The soft light of morning slipped through the curtains, casting a pale glow across the room. A gentle chill hung in the air, and somewhere outside, children's laughter echoed faintly through the streets. Snow had fallen overnight.
Inside his room, Ryker stirred beneath the blanket, eyes fluttering open slowly.
He sat up with a groggy yawn, scratching his head, his messy black hair sticking out in all directions.
What time is it... he thought lazily, dragging his feet toward the hallway.
As he entered the main hall of their cozy home, the warm smell of something sweet wafted from the kitchen.
"Good morning, Brother!" a bright voice called out.
Ryker blinked. Standing near the fireplace with a big grin and wearing a red scarf, Hinata waved excitedly at him.
"Mm... morning," Ryker mumbled, still half asleep. "Why are you so cheerful this early...?"
Hinata giggled and ran up to him. "Merry Christmas, Brother!"
Ryker froze. "...Wait. It's... Christmas?"
"Yep!" Hinata nodded quickly. "December twenty-fifth! You forgot, didn't you?"
His eyes widened. "Tch… I totally forgot about the gift... Damn, this is another problem."
Hinata tilted her head. "What gift? You were supposed to give someone a present?"
"I—" Ryker paused mid-thought. His expression shifted to panic for just a moment before he composed himself. "Yeah. A promise... I need to get something before it's too late."
Hinata pouted, folding her arms. "You forgot to get me something too, didn't you?"
"Uhhh... I'll be right back!"
Without another word, Ryker turned around and sprinted toward his room. A door slammed. Water ran. A closet flung open. Clothes shuffled.
Back in the hallway, Hinata stood there smiling, shaking her head.
"Same old Ryker."she said.
Ryker was rushing, tying his shoelaces in a hurry by the door.
Just then, Hinata leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, with a sly grin on her face.
"Brother, you never even introduced me to your girlfriend."
Ryker snapped his head up, annoyed. "Shut up, Hina! I don't have a girlfriend!"
Hinata smirked. "Then who's that Christmas gift for, huh? Usually, boys only panic like that when it's about a girl."
Ryker paused, one shoe half-tied, glaring at her. "...Hina."
"Hmm?" she said, tilting her head innocently.
"Tell me," Ryker asked, brushing off her teasing, "what do girls love the most?"
Hinata blinked. Then smiled gently. "That depends, silly. Every girl is different. If you really care... then the best gift is something only you would know. Something that makes her smile."
Ryker stood silently for a second, then nodded with a rare look of seriousness in his eyes.
"Thanks."
He opened the door and stepped out into the cold morning air.
Hinata watched him go, hugging her scarf.
"Ahh... I saw it," she whispered to herself with a soft smile. "That look in his eyes... he was serious."
She turned back toward the fireplace, heart quietly warm.
Night had fallen, and the town was glowing in soft golden lights. The air was cold, but peaceful.
Yumi stood near the decorated tree by the riverside, her scarf wrapped tightly as she rubbed her gloved hands together.
"He's late," she mumbled, pouting slightly. Just then—
Footsteps.
Sol came jogging up, slightly out of breath. "Haaah... finally made it..."
Yumi turned, her eyes lighting up. "Merry Christmas, Sol."
Still catching his breath, Sol gave a half-smile. "Merry Christmas, Yumi."
He reached into his coat pocket and handed her a small wrapped box. "Here. A gift… well, not really from me."
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
Sol shrugged. "It's from my mom. She insisted I give it to you. Said something about being 'a proper man with manners' or whatever."
Yumi blinked in surprise. "Your mom? She gave me a gift?"
"Yeah. I told her I was meeting you tonight and… she just, y'know, pushed this into my hand like it was a secret mission."
Yumi smiled and carefully opened the wrapping. Inside was a delicate, silver wristwatch with a soft pink band. Her eyes sparkled.
"Wow... it's so beautiful."
Sol grinned. "Told you. My mom's taste is way better than mine. She picks all my socks, too."
Yumi laughed. "Okay, okay, you don't have to confess everything."
Sol smirked. "Just setting expectations."
She held the watch up in the moonlight, then smiled warmly. "Tell your mom I said thank you."
"I will," Sol said, eyes lingering on her smile longer than he meant to.
After admiring the watch for a few more moments, Yumi gently slipped it onto her wrist.
"It fits perfectly," she said, her voice soft.
Sol smiled. "Told you. My mom's never wrong about these things."
They both chuckled, the air between them lighter now. The city lights reflected in the nearby river, and soft Christmas music floated in from the streets.
Yumi looked at him. "So… dinner?"
Sol glanced at her, then casually extended his hand. "Shall we?"
Yumi blinked in surprise—but smiled, cheeks a little pink from the cold… or maybe something else. She slipped her hand into his.
Their fingers intertwined, naturally. Effortlessly.
"Let's go," she said.
They walked side by side, hand in hand, through the softly lit streets. Snowflakes began to drift from the sky as they approached a cozy little restaurant glowing with warm lights.
The sign above the door read: "Aurora's Hearth — Seasonal Dinner & Warm Drinks."
Sol pulled the door open and let her step in first.
"Gentleman," Yumi teased.
"Sometimes," Sol replied, smirking.
Inside, the place was cozy—wooden beams, candlelight on every table, and the smell of roasted food in the air. A soft Christmas melody played on the piano in the corner.
"Perfect," Yumi whispered.
They sat down together, still holding hands for a moment longer before letting go to pick up the menu.
Sol and Yumi sat across from each other, a small candle flickering between them. The restaurant buzzed softly with the sound of couples talking and laughing, silverware clinking gently against plates.
Yumi scanned the menu, then peeked over the top of it. "So… Mr. I-Had-A-Plan-All-Along, what are you ordering?"
Sol smirked, pretending to think hard. "Hmm… the Christmas Steak Set. And maybe… hot chocolate. Fancy, right?"
Yumi chuckled. "Very fancy. I'll take the same, but with extra cream on the hot chocolate."
"Sweet tooth," Sol said, grinning.
"Guilty," she replied.
After they ordered, there was a moment of silence—not awkward, just peaceful. Yumi looked around the room, then back at Sol.
"You know… this is the first time we've done something like this. Just us. No missions. No chaos."
Sol leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head. "Yeah. Feels… normal. I kinda forgot what normal felt like."
Yumi tilted her head. "Do you miss it? The quiet life?"
He paused. "Sometimes. But I think… being with you makes any kind of life feel good."
She blinked, then looked down quickly, trying to hide her smile. "Idiot…"
"I'm serious," Sol said, leaning forward. "You've been there. Through all the battles. All the crazy stuff. I guess I never said it, but… I'm glad it's you."
Her eyes lifted to meet his. "I'm glad it's you too."
The waiter came, placing the meals on the table. Steam rose from the plates, the aroma making both their stomachs rumble.
As they ate, Yumi suddenly said, "By the way… my mom already thinks we're dating."
Sol nearly choked on his steak. "Wha—You—What?!"
Yumi laughed out loud. "Relax! She just said we look cute together."
"Oh," Sol said, cheeks a little red. "That's… not a bad thing, right?"
"Not at all," Yumi said, smiling softly.
They ate slowly, talked easily—about small things, about future dreams, and about how weird it felt to not be in danger.
By the end of the meal, Yumi reached across the table, gently taking Sol's hand again.
"Thank you," she said.
"For dinner?" he asked.
"For this night," she said. "For making it feel… real."
Sol squeezed her hand gently.
"Merry Christmas, Yumi."
"Merry Christmas, Sol."