All That Matters -- Gravitation (Eiri/Shuichi, Riku)
Shuichi turned the volume down on the radio as Riku came padding softly into the kitchen. His snowflake print pajamas were sticking to him, his skin still slightly damp from his bath.
“All set?” Shuichi asked and smiled when Riku nodded. “Okay, let’s get you in bed, then.” He took the boy’s hand and led him to the guest room. He tucked Riku into bed and kissed him gently on the head. “Now you go to sleep quickly so Santa will come, okay?”
Riku nodded again and whispered, “Goodnight,” and watched as Shuichi tiptoed out, leaving the door cracked to let the hallway light slip in.
-
Frowning, Eiri dragged the bag from the toy store out of the study closet. He’d never bothered with Christmas presents before the sappy, sentimental influence of Shuichi Shindou.
“Come on, come on, come on,” the pink-haired pest was chanting. “Ah, this is so exciting! I’ve never had Christmas with a kid before!”
“Yeah,” Eiri deadpanned. “It’s thrilling.”
Shuichi grinned, sending out beams of Cuteness, which Eiri tried his best to deflect with his own glare of Grouchiness. Shuichi laughed and beckoned with a finger as he started to skip out of the room and grudgingly, Eiri followed…only to have the door slammed in his face.
“Riku!” Shuichi squeaked, staring wide-eyed at the child standing docilely in the hallway. He heard Eiri swear behind the door he was pressed so alarmingly up against, but decided to ignore him. He’d apologize later. He couldn’t let Riku see the bag of toys. “What are you doing up?”
“Thirsty.”
“Uh, okay. Here,” Shuichi muttered distractedly, taking Riku by the wrist and tugging him into the living room. He handed him the glass of milk that was sitting on the coffee table next to a plate of cookies.
“Santa’s milk?” Riku asked, looking hesitant.
“Oh.” Shuichi mentally slapped himself. “Don’t worry; I’ll pour him some more.”
“Okay.”
Once Riku’s need was met, Shuichi took him back to bed and gave him a kiss goodnight. He returned to the study to find Eiri scowling at him. If he wasn’t used to it by now, he would most likely fear for his life.
“Sorry, Yuki. Did I hurt your face?”
“Yes.” His scowl deepened when Shuichi reached for him and he slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch it.”
-
Shuichi whistled an impromptu medley of Christmas carols as he slipped a couple of small plush animals into Riku’s stocking. He bumped hips with Eiri beside him, receiving half-hearted swats to his behind in response.
“Gosh, I love Christmas!”
“Freak.”
“And this is the best year, too, because I have you and Riku to share it with! My own little family!”
“Sap.”
Shuichi opened up the bag to reach inside and take out the next toy…only to be shoved, bag and all, into the wall behind the Christmas tree.
“Riku,” Eiri said, trying not to glare at the boy standing in the doorway of the room. He didn’t know when the kid got there, and he just knew he was going to give him a heart attack one of these days. “What do you want?”
“Hungry.”
“All right, well, here.” Eiri snagged the plate of cookies off the table and walked over to Riku, handing it to him.
“Santa’s cookies?”
“Oh.” Eiri mentally kicked himself. “Don’t worry; Santa needs to shed a few pounds, anyway.”
“Okay.”
Once Riku’s need was met, Eiri took him back to bed and gave him a pat on the head goodnight. He returned to the living room to find Shuichi, hair looking a little mussed, frowning at him.
“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”
The corner of Eiri’s mouth quirk upward just the slightest.
“A little bit, yeah.”
-
All the presents were finally out under the tree. Shuichi hugged at Eiri’s arm, the smile that spread across his face enhanced by the twinkling Christmas lights.
“Oh, Yuki,” he sighed contentedly, “I’m so happy right now.”
“Hm.”
“It really is the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it?”
“Hm.”
“Hey, Yuki?”
“Hm?”
“What did you get me?”
Eiri looked down at the younger man grinning cheekily up at him, and felt his hard, hard heart begin to flutter.
“Baka.”
Eiri leaned down and Shuichi straightened up and they moved close…only to quickly spring apart when they heard the sound of a door creaking open. They rushed into the hallway and managed to step in the boy’s path before Riku could wander into the living room and see the presents.
“Riku!” They simultaneously gasped. “Why aren’t you asleep?”
Riku shrugged. Eiri and Shuichi sighed and each of them took a hand, leading the child back to his bed. They tucked him in and Shuichi kissed him and Eiri patted his head. And Riku stared up at them with wide, innocent eyes and asked, “Is Santa real?”
The two men looked at each other and hesitated, unprepared and taken aback.
“Well,” Shuichi started, “do you think he’s real?”
Riku nodded.
“Then what are you worrying for?” Eiri asked, playfully flicking his fingers at the boy’s forehead. “If you believe it, that’s all that matters.”
Riku smiled then, sweet and trusting and happy, and he snuggled deep into his covers and whispered, “Goodnight.”
-
“So…if I believe that you love me, that’s all that matters?”
“Whatever works.”
And Shuichi giggled, sending out more beams of Cuteness. But Eiri didn’t mind so much this time.
“Merry Christmas, Yuki.”
“Merry Christmas, Brat.”
“All set?” Shuichi asked and smiled when Riku nodded. “Okay, let’s get you in bed, then.” He took the boy’s hand and led him to the guest room. He tucked Riku into bed and kissed him gently on the head. “Now you go to sleep quickly so Santa will come, okay?”
Riku nodded again and whispered, “Goodnight,” and watched as Shuichi tiptoed out, leaving the door cracked to let the hallway light slip in.
-
Frowning, Eiri dragged the bag from the toy store out of the study closet. He’d never bothered with Christmas presents before the sappy, sentimental influence of Shuichi Shindou.
“Come on, come on, come on,” the pink-haired pest was chanting. “Ah, this is so exciting! I’ve never had Christmas with a kid before!”
“Yeah,” Eiri deadpanned. “It’s thrilling.”
Shuichi grinned, sending out beams of Cuteness, which Eiri tried his best to deflect with his own glare of Grouchiness. Shuichi laughed and beckoned with a finger as he started to skip out of the room and grudgingly, Eiri followed…only to have the door slammed in his face.
“Riku!” Shuichi squeaked, staring wide-eyed at the child standing docilely in the hallway. He heard Eiri swear behind the door he was pressed so alarmingly up against, but decided to ignore him. He’d apologize later. He couldn’t let Riku see the bag of toys. “What are you doing up?”
“Thirsty.”
“Uh, okay. Here,” Shuichi muttered distractedly, taking Riku by the wrist and tugging him into the living room. He handed him the glass of milk that was sitting on the coffee table next to a plate of cookies.
“Santa’s milk?” Riku asked, looking hesitant.
“Oh.” Shuichi mentally slapped himself. “Don’t worry; I’ll pour him some more.”
“Okay.”
Once Riku’s need was met, Shuichi took him back to bed and gave him a kiss goodnight. He returned to the study to find Eiri scowling at him. If he wasn’t used to it by now, he would most likely fear for his life.
“Sorry, Yuki. Did I hurt your face?”
“Yes.” His scowl deepened when Shuichi reached for him and he slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch it.”
-
Shuichi whistled an impromptu medley of Christmas carols as he slipped a couple of small plush animals into Riku’s stocking. He bumped hips with Eiri beside him, receiving half-hearted swats to his behind in response.
“Gosh, I love Christmas!”
“Freak.”
“And this is the best year, too, because I have you and Riku to share it with! My own little family!”
“Sap.”
Shuichi opened up the bag to reach inside and take out the next toy…only to be shoved, bag and all, into the wall behind the Christmas tree.
“Riku,” Eiri said, trying not to glare at the boy standing in the doorway of the room. He didn’t know when the kid got there, and he just knew he was going to give him a heart attack one of these days. “What do you want?”
“Hungry.”
“All right, well, here.” Eiri snagged the plate of cookies off the table and walked over to Riku, handing it to him.
“Santa’s cookies?”
“Oh.” Eiri mentally kicked himself. “Don’t worry; Santa needs to shed a few pounds, anyway.”
“Okay.”
Once Riku’s need was met, Eiri took him back to bed and gave him a pat on the head goodnight. He returned to the living room to find Shuichi, hair looking a little mussed, frowning at him.
“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”
The corner of Eiri’s mouth quirk upward just the slightest.
“A little bit, yeah.”
-
All the presents were finally out under the tree. Shuichi hugged at Eiri’s arm, the smile that spread across his face enhanced by the twinkling Christmas lights.
“Oh, Yuki,” he sighed contentedly, “I’m so happy right now.”
“Hm.”
“It really is the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it?”
“Hm.”
“Hey, Yuki?”
“Hm?”
“What did you get me?”
Eiri looked down at the younger man grinning cheekily up at him, and felt his hard, hard heart begin to flutter.
“Baka.”
Eiri leaned down and Shuichi straightened up and they moved close…only to quickly spring apart when they heard the sound of a door creaking open. They rushed into the hallway and managed to step in the boy’s path before Riku could wander into the living room and see the presents.
“Riku!” They simultaneously gasped. “Why aren’t you asleep?”
Riku shrugged. Eiri and Shuichi sighed and each of them took a hand, leading the child back to his bed. They tucked him in and Shuichi kissed him and Eiri patted his head. And Riku stared up at them with wide, innocent eyes and asked, “Is Santa real?”
The two men looked at each other and hesitated, unprepared and taken aback.
“Well,” Shuichi started, “do you think he’s real?”
Riku nodded.
“Then what are you worrying for?” Eiri asked, playfully flicking his fingers at the boy’s forehead. “If you believe it, that’s all that matters.”
Riku smiled then, sweet and trusting and happy, and he snuggled deep into his covers and whispered, “Goodnight.”
-
“So…if I believe that you love me, that’s all that matters?”
“Whatever works.”
And Shuichi giggled, sending out more beams of Cuteness. But Eiri didn’t mind so much this time.
“Merry Christmas, Yuki.”
“Merry Christmas, Brat.”