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The streets of Tokyo buzzed with the excitement that precedes Christmas, decorated with garlands and lights waiting to be turned on at sunset. Snow covered the trees, remnants of the previous days' snowfall that had subsided, perhaps to allow latecomers to easily complete their last-minute shopping for the season.
Itadori was grateful for the beautiful weather that day. If he had had to face the mission assigned to them by Gojo in the middle of a storm, he was certain he would not have been able to complete it. Yet there was no curse to exorcise, no adversary to defend against; just a mountain of bags containing the necessary items to decorate the occult arts institute. And, perhaps, a few purchases that Kugisaki had foisted on him with the excuse that they were on the list provided by Gojo – a list that only she could see.
It was a good mission, and Itadori was always eager to spend time whit his friend and
Si trattava di una bella missione, e Itadori era sempre felice di trascorrere del tempo con la sua compagna and act as her errand boy when necessary, but by the fifth time he had to stop to rebalance the weight of the objects in his arms, he realized it was time to act.
“Y-Yo, Kugisaki” he said, hoping that the girl was still in front of him. “Could you pick a couple of packs? I'm afraid that, at this rate, something will end up breaking.”
“There shouldn't be many fragile items, so don't worry. However, try not to drop anything.”
“It would be easeir, if someone lend me a hand.”
“Got it.” Itadori breathed a sigh of relief. He waited for Kugisaki to come over and help him, but after a few moments of silence, she said: “Across the street is the last store Gojo mentioned. I tell that slacker Fushiguro to catch up with us so he can carry some boxes too.”
Itadori blinked. “But can't you take care of it in the meantime?”
“I have to buy the garlands and I'm still eating my crêpe! What else do you expect me to do?”
Itadori took a deep breath. Then a second. Then a third.
“When you've finished eating your crêpe – thanks for asking me if I wanted one, by the way – would you be so kind as to help me by sharing the bulk of the purchases requested by the sensei? Kugisaki? Kugisaki, are you there?”
Receiving no reply, he looked for her, stretching his neck over the mountain of boxes, which inevitably lost the fragile balance with which he was supporting them. He staggered to the right and left, but his efforts did not prevent the boxes at the top from breaking away from the rest of the pile and tumbling down.
Itadori stretched out a leg to grab the packages – at the same moment Fusighuro took them in his hands. His face lit up when he saw his friend, but his joy lasted only a moment because the one leg he was leaning on couldn't support the weight he was carrying, and Itadori found himself falling along with all the purchases.
“Little brother, you can't carry all these things by yourself!” Itadori realized that his back was touching a warm body and not the cold sidewalk. “Come on, let me take care of it.”
Choso went around him, put his arms next to his and lifted the packages, freeing Itadori from their weight. However, the problem of the excessive height of the pile was not solved, and in fact this time it was Choso who staggered, trying to find a balance that was now lost forever.
“One person can't carry all that stuff,” Fushiguro blurted out with a disconsolate sigh.
“No, indeed!” Itadori interjected. “Choso, give it back to me, don't worry.”
“No, Yuji! I'm your older brother, it's my job to sacrifice myself for you! If something were to happen to you...”
“But I don't want you to get hurt either, Choso!”
The other man froze. Itadori couldn't see his face, covered by the various packages, but after a few moments he heard him sob.
“Little brother...” he murmured. “Your affection... fills me with joy!”
His tear-filled eyes stared at him as if he were the most precious thing in the world. Itadori pressed his lips together, trying to hold back his emotions. It had only been a few months since he found out he had a brother, and sometimes he still found it hard to believe it was real, especially since Choso was so thoughtful and affectionate towards him. Itadori wanted to try his best to live up to him, but he still felt far from achieving that goal.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in his left shin.
“Are you done gazing lovingly at each other?” Fushiguro snapped, withdrawing the foot he had just kicked him with. “Let's get back to the institute, come on. I need to have a word with Gojo. And Kugisaki.”
Choso began to rail against Fushiguro for his behavior, but the boy continued walking, ignoring him. Seeing his companion's head recede allowed Itadori to focus on his surroundings, and he realized he had several packages in his hands, enough to be carried safely. He noticed that Choso also had roughly the same number of packages, while bags decorated with bright Christmas colors hung from Fushiguro's arms.
Itadori smiled. He ran to catch up with Fushiguro, followed closely by Choso.
“Thanks for your help, Fushiguro,” he said. “You saved us.”
He kept his sullen gaze fixed ahead, a slight blush coloring his cheeks, probably due to the cold.
“He should still apologize for hitting you,” Choso exclaimed.
“I tried to get your attention with words, but you were too caught up in your desire to sacrifice yourselves for each other to hear me.”
Itadori let out an embarrassed laugh. He couldn't blame him; they had reacted rather... dramatically, considering it was just a matter of transporting some packages. Todo's influence had probably begun to make itself felt in their lives: his emotions overflowed and flooded everyone around him, and that excess would probably explode during the exchange of gifts, considering what he had prepared for him.
He froze. Fushiguro noticed his sudden halt and turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
When Gojo had entrusted them with the task of doing the last-minute shopping for the party – that is, buying everything needed to set it up – Itadori had immediately volunteered, since he had to go into town anyway. He had planned to complete sensei's mission and then do his own shopping, but he realized at that moment that it was already late afternoon, the stores would soon be closing, and perhaps something was still missing from Gojo's list.
And, most importantly, he still hadn't found a gift for Fushiguro.
He was the first person he had ever wanted to give a gift to, but while he had managed to come up with something for all his friends, including his teachers, he was stuck with him. Every idea that came to his mind seemed too silly or too bold, and everytime he tried to ask Gojo or Kugisaki for advice, he was overcome with embarrassment and backed down.
Yet it shouldn't have been that difficult. Fushiguro was the person he had bonded with the most at the institute, they spent most of their free time together, and he was the person Itadori lov–
Yea. That was the problem.
“Are you okay, Yuji?” Choso's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Itadori found himself facing the surprised and concerned looks of the two boys. His eyes fixed on Fushiguro for a moment, then he bowed his head and took a deep breath.
“Hey, why are you staring at me like that?” he asked, almost shouting, as he flashed a smile. “Is there something strange on my face? Come on, come on, let's not waste time! Gojo and Geto are waiting for us to return to start decorating the school, and we're already late!”
~
Gojo had accused him of being a Grinch when he told him he didn't want to fill the school corridors with mistletoe and garlands. Nanami wasn't bothered by this insult, if you could call it that, but the man's constant insistence – sometimes backed up by Geto – had brought him to the brink of exhaustion. The only reason he had refrained from using his technique against him was the knowledge that Geto and the students would suffer from Gojo's death. And the only reason he had agreed to take part in the Christmas Eve decorations was Itadori's heartfelt request, which Nanami had been unable to refuse.
He had no doubt that the boy loved Christmas and had prepared to decorate the fir tree in the kitchen with him and his cheerful voice filling his ears.
For this reason, when halfway through the play Itadori had only spoken to answer questions, and even then rather concisely, Nanami had begun to seriously worry. He knew that Gojo had sent him, Kugisaki and Fushiguro to buy everything needed to set up the party – he had been stressing about it for weeks, but of course, he had remembered at the last second that the institute would not be filled with Christmas spirit on its own. That morning, he had seemed very cheerful at the idea of carrying out the “mission,” yet since he had returned, his eyebrows had been furrowed in a thoughtful expression that was replaced at regular intervals by a defeated sigh. It was impossible that the day of shopping had tired him so much that it had ruined his good mood, and it also seemed unlikely that he had quarreled with his friends. However, something must have happened, and it must have been something very serious to bring him down like that.
Nanami hung the last bauble he had in his hand on a branch, a smiley face sticking out its tongue – he had preferred not to ask questions when he saw Gojo's choices for decorating the trees – and turned to Itadori, who was taking some mochi-shaped baubles out of their packaging.
“Itadori,” he said, getting his attention. “What happened?”
The boy blinked.
“What do you mean? Did I break something?” He looked at the decorations in his hand, searching for any damage.
“No, don't worry. You've been looking preoccupied since you got back, and I expected you to be more enthusiastic about decorating the tree.”
“Oh. But yes, of course I'm excited!” he exclaimed, flashing a smile that even a blind person could see was fake. “Here, take these” – he placed two mochi in his hand – "let's continue decorating together! We'll probably have to hurry, because it's already late and there are so many other trees to decorate, and I don't know if the others will be able to do it on their own. I know Panda was supposed to organize a surprise for Maki and Okkotsu – he called it a ‘surprise attack,’ but I think he was wrong, it wouldn't make sense, would it? – and I don't think Fushiguro..." His rant stopped instantly. Itadori's smile shrank, turning into a sadder expression. Authentic.
“What about Fushiguro?” he pressed, hoping to get all the information he needed to help him resolve whatever problem had arisen between them.
But Itadori didn't answer. He approached the fir tree and resumed placing the baubles.
“Let's try to finish quickly so we can help the others, if they need it.”
Nanami sighed. He walked around the tree and began decorating the back.
“I won't force you to talk if you don't want to,” he said. “Just know that you can count on me, whatever the problem is.”
When he emerged from behind the tree to get more baubles, he saw that Itadori had a mochi in midair, frozen in the position of hanging it.
“Itadori?”
He sighed, lowering his arm to his side.
“I don't have a gift for Fushiguro,” he muttered. “I've been thinking about what to get him for weeks, but every idea I've had... I don't know, it just... never seemed right. And in the end, after searching for the perfect gift... I'm left empty-handed.” He laughed without a hint of joy as he ran his free hand through his hair. “Do you think Fushiguro will be too upset?”
“No, I don't think so. He doesn't seem like the type to get upset about something like that. He's very mature, considering who raised him.”
Itadori nodded, though he didn't seem very convinced.
Nanami understood his disappointment at not being able to find the right gift for Fushiguro. He had once felt the same way: in desperation, he had ended up wrapping up a bunch of sweets bought at the convenience store, just so he wouldn't show up empty-handed. He had felt awful about it, until Haibara thanked him with a bright smile, dispelling his bad mood.
A sad smile touched Nanami's lips at that memory. Twelve years had already passed since his death, yet he still hadn't been able to completely get over that day. Perhaps it was because a part of his soul had gone with him.
“Sorry, Nanamin.” Itadori's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “I didn't mean to worry you.”
The man sighed.
“No, I'm sorry, I...” He had never told Itadori about Haibara. Maybe one day he would, but now was not the right time to bring up such a painful subject. “I just remembered being in a similar situation in the past.” He could tell him that part.
Itadori's eyes widened as he stared intently at him.
“Really? And how... No, well, you're smart, Nanamin. I'm sure you managed to find the right gift in the end.”
“Thank you for your confidence, but in truth, my gift was terrible: I just bought and wrapped his favorite sweets. He was happy – he always was, actually – and told me that just the fact that I had thought of him was a great gift.”
“If you feel so bad about it, then next year I'll get you something from the convenience store,” he added, in response to his insistent apologies. That was fine with Nanami: they would switch roles, and next Christmas he would be the one to show up with a nice gift. But that day never came.
“Nanamin!” Itadori jumped on his neck, nearly knocking him to the ground with the intensity of his sudden assault. “Nanamin, you're a genius! I still have time, I can still give Fushiguro a gift that won't make him hate me!”
Nanami sighed.
“Fushiguro could never – ” he said, but the boy had already returned to the ground and was listing aloud what sounded like the ingredients for a gingerbread cake.
Nanami smiled at his renewed energy.
~
It was obvious that the party organized by Gojo and Geto would be crazy. However, Fushiguro hoped that it would have a semblance of normality, at least at the beginning – and that Kugisaki would not be their direct accomplice.
“To be honest, I wanted to use it on another couple,” she said when Fushiguro scolded her for abandoning Itadori and going to buy a forest of mistletoe.
“You'd better hurry, then, before Maki destroys all the twigs.”
Kugisaki silenced him with a wave of her hand.
“Don't worry, the hallway is just one of the many places we hung it. By the way, do you know where Itadori is?”
“He's probably looking for a safe way to reach us.” This hypothesis revealed another even more problematic one: he risked not being able to leave the party easily. He looked around, trying to find an exit other than the main door, beyond which Maki was still trying to kill Panda, with an awkward Okkotsu trying to calm her down.
Mistletoe had always been a must at their Christmas celebrations, even before Geto returned to jujutsu society and came to live with them. Gojo used it as an excuse to get hugs and kisses from him and Tsumiki, and he would sulk until Fushiguro indulged him – his sister had always been much more tolerant of that crazy guy. With Geto's arrival, mistletoe was used for another purpose – a superfluous one, considering that those two didn't need any incentive to be glued to each other all day long.
It had been naive to believe that tradition would not spread beyond the walls of their home.
“Hi, Fushiguro!”
He hadn't noticed he had walked up to the window, beyond which Itadori was smiling at him with his arms full of gifts and a reindeer ear headband peeking out from between his pink tufts of hair.
Fushiguro smiled.
“Hi, Itadori. Do you want to come in through here?”
“You can't go through the door!” exclaimed Choso, suddenly appearing behind Itadori. From the position of his head, he must have been clinging to the boy. “There's... There's Yuki doing... doing strange things with her mouth!”
Fushiguro raised an eyebrow.
“Ah,” he said after a moment's thought. “Did she kiss you?”
The color that spread across Choso's face answered for him.
“Is that what happened?” exclaimed Itadori. “Wow, Fushiguro, you're a genius! I couldn't figure it out.”
Fushiguro looked away. He felt stupid for getting excited every time Itadori complimented him.
With a thud on the floor, Choso and Itadori jumped into the room, the latter trying to balance the gifts he was holding in his hands.
“Did Gojo give you any more strange errands?” he asked.
“No, no, these are gifts for you guys and the teachers,” he explained as he headed toward the tree to place them next to the other packages already there. “I also got something for Todo, but I heard that he was assigned a mission this morning and I don't know if he'll be able to join us.”
“Nothing for your big brother?” asked Choso, staring at him with wounded doe eyes.
“Of course there is! This one.” He pointed to a bag decorated with a snowman and showed him the card attached to it, on which Choso's name was written, accompanied by a smiley face and a heart.
Choso began to sob as he hugged Itadori, who awkwardly returned the embrace.
Fushiguro sighed, wondering how much longer he would have to witness these exaggerated and inappropriate reactions.
“Megumi-chan~”
It was time to escape from that room.
He turned to Gojo, leaping backwards to get out of the range of the mist that the man had suspended above his head – but he ended up bumping into Geto.
“Merry Christmas, Megumi,” he said, giving him a kind smile. “Are you excited about the gift exchange?”
Fushiguro narrowed his eyes, staring at him warily.
“Worried, actually. What have you and that other idiot planned?”
“Just a simple Christmas party,” Geto replied with a chuckle that quickly faded into a more serious look. “Although, I do have a little surprise for Satoru that – ”
“Fushiguro!”
He turned around to find himself face to face with a smiling Itadori, who was holding his right arm above their heads with a sprig of mistletoe clasped between his fingers.
“What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Gojo-sensei told me to come to you like this.”
Behind him, Geto clapped his hands. “Well, guys, I won't bother you any longer. Have a good day.”
He walked away from them, reaching Gojo, who slumped against his chest, muttering something that made the other laugh.
Fushiguro sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Itadori... Why did you come to me with mistletoe?”
He blinked.
“Mistletoe?” He shifted his gaze from Fushiguro to the red dots he was holding in his hand. “Is... Is this mistletoe? But then, e-even before, Yuki... The hallway is full of mistletoe?!”
“You really had never seen it before?” Fushiguro blurted out, and when faced with his heartfelt denial, he found himself sighing once again.
“So, well... Ah ah, does that mean we have to kiss?” he asked with an embarrassed laugh.
“Everyone, please pay attention!” Gojo's voice drew the attention of the entire room to himself, saving him the embarrassment of having to respond or act. Fushiguro was grateful to him – even though he was the one who had put them in that situation. “First of all, welcome to the amazing Christmas party at the Tokyo Institute of Occult Arts! I know there are some Grinches among you” – and he shifted his gaze from Nanami to Fushiguro – "but I'm sure that with the gifts, sweets, and fireworks display awaiting us at the end of the evening, you'll all have a great time! And, swept up in the magic and romance of this season, who knows, maybe some new loves will blossom." This time, he nodded toward Okkotsu and Maki. The latter looked ready to commit murder, but unfortunately, Gojo decided not to press the issue, instead kicking off the gift exchange.
Fushiguro stood aside, waiting for the crowd in front of the tree to disperse before going to retrieve his packages and distribute them to their recipients. As soon as he reached his destination, he felt a tap on his left shoulder.
Gojo was staring at him with a broad smile, holding a perfectly wrapped gift in his hands – Geto's handiwork, then.
“Merry Christmas, Megumi.”
“Thank you.” He took the gift and retrieved his packages from under the tree. “This is for you. And this is for Geto,” he said, giving each of them their gifts. “Here are the gifts for Tsumiki, Mimiko, and Nanako. I hope the twins get well soon.”
Geto took the bag from his hands, thanking him on their behalf.
“Hey, how does this look?” Gojo had replaced his usual black bandage with a red one decorated with fir trees, gifted to him by Fushiguro.
Geto laughed. “It looks beautiful. That was a great idea, Megumi.”
“It seemed appropriate, considering the season – ”
His words were absorbed by Gojo's embrace, who crushed him against his chest and kissed him on the hair.
“Thanks, Megumi, I love it! Do you like my gift, though? Eh, do you like it?”
“If you let me unwrap it! And get off me!”
Gojo obeyed, going to stand next to Geto.
It was a more normal gift than he had expected: a book about the rarest animal species in Japan. He thanked them and immediately walked away from them, before Gojo decided to jump on him again.
The others were all gathered in small groups, exchanging gifts: Okkotsu was hugging a very embarrassed Maki, while Panda was trying on the gloves given to him by Inumaki, and Kugisaki was helping Nanami put on a new tie. The noisiest couple was definitely Itadori and Choso, who were sobbing in each other's arms.
“It's very sweet, don't you think?” commented Yuki Tsukumo, approaching him.
“They're overdoing it.”
“Maybe. That's probably why Todo likes them so much.” She looked down at him, then gave him a knowing smile. “Are you also waiting for them to calm down so you can give your dear Itadori his gift?”
Fushiguro lowered his head to prevent her from seeing his flushed face.
“W-Why do you ask? Do you have something for him too?”
“No, I'm aiming for the big brother.”
Fushiguro raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you kissed him earlier?”
She gave him an uncertain look. “I was too impulsive, wasn't I? It's the mistletoe's fault, it makes me romantic, especially when I'm in front of a handsome guy like him.”
“Who's the handsome guy?” Kugisaki interjected, joining them.
Yuki smiled at her. “Choso, of course.”
“Yuck. Well, I guess it's a matter of taste. Here, Fushiguro.” She handed him a package, and when he took it, she kept her hand outstretched, waiting.
Fushiguro sighed and gave her his gift. “Merry Christmas to you too, Kugisaki.”
She smiled and, even before finding out what she had received, she put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a rare hug.
“Merry Christmas,” she said. “Well, now I'm just missing... Hey, Bakadori! I'm still waiting for you to grace me with a greeting and my gift.”
Itadori looked up at her. His face lit up and he finally managed to pull himself away from Choso.
“Big brother, we still have to finish delivering the presents,” he said to him.
“You're right,” he nodded. “Although, well, I only have one more to deliver.” He took a small package out of his pocket and walked over to Yuki.
“After my little brother, you're the person I know best and like the most in this place. Merry Christmas.”
The woman's eyes widened. Fushiguro, on the other hand, didn't know whether to be more surprised by that strange statement or by the T-shirt that read “The best big brother in the world.” When in doubt, he decided to divert his attention away from those two and focus on Kugisaki and Itadori instead. Their gift exchange also took place with a hug, after which the girl walked away from them.
“I'll leave you to your exchange, but know that if I don't like your gifts, I'll make you pay for it for the rest of the year.”
The two boys exchanged amused smiles, aware of the truthfulness of that threat. Then, Fushiguro handed Itadori his gift.
“Merry Christmas.”
His face lit up with a big smile.
“Thank you.” He clutched the package to his chest, then ran toward the tree, returning with what looked like a wrapped tray. “This is for you. I hope... I hope you like it,” he said, hiding the lower part of his face in the scarf decorated with dogs that Choso had given him.
Fushiguro unwrapped the package. It was indeed a tray, on which were arranged six single servings of what smelled like lemon tarts.
“Did you bake these?”
Itadori chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Yes, well... I wanted to do something special, since it was for you, and talking to Nanamin, I thought I'd give you something I made myself. I'm pretty good in the kitchen, I'm no expert chef, but it's enough for...”
Fushiguro stopped listening to him. He took a bite of the first tartlet, savoring the creaminess of the filling that refreshed his palate before being hit by the pungent note of ginger. He smiled, continuing to eat.
“S-So... do you like it?” Itadori asked him.
“Very much.” Then he looked down at the package in the boy's hands and his face darkened. He thought he had made a good choice by buying him the limited edition of the manga “The Human Worm,” but knowing how much Itadori had done for him, he felt guilty for giving him such a trivial gift. He should have given him something special, something that showed how much he cared about him.
“Are you sure? You don't seem happy.”
Fushiguro shook his head. “No. Your gift is perfect. It's me who... I'm ashamed of what I got you.”
“What are you talking about?” exclaimed Itadori, flashing him a big smile. “It's perfect!”
“You haven't even unwrapped it.”
“I don't need to see it to know I'll love it. It's a gift from you, and that's enough to make me happy.”
Fushiguro's eyes widened. Itadori always managed to surprise him with his spontaneity, making him feel emotions he didn't even know he was capable of feeling before he met him.
He lowered his head, hiding his face behind his blue bangs, and pounced on the second tartlet.
“You're an idiot,” he muttered.
“You just figured that out? Wow, but this is ‘The Human Worm’! I didn't know the manga existed. Wow, how cool, there are lithographs inside!”
Fushiguro thanked his reflexes, which allowed him to safely place the tray on his left arm as Itadori lunged at him. He clung to his body like a koala – in a style dangerously similar to Gojo's – and Fushiguro almost lost his balance.
“Thank you, Fushiguro! It's beautiful, I adore it, I adore you.”
Fushiguro sighed. He suppressed his initial impulse to push him off and put his free arm around his back.
“I adore you too.” He moved his lips in a whisper, leaving it up to fate to decide whether Itadori would hear him or not. The boy tightened his grip on his shoulders and Fushiguro closed his eyes, letting himself be intoxicated by the warmth of that embrace.
~
The fireworks lit up the starry sky with many different colors. Gojo stretched his arms behind him, resting his palms on the back of the curse that he and Geto were sitting on. He was a little sorry not to be with his students, but the view from that height was breathtaking.
“Looks like the evening was a success,” Geto commented.
“As expected. After all, any event organized by yours truly can only be one hundred percent perfect.”
Geto snorted. “With all that mistletoe, you risked causing at least a couple of deaths, not to mention that I was the one who had to point out to you that the institute needed to be decorated for your ‘super amazing party.’”
“Details,” he cut in. “Anyway, I admit you had the best idea,” he said, smiling as another explosion of colors spread across the night sky. “And I was surprised by your suggestion to come and see them up close.”
“Do you like it?”
“Very much.”
“Good. Then I hope you'll like the next surprise too.”
Gojo laughed, turning to face him. “Oh, you know surprises are always – ”
He stopped, finding himself staring at a silver ring set with three small diamonds. Geto held it between his index finger and thumb and, albeit imperceptibly, his hand was trembling.
“Satoru Gojo.” The smile and sweetness with which he pronounced his name made his heart flutter. “You are the most precious creature I know. You are my best friend, my partner, the other half of my soul. Just looking at your face makes me happy, and every day that passes, I am grateful to have you in my life. I only want to stay by your side, now and forever. So... will you marry me?”
Gojo remained motionless. His throat was dry, and he was grateful for the blindfold that prevented Geto from seeing his eyes. How could he respond to such a declaration? Were there any words worthy of being spoken at that moment, words that could encapsulate the turmoil of emotions he was experiencing inside and that Geto gave him every day with his mere presence?
When the silence dragged on too long and Geto's eyebrows arched in a doubtful expression, Gojo decided to act. He took the ring, slipped it onto his left ring finger, and then threw himself into Geto's arms. Taken by surprise, Geto stood still for a moment, then burst out laughing and returned the embrace.
“Shall I take that as a yes?” he asked.
Gojo nodded, clashing his head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms and legs around him, as if he wanted to absorb him into himself and never let him go. He had risked losing him once, and now he knew that if he let him go again, he would never forgive himself.
“I love you, Suguru,” he murmured against his neck.
Geto caressed his back, tracing circles between his shoulder blades.
“I love you too, Satoru.”
A new explosion of colors, outside and inside them, lit up the night of December 24.