!"
Itaru laughs and places the goat back down on the table, giving it a pat on the head for good measure. "Sounds like an April Fool's special for an MMO."
Kazunari snorts again, grabbing onto Itaru's hand as another stall catches his eye. "Christmas goats on April Fool's?"
"I've seen weirder," Itaru replies, letting himself be dragged.
Kazunari seemingly takes that as a challenge, passing by the traditional displays to instead point out questionable décor and ugly holiday sweaters. Kazunari hands Itaru his cup to hold up one of the scratchy, woolen eyesores, dark green and hot pink threads threating to engulf his boyfriend's torso and fly him away. Kazunari grins proudly at Itaru's disgusted face, yelping and scrambling to follow when Itaru walks to the next stall without him.
They poke around a display of sparkly food ornaments, ranging from detailed pickles to a horrendous depiction of fish roe. "Why is there… that," Itaru questions, gesturing to said monstrosity.
"I'm more confused about the pickles, personally," Kazunari admits, tapping the ornament so it sways on its wooden peg. A bit of green glitter falls to the ground.
Itaru shrugs. "I think you're supposed to hide them in the tree? Or something?"
Kazunari wipes his finger on his pants, a line of glitter appearing on the fabric. "TBH, I don't think the fake dorm tree can fit more ornaments anyway. Even if they are special Christmas pickles." Kazunari's hand slips back into his, fingers threading through Itaru's between the flaps of their coats. "Let's go look at those snow globes next!"
Itaru, not for the first time, finds himself amazed by how easy it is to spend time with Kazunari; to hold Kazunari's gloved hand just under the ledge of the wooden sills, Kazunari's side pressed to his as their laughter mingles over the stalls. The time passes quickly, their hot chocolate disappearing faster than Itaru expects, allowing the nighttime chill to work its way back into Itaru's fingers and across his cheeks.
For a while, he ignores it, focusing instead on the way Kazunari's eyes brighten and shimmer as they pass snow globes and cookies and candle stands. They each fill a bag of candy for their troupes, Itaru's fingers stiffening in his gloves, and the Christmas carols growing fainter as they traverse further into the market. He continues to point out stalls they might like even as his ears grow numb, his face growing tight behind his scarf.
"Oh look, Itarun, there's…" Kazunari trails off, furrowing his eyebrows as he stares at Itaru.
"Is there something on my face?" Itaru tries to ask, frowning when his words come out mangled.
Kazunari's eyes crinkle with exasperation, his gloved hand brushing against Itaru's cheek. "Your nose is red."
"I'm fine," Itaru answers automatically. He sniffles.
Kazunari rolls his eyes. "Itarun," he prompts, already tugging Itaru between two of the market stalls.
Itaru doesn't bother resisting, letting Kazunari lead him out of the market and down the nearest side street. "I can't feel my lips," he admits – or at least attempts to – as the colored string lights are replaced with the white glare of streetlamps. "Or my feet."
I can't hide anything from you, can I?
The sharp LED lights of a 24-hour conbini break through the darkness. Itaru can't help but laugh a little as Kazunari manhandles him through the conbini's glass doors, marveling at the way the market's world of magic could so easily give way for the city night. The familiar sight fills Itaru with both relief and longing, like staring at the menu screen of a well-played game.
The conbini is warm, even just a few steps inside, where Itaru gratefully wiggles his toes in his boots. Kazunari parks him in front of the glass entrance, gently squeezing Itaru's upper arms. "Stay," he instructs, then speed-walks out the door and back where they came.
Itaru shuffles on his feet and loosens his scarf, pointedly ignoring the teen worker on his phone behind the register. He drops his head forward as he exhales, the cold air loudly leaving his lungs. He sniffles and wipes his nose on his sleeve, smiling wryly at the tiled floor.
Kazunari returns soon after, steaming paper cups balanced in his grip. Itaru takes his gratefully, blinking in surprise at the heavy scent that meets his nose. Itaru clumsily pries off the paper lid, droplets of gravy soaking into his gloves. "Stew?"
Kazunari shrugs bashfully, struggling with his own cup. "It was the closest stall. But I, uh." Kazunari slots the paper lid onto the bottom of his cup, nose scrunching as the steam hits his face. "I forgot spoons."
Itaru holds his cup carefully, blowing lightly across the top. "Most of it is liquid, right? Drinking it should be fine."
Kazunari copies him, cheeks turning red in the artificial heat of the conbini. His voice lilts teasingly. "Just don't burn yourself this time, Itarun."
Itaru laughs, shuffling sideways until their shoulders touch. "I'll try not to."
The two of them fall silent, Itaru tentatively sipping at his stew. The stock sits warm in his stomach, the warmth gradually traveling down his limbs and up to his chest, the steam from the cup slowly bringing feeling back to his cheeks. The spots where he and Kazunari touch radiate heat like furnaces, burning further through Itaru's layers the longer they stand there, shoulder to shoulder with their elbows jostling.
Itaru feels more than sees Kazunari stand up straighter, their coats rustling with static as he moves. Itaru glances over, his breath leaving him in a rush at the sight of Kazunari next to him, lips parted and eyes wide.
"Oh," Itaru says, still staring.
"Right?" Kazunari answers, turning to face him. Their noses nearly brush. "There wasn't any snow in the forecast at all!"
Snow? Itaru finally faces the glass wall of the conbini, blinking dumbly at the snowflakes falling toward the ground. Most of the snowflakes melt as they hit the sidewalk, but some manage to stick, speckling the pavement with white. "Oh," Itaru repeats, more snow swirling past the glass.
Kazunari's gaze falls to their feet. "We should probably head back before it gets worse, right?"
Itaru slurps up the last of his stew, the sound comically loud in the almost-empty store. Kazunari stands frozen by the glass while Itaru throws away his empty cup, dusting nonexistent dirt from his pants as he returns to Kazunari's side. He loops his arm through Kazunari's, determinedly meeting Kazunari's confused gaze.
"There's still one more place I want to show you."
"Seriously, Itarun, where are you taking me?"
"No more hints available," Itaru repeats, double-checking the map on his phone. It should be the next street…
Itaru nods then slides his phone back into his pocket, pausing briefly at the street corner. "Remember when I had to work overtime earlier in the month?"
"Eh?" Kazunari tilts his head, blinking at the unexpected question. "I mean, you warned me December would be busy at work. You worked overtime more than once."
Itaru shuffles on his feet. "I mean when… when I forgot to message you. That time."
"Ah." Kazunari idly swings his foot over the pavement. "Yeah."
"It's obviously not the same place, but I figured I still owed you a Christmas CG. So."
The two of them finally turn the corner, immediately being bathed in a yellow glow. Trees wrapped in string lights line either side of the road, the bulbs suspended along the bare branches. A thin layer of snow glimmers on the otherwise empty street, crunching under their boots as they walk down the asphalt.
Kazunari's lips part, his head slowly turning to take in the lights, the snow still gently falling around them. Itaru laughs when Kazunari unhooks their arms to run ahead, phone out in record time to capture whatever he can.
Itaru follows at a lazier pace, impressed by the way the lights loop all the way down the bases of the tree trunks, candy canes lining the short garden fences. The storefronts behind them are closed, but the wreathes on their doors are full and lit, their pine scent subtle and almost sweet.
When Itaru glances back at Kazunari, shadows from the buildings stain Kazunari's face like paint strokes, the glittering lights from the trees dotting Kazunari's cheeks like stars. His hair, frizzy at the top and matted with sweat near his neck, shines golden in the night. His breath condenses into a silvery cloud that floats past his now-pink nose and disappears as it curls toward the branches.
Itaru is so, so in love.
"… Itarun?" Kazunari mumbles, lowering his phone as he blinks over at him. Itaru doesn't remember when he caught up. Gently, he brushes a clump of snow off Kazunari's shoulder, then another from his hair, chuckling as the strands cling to his glove with static.
"There was snow stuck to you," Itaru explains, his hand still hovering next to Kazunari's ear.
Kazunari hums in acknowledgement, grabbing onto Itaru's wrist to guide it back down to their sides. Then Kazunari tips forward, Itaru's eyes widening as Kazunari presses his face to Itaru's coat. The fabric wrinkles as Kazunari wraps his arms around his shoulders, pulling Itaru's body close. Itaru's hands instinctively find Kazunari's waist, squeezing gently before sliding to the base of his spine and resting there.
Kazunari's arms tighten. "Thank you, Itarun."
Itaru hums. "For brushing off the snow?"
Kazunari's body shakes with silent laughter. He pushes his nose further into Itaru's coat. "Yeah, for that too."
Itaru closes his eyes and breathes.
It smells like vanilla.
(Kazunari blinks awake slowly, something soft and fuzzy tickling his cheek. He sees the phone screen first, flashing with color, and then the fingers that tap on the display, long and familiar.
Kazunari turns his face toward whatever is tickling his cheek, inhaling an odd mixture of chocolate, stew, and what might be melted snow. Something warm squeezes Kazunari's knee, the brief weight and pressure a welcome comfort.
Kazunari smiles, quickly drifting back to sleep.)