{holiday gift exchange： 1； Chocolate Clementines
Gift： Chocolate Clementines
Rating： G
Disclaimer： Written for entertainment, not profit.
Authors' Notes： The one and only original.
Summary： Imagine Ueda going up to Ryo with a box of chocolate-covered oranges.
"Here," Ueda says flatly. "Happy Christmas. Or whatever it is you celebrate in Osaka."
"The hell?" Ryo looks suspicious. "Is this poison? Because you know, one of the two groups is going to notice my death."
Ueda sighs. "I saw them, thought of you. Shocking, I know, and you're going to preen. Just shut up and eat them afterwards." He pauses, then adds, "They're really nice with some darjeeling tea, I should've packed you some."
"What the hell?" Ryo repeats. "Now I feel obliged to give you a present!"
Ueda wants to facepalm. Lucky he's not so hot-tempered anymore, like when he used to just punch people in the face. "Can't you just be grateful for once?" he asks, exasperated. "You're not special, you know, I got a lot of people gifts. Well, that's a lie, just my group and a couple of other people, but to be perfectly honest I got Kame something nicer."
That gets Ryo's hackles up. "Why does Kame get something nicer?!"
Ueda rolls his eyes. "Because he appreciates it instead of berating me for giving him something? Anyway," he presses, before Ryo spits out more angry comments, "Kame's present isn't your business. Just shut up and be thankful, or I swear I'll punch you in the face."
That shuts Ryo up, because everyone in the company knows about Ueda's punches. Jin has explained in great detail (with many adjectives) about just how painful they are, and Ryo has no wish to experience it for real. "Well. Can I open it now?"
"Seeing as it's Christmas..." Ueda shrugs.
Ryo rips into the present with childlike glee; Ueda wonders why he paid for it to get professionally wrapped in the first place. The box is from some French chocolatier; Ryo can't read the logo but he knows French when he sees it. He lifts the lid and starts; it smells good, soft chocolate and citrus invading his senses. "What are these?" he asks.
"Try one!" Ueda says, and his voice sounds bright. "They're good."
Ryo obliges, because he does love chocolate. He takes a bite of one and there's a rush of chocolate, melting quickly on his tongue, followed by the sharp tang of an orange and a mild sweetness. He blinks, realizes that he's kind of speechless. He stares at Ueda.
"Somehow," Ueda says again, "when I tasted them, I thought you'd like them, too."
"Thanks," Ryo says dumbly, because seriously, the chocolates are good. "Why me...?"
"I don't know." Ueda shrugs. "I thought you'd appreciate it most. It's not too sweet, it's a little bit surprising in the end...that taste, you know, somehow I thought to myself, you'd understand." He blinks, feels a little awkward. "Anyway, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Ryo mumbles.
Ueda grins easily; he's not awkward and shy anymore, just himself. "See you at Countdown then." He lifts a hand in a casual wave and wanders off, Ryo wonders what he does on Christmas.
"Hey, Ueda!"
"Hm?" Ueda glances back, curious.
"Next year..." Ryo holds up the box. "Next year, I'll trade you gifts."
Ueda laughs, "Sure, whatever."
Rating： G
Disclaimer： Written for entertainment, not profit.
Authors' Notes： The one and only original.
Summary： Imagine Ueda going up to Ryo with a box of chocolate-covered oranges.
"Here," Ueda says flatly. "Happy Christmas. Or whatever it is you celebrate in Osaka."
"The hell?" Ryo looks suspicious. "Is this poison? Because you know, one of the two groups is going to notice my death."
Ueda sighs. "I saw them, thought of you. Shocking, I know, and you're going to preen. Just shut up and eat them afterwards." He pauses, then adds, "They're really nice with some darjeeling tea, I should've packed you some."
"What the hell?" Ryo repeats. "Now I feel obliged to give you a present!"
Ueda wants to facepalm. Lucky he's not so hot-tempered anymore, like when he used to just punch people in the face. "Can't you just be grateful for once?" he asks, exasperated. "You're not special, you know, I got a lot of people gifts. Well, that's a lie, just my group and a couple of other people, but to be perfectly honest I got Kame something nicer."
That gets Ryo's hackles up. "Why does Kame get something nicer?!"
Ueda rolls his eyes. "Because he appreciates it instead of berating me for giving him something? Anyway," he presses, before Ryo spits out more angry comments, "Kame's present isn't your business. Just shut up and be thankful, or I swear I'll punch you in the face."
That shuts Ryo up, because everyone in the company knows about Ueda's punches. Jin has explained in great detail (with many adjectives) about just how painful they are, and Ryo has no wish to experience it for real. "Well. Can I open it now?"
"Seeing as it's Christmas..." Ueda shrugs.
Ryo rips into the present with childlike glee; Ueda wonders why he paid for it to get professionally wrapped in the first place. The box is from some French chocolatier; Ryo can't read the logo but he knows French when he sees it. He lifts the lid and starts; it smells good, soft chocolate and citrus invading his senses. "What are these?" he asks.
"Try one!" Ueda says, and his voice sounds bright. "They're good."
Ryo obliges, because he does love chocolate. He takes a bite of one and there's a rush of chocolate, melting quickly on his tongue, followed by the sharp tang of an orange and a mild sweetness. He blinks, realizes that he's kind of speechless. He stares at Ueda.
"Somehow," Ueda says again, "when I tasted them, I thought you'd like them, too."
"Thanks," Ryo says dumbly, because seriously, the chocolates are good. "Why me...?"
"I don't know." Ueda shrugs. "I thought you'd appreciate it most. It's not too sweet, it's a little bit surprising in the end...that taste, you know, somehow I thought to myself, you'd understand." He blinks, feels a little awkward. "Anyway, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Ryo mumbles.
Ueda grins easily; he's not awkward and shy anymore, just himself. "See you at Countdown then." He lifts a hand in a casual wave and wanders off, Ryo wonders what he does on Christmas.
"Hey, Ueda!"
"Hm?" Ueda glances back, curious.
"Next year..." Ryo holds up the box. "Next year, I'll trade you gifts."
Ueda laughs, "Sure, whatever."