Chapter Text
“What do you get for someone who says they want nothing for Christmas?”
That question had been at the forefront of Satoru’s mind for the past two weeks and it was all Suguru’s fault. Satoru had straight up asked him what he wanted for Christmas, only for Suguru to say he didn’t want anything. Naturally, Satoru hadn’t been able to accept that answer. After all, this was their first Christmas since they’d started dating in August and Satoru was determined to make it special.
Finding the perfect present for Suguru should’ve been easy. Satoru had known him for basically their whole lives and he knew all his likes and dislikes, but no matter how many stores he went to or how many websites who clicked through, he just couldn’t find the right thing. And Christmas Eve was tomorrow, so he needed to find something and fast.
Should I get him a coat? Satoru wondered as he scrolled through page after page of Christmas gift ideas. No, he just got a new one from his grandparents. Shoes? Nah, he doesn’t really care about shoes. Food? Maybe, but he wouldn’t want anything fancy.
“Um, Gojo? How do you solve this again?”
Satoru stopped scrolling through his phone and looked up. Riko held up a math workbook and gestured at a half-finished quadratic equation, a sheepish smile on her face. Sighing, Satoru set his phone aside, took the workbook, and motioned for Riko to hand him a pencil.
“You need to rearrange it to solve for zero,” Satoru explained as he carefully outlined the steps below the equation. “After that, you can factor.”
Riko beamed gratefully and took back her workbook. “Thanks!”
“No problem,” Satoru said and reached for his phone again.
The two lapsed into comfortable silence, broken up only by the sound of Riko scribbling and erasing in her workbook. Satoru had been tutoring Riko since July and, as much as he liked to complain about it, he didn’t actually mind it. After that crazy summer with the curses, it was nice to have normal things to worry about like solving math problems and finding the perfect Christmas present.
I could always get him manga, Satoru thought as he tipped back his chair and went to Animate’s website. Oh! They have that special limited edition volume of—No, wait, he already got that one. Damn it, why can’t he just tell me what he wants?
“Something on your mind?” Riko asked.
Satoru rocked his chair back and forth. “Just Christmas stuff.”
“Ooh, Christmas!” Riko exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Are you looking for a Christmas present for Geto?”
“Yeah, but he’s not making it easy.” Sighing, Satoru set his phone back down on the table, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes. “Suguru said he didn’t want anything, but who says they don’t want anything for Christmas?”
“People who aren’t materialistic?”
Satoru scoffed. “Please, everyone wants something.”
Riko scrunched up her face thoughtfully “Maybe he meant it literally. As in he doesn’t want a ‘thing’ for Christmas, so no actual present. Maybe he just wants to spend time with you.”
“We’re together literally every day,” Satoru said. “We live in the same dorm room, remember?”
“No, dummy,” Riko said and rolled her eyes. “I meant spend time together romantically. Like on a date. Christmas is supposed to be all about romance, right?”
Satoru dropped his chin in his hand and considered this. He’d already thought of ten different date ideas and then narrowed them down to the six that Suguru would actually enjoyed. From there, he’d been left with three possible options since the Christmas reservations had filled up fast. There was the nearby Christmas market, ice skating, or dinner at Suguru’s favorite restaurant. Or possibly all three. But a date wasn’t the same thing as an actual gift and Satoru couldn’t imagine not giving him something.
“A date’s not a present, Riko.”
“Not with that attitude. Oh, but . . . Hmm . . .” Riko trailed off and tapped her pencil against her chin.
“What?”
“Maybe Geto said he didn’t want anything because he feels like he can’t give you an equal gift in return.”
Surprised, Satoru sat up straight. “What do you mean?”
“Well, remember what you got me for my birthday?”
“Yeah, the pass to DisneySea,” Satoru said. “What about it? You didn’t like it or something?”
“No, I loved it!” Riko said quickly. “I love going to DisneySea! Seriously, thank you so much. But . . .”
“But what?”
Riko shifted awkwardly in her seat. “All I got you for your birthday was a box of assorted Kit Kats. And I felt really bad ‘cause I couldn’t get you anything nice after you gave me such a generous present.”
“But that was a good present,” Satoru said, confused. “I like Kit Kats.”
“Yeah?” Riko said hesitantly. “So it didn’t bother you that I couldn’t get you anything that cost as much as what you gave me?”
Satoru rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid, Riko. Of course it didn’t bother me. Why would it? It’s not like I’m keeping score or something.”
“Don’t call me stupid.” Riko sagged back in her chair and let out a loud sigh. “But I’m glad it didn’t bother you. I’d been a little worried about that.”
Satoru reached across the table and flicked Riko on the forehead. Riko yelped, then growled. Scowling, she picked up an eraser and and threw it at him. Satoru caught it with a smirk, then reached across the table and ruffled Riko’s hair.
“Don’t worry about stupid stuff like that,” Satoru said, his smirk softening into a smile. “And I really did like those Kit Kats. You know me. I would’ve told you if I hated them.”
“Yeah, I know.” A smile slowly spread across Riko’s face. “Okay, back to your problem. So Geto said he didn’t want anything for Christmas, but maybe he only said that because he can’t give you anything as nice as whatever you’re planning on giving him.”
Satoru considered this for a moment, then shook his head. Suguru was too honest and straightforward. He would’ve said something if he’d been bothered by expensive presents. “Nah, I don’t think it’s that. I doubt he cares.”
“Hmm . . .” Riko tapped her pencil against her workbook. “If you can’t think of anything to buy, maybe you should try making something. Like a scarf or cookies.”
“Make something, huh?”
Satoru folded his arms and tipped back his head. For some reason, an image of Yaga knitting one of those little animal plushies popped into his mind. Satoru tried to imagine making something similar and failed. He wasn’t good at arts and crafts. He knew how to cook a little bit and could probably bake cookies as long as the recipe was easy to follow, but their dorm didn’t have a kitchen for student use.
“You could also make a Christmas cake or a bento box lunch. Oh, how about a picnic lunch?” With a lovelorn sigh, Riko closed her eyes and pressed her hands against her cheeks. “An indoor picnic, cozied up under a kotatsu while the snow falls outside, watching a romantic movie . . . Or decorating cookies together and then dancing around the kitchen, surrounded by Christmas lights . . .”
Satoru made a face. Romantic movies? Dancing? Where the hell did Riko get such corny ideas? Still, cozying up with Suguru did sound appealing. Shame they didn’t have a kotatsu and there was no snow.
“There’s also karaoke . . . Holding hands while ice skating,” Riko continued as she opened her eyes. “Then maybe, under the Christmas tree . . .”
Suddenly, Riko gasped as though she’d been waken up from a dream and turned an amazing shade of red. Satoru stared at her for a moment, half-wondering where her fantasy had led her and why it had caused her to have such a reaction.
“A-Anyway, those are just some, um, ideas,” Riko stammered with a nervous little laugh. “It’s not like I’ve, um, been looking up Christmas date ideas or anything just in case I . . . um . . .”
Suddenly, Satoru realized why she looked so squirmy. He bit back a smile, folded his arms on the table, and leaned towards Riko.
“Riko?”
“Huh?”
“You got a crush on someone?”
“No!” Riko squeaked and frantically waved her hands. “Oh my god, Gojo, you can’t just ask people that! It’s too embarrassing.”
Satoru grinned mischievously. “Why’s it embarrassing?”
“Because . . .” Riko lowered her gaze and tugged on her braid. “Because I . . . I haven’t told him I liked him. And I can’t stop thinking about him! Ahh, it’s driving me crazy!”
Groaning, Riko covered her face with her hands and dropped her head on the table. It shouldn’t have been funny, but she looked so frustrated that Satoru had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, after all.
“So,” Satoru asked after a beat, “who is he? Where’d you meet him?”
“His name’s Rindo Yukio.” Riko sat back up and dropped her hands. “My friend asked me to join the badminton team because they’re short on members. I met him at an away game with our sister school. He’s really cute and super nice and a good listener and, oh, get this!” Riko’s voice rose with excitement and her eyes lit up. “He also wants to study oceanography!”
“And you want to kiss him under the Christmas tree,” Satoru teased.
“Don’t say that!” Riko squealed and covered her face with her hands again. “But . . . maybe . . .”
Satoru chuckled. He opened his mouth to tease Riko again, but then his phone beeped with a text from Suguru. He read the message, typed out a reply, then checked the time. “Tutoring session’s done.”
“Finally!” Riko jumped to her feet and quickly crammed her workbook and school supplies into her schoolbag.
“You got a place to be or something?” Satoru asked as he stood up.
“Just going shopping with my friends. We’re going to the Christmas market tomorrow.” Riko opened the door of the study room and held it open for Satoru. “What about you?” she asked, dropping her voice to a whisper as they walked through the library.
Satoru waited until they had exited the library to answer. “Gonna pick up Suguru from his shift at Nanami’s aunt’s bakery.”
“Tell him I say hi, okay?”
“Sure, and Riko?”
“Yeah?”
“Good luck with that guy.”
Riko blushed and squeezed the straps of her schoolbag. She looked down at her feet, scuffed the heel of her shoe on the sidewalk, then looked up with a bright smile. “Thanks! Good luck with Geto’s gift.”
Satoru nodded. Riko waved goodbye and turned on her heel. With a spring in her step, she hurried off in the direction of the train station. Satoru waited until she had disappeared into the station, then turned and walked in the direction of the bakery. He felt a raindrop on his head and looked up at the dark sky.
Better go buy an umbrella.