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Oh? For me?

( something about the way he points at himself, it feels like he was half-expecting to be skipped despite subaru being... well, subaru.

nevertheless, he's excited all the same, smiling warmly as he accepts his gift. )

You should've told me we were exchanging early — I'll have to get yours from my room.

( but that can wait a few minutes. it'd be kind of rude for him to just get up and ignore what's right in front of him after all, so instead he'll take a moment to admire the handiwork of the carefully painted box in his hands. clearly, by the look in his eyes he's awful impressed. he'll hold his comments until he's opened it up however, peeking inside expectantly. )

[...! amami got something for him too... it warms him, eases his mind, and inside amami will find food.

subaru isn't much for cute mascot meals like natsume, nor is it professionally styled, but it's very much a homecooked meal of pork cutlets atop a bed of rice, vegetables tucked to the side all drizzled with what smells like tonkatsu sauce.

...]

Ta-da~! I wasn't really sure what to get a guy who's seen the world like you, so I decided to hit close to home instead. ♪ Though you've definitely had plenty of meals like this here anyway, this one's special 'cause I made it. [duh] Also also, the box is yours to keep. ☆

( mascot meal or not, amami appreciates the thought put into it all the same. it's a critical hit, in fact — he's lit up like the sun, grinning wide like he couldn't help the smile on his face if he wanted to. he doesn't, though. actually, he'd much rather direct it at subaru, all-but beaming at the other boy for a moment before he finally finds it in him to, y'know, thank him properly. )

Thanks, Akehoshi-kun. I love it. Haha, you're right, actually — this is special 'cause you made it.

( and also because it's something he's not really so great at making himself, tragically. he looks back at the food, then a little mournfully to the hall, and let him close this box for a minute real quick. it actually feels kinda bad to just dig in before even giving subaru his gift, so he'll pull himself to his feet, nodding towards the hall. )

Here, let me give you yours real quick before I eat. It's the least I can do.

[... oh... that's a new look on amami's face and it makes subaru grin even harder himself, plus the insistence to fetch the return gift????? he'll nod!!]

'Kay~! Don't be too long though, okay?

[because he's excited he wants to see what is gift is]

( he won't — trotting off back to his room, it only takes a minute or two before he's making his way back over to subaru with a colourful backpack in hand, holding it out for the other to take. )

Sorry, didn't have a chance to wrap it or anything yet, hope you don't mind.

I don't mind~! You kinda feel like my mom right now, though. ♪

[it's a good thing, probably. anyway subaru'll take it and immediately open it to see if there's anything else. if not that's fine he's happy anyway but he's curious]

Ha, I'll take that as a compliment.

( considering how fond subaru seemed to be of his mom.

in any case, there is, in fact, a tangle... well, not a tangle. they're tied together at intervals to make sure they stay nice and neat and separated, but there are, in fact, two sets of wires inside the bag. more importantly, those wires are attached to a number of moon and star shaped lights, or else what look like some clothes pins that need to be battery-powered to work. that one'll make more sense once he gets komaeda's gift, but amami wasn't expecting to give his early.

speaking of amami, he's watching pretty expectantly as subaru peeks inside, doing that little head lean-forward thing as if to get a better look at subaru's expression. )

Sorry, I know it's not as good as yours, but I wanted to make sure I got you something. Was hoping they'd be the type of thing you might like.

[just the fact that amami wanted to get him something is enough to warm him, even though he knows logically that of course he would; they're friends, and friends give each other gifts. subaru probably would've whined if he hadn't gotten anything, but not be seriously hurt by it -- he's not expecting anything in return for the things he gives others, after all, he just likes seeing the expressions on their faces and knowing that they're happy. or hopefully happy.

he draws the wires out, eyes lighting up at the shapes (childish as they would be to anyone else) and he sets them aside with care. next comes the clothes pins, which he seems more curious than anything about, and once they're both back into the safety of the backpack subaru'll tackle into amami's arms.

yes he knows you don't like it too much but he does not care he's huggy]

Ama-chan~! How dare you downplay yourself! You could've gotten me a bag of coins and I would've been happy, y'know?!

[food is love, so subaru won't downplay that, but for amami to consider this below that... please. the hug loosens after a moment and he'll let his friend go, picking up the backpack excitedly.]

You thought of me! You wanted to get me something! That's enough!

( oh oof, he hadn't really expected that — not that he hates it necessarily, but he's not accustomed enough to having the kind of friends who'll bowl you over for gift as simple as the one that he's given in this case. all the same, after a bit of awkwardly not knowing what to do with his hands, he'll sort of laugh along with it anyway, patting at subaru's back like he's some kind of awkward dad or something. )

Well, I guess it's the thought that counts?

( "just wanting to get me something is enough" is totally something you say when they missed the mark, amami knows that much. even so, subaru's smilling all the same, so he can't really do anything but return the sentiment. )

Glad if you're happy with it though. I was thinking of getting you something else too, but I wasn't quite able to make it in time.

[you can awkward dad pat him his didn't live long enough to hit that stage]

That's fine! You can just give it to me when it's ready! I really do love these though, I wonder where I should put them...

[he'll detach... so he can look at his presents again. the backpack will come in handy when he's toting things around like cats around. maybe he can figure out a way to put them on the ceiling...? or-- no, he shouldn't use the opposite wall just so he can look at it... but it'd look cool next to the skylight...]

Oh, right! [puts them back in! closes up the sack! takes amami's hands and puts them back on the bento box!] You gotta eat!

[please he's so excited.]

Oh, right! Can't let it get cold after all.

( what a waste that would be. but anyway, amami'll make himself comfortable, sitting on the arm of the nearest sofa and making himself comfortable because sitting in chairs as intended is never quite the same. his eyes light up just the same as he opens up his bento, in a way that can't be mistaken as anything but looking forward to his meal. which, provided that subaru managed to cook it well, he'll savour every last bite, glancing over to the other as he's finishing up the last of it. )

Thanks, Akehoshi-kun. I don't know how you managed to guess, but I can't think of a better present than this.

[it's basic enough that it'll be good -- not 5* restaurant, but very much something that a boy learned watching his mom and then proceeded to do himself for more than a quarter of his life, here included. tasty and warm, but most of all the way home should taste with a few added flairs that make it his own. like a little extra pepper, or a sweeter sauce, that sort of thing.

even if amami didn't have much in the way of mother-cooked meals, the imperfections allow for a sliver of the experience. and just like subaru enjoys watching keigo eat, he enjoys this too -- it's nice to see a worldly person like amami take such care to get every last bit, since he's sure the other's tasted all kinds of things. which is it surprises him to hear amami's words.]

Really?! Yesss, a ten out ten score on the Ama-chan route! [don't mind him.

... he calms down a bit though, grin softening.]

I wanted to find some way to thank you for being my friend and helping me out, even if I'm not the best person sometimes~. [half the time, maybe.] But I figured a guy like you really has seen and gotten everything out of life 'cause you're well-traveled, so it seriously was sort of a last resort. I'm glad you like it so much.

[sort of a relief, but seeing how much amami enjoyed it... maybe subaru'll make lunches for him like he does keigo.]

( oh there's nothing more ideal than that to him. rather than high-class gourmet, it's the taste of a simple, home-cooked meal that really touches his heart. the memories associated with that taste, even if they aren't necessarily of time spent with his own parents, are something he cherishes nonetheless. a little taste of nostalgia — a simpler time than the mess they've found themselves trapped in now.

the sentiment behind it though, that helps too. what kamo-kun had said about the warmth of good food spreading to the rest of you, it's a feeling like that — a feeling like home that starts with the food in his stomach, and ends with subaru's kind intentions. )

That's not the kind of thing you have to thank me for, Akehoshi-kun. If anything, I should be the one thanking you.

( who was the one that first reached out their hand? )

It's true that I've done a lot of traveling, but... when you're always going from place to place on some kind of adventure, it's really the downtime — the moments between that you treasure the most. That, and the simple things you take for granted at home; they become like luxuries when you're away. So a home-cooked meal from a friend? Yeah, that's something really special.

[subaru kicks his feet a little, leaning on the table as he watches the other with a growing smile. he thinks of traveling around japan with trickstar, how coming home had been so nice and relaxing, eating a homecooked meal for the first time in months-- how he would have done the same this time, if he'd lived to see the end if it, and then times that by ten.

...]

You know, this is my second Christmas ever that I've spent with friends. Not 'cause of traveling or anything like that... Well, sorta, but not like you.

[not to far off places, experiencing new things and learning different languages. subaru'll lay his head on his arms. comfy.]

Mom and I moved around a lot when I was a kid, so I never really got the chance to make friends to do things with or for~. That's why I'm happy with anything at all -- you could've given me a coin and I would've shot through the roof, 'cause it was a gift from someone important to me.

[pathetic. pathetic but true, a boy who was happy with a fake gemstone from someone just because it was a friend who gave it to him.]

Yeah? I can't think of a time when I have either, so I guess we're the same in that. ( as if subaru hadn't guessed. ) My family was usually pretty busy, or... away from home on top of that, so holidays were pretty quiet.

( shaking his head though, he offers a warm and easy smile. this isn't about him, after all. )

But I didn't wanna give you something half-hearted either, y'know. Even if you'd be easy to please, I wanted to show you how grateful I am somehow.

( so... starry lights. it's nothing impressive, but subaru likes sparkling things, and he likes stars, and he likes lights. it's a testament to the fact that amami has eyes, at the very least. )

And anyway, it might be the second, but we'll make sure it's not the last, 'kay?

( christmas with friends, christmas with family — they'll get him out of here and he can have it all. )

[a double reason why amami seems so content with little gestures too; even if they're small, they're something, and subaru draws circles with his finger. always fidgeting, always moving.]

No matter when or where, I'll find you, just like I'll find everyone else. Natsume, Lena, Maddy... Keigo. All of you.

[so they can have their christmas every year, birthdays and new years and every other holiday in the mix -- together. it's a promise in all but the word.]

I totally get parents being busy, though~. Dad was an idol like me, [he's pretty sure he's mentioned this, even in passing, because it's something he tells everyone,] so I didn't get to see him a lot. Holiday seasons are super busy especially for people like us!

[try as he might, the possibility of getting off wasn't always high. he thinks of the starlight festival, how it takes place across the christmas days, and then of the SS finals immediately following in full on new years; it started in november, just after halloween, and

it sounds exhaustive laid out, but subaru misses it so much, how excited he'd been day after day being worn to the bones doing something he loved. he closes his eyes and sighs, somewhere between happy and something else. lonely, maybe.]

Mom told me he would always try his best though, even if it didn't always work out, but I don't remember most of the years... He passed away when I was pretty young, we started moving around a lot, and then Mom started working when she got back on her feet, too. It's nice having someone that gets it, even a little~.

[even if it's not exact, it's like how makoto has the same household set-up he does. a single mother, an only son, both who want to do what they can to make sure their only family left doesn't kill themselves working. subaru finds it easy to talk and connect with others who're like him in some way, but it's harder still to look at people when he offers up pieces of himself like this.]

( he's not sure what it is about the words, but something about it — no matter when or where, I'll find you — causes his stomach to turn and a hollow ache to fill his chest. his brows draw together, smile faltering for a moment. but... as much as the phrase gives him a sense of unease, a vague and anxious feeling he can't quite identify twisting in his stomach, he doesn't interrupt.

it's probably for the best that he doesn't, because he isn't expecting what comes next. )

I suppose it's no wonder you're so good at taking care of someone, is it.

( what is he supposed to say to this. help. rantarou "charisma score of 2" amami is out here and he is doing his best, but at the very least, if subaru looks up, he can see a genuine sense of sympathy in amami's eyes. more importantly: an appreciation for the trust that he knows must be underlying a story like this. and the way the pieces fall together, he may not fit them perfectly into place as subaru speaks, but he can identify the way they might begin to connect.

he might not be able to say the right words, but he does feel like he understands. if only a little bit. )

But yeah, I think I get it. There's something about quiet holidays... ( and there it is again, that tightly coiled, uncertain feeling... ) I guess you start to really appreciate the gestures that go into them, and the people who are there with you.

[the sympathy, the appreciation -- they're both nice in their own way, since it isn't born from pity... not that subaru remembers much pity in the looks he and his mom got, even once things settled and they got to live where they had before it wasn't like anyone knew. anyone cared. and at school,

well. that's a different story for another time. subaru grins, propping his chin on arms.]

Yeah.

[for the compliment, for the understanding.]

Guess you kinda figured out just how much I took care of Mom, huh?

[his mom, his dog, himself. it's a little sheepish, like he hadn't meant to slip that much, but... not wary, not unease. it's fine, because it's amami -- amami, who doesn't poke and prod and pry like a couple others he could think of. it's like talking to trickstar, or nagisa.]

( whew, he passed the charisma check.

with that out of the way, it's a lot easier for him to relax into a natural pattern, continuing on with an absent, open-palmed gesture as he speaks. )

Something like that. I just thought it sounded like you were a good son — really loved her, y'know.

( which is... nice. amami didn't really have that, himself, a feeling of someone relying on him. at least, he doesn't feel like he did. realistically he knows—

...

that's beside the point, and he dismisses the thoughts as quickly as they come. )

I guess it makes sense now why you stepped up the way you did.

[keep running from your thoughts and they'll be brought up again]

Ahaha~. I guess. I just don't like seeing people cry, honestly... So I just try to do what I can to make them smile instead.

[especially if they have sparkling smiles.

...

now he's feeling a little embarrassed about being so open. he's gonna stretch out and sit up so he can kick his feet!!!]

Ama-chan's really good at putting smiles on people's faces too~. And you're super reliable yourself, you're one of the best when it comes to having someone's back. ♪ That handsome gaze of yours seals the deal! Anyone'd feel better looking at you~.

C'mon, I'm not that great. ( god, he wishes he was — it seems like all he really does is upset people when push comes to shove. )

When it comes to making people happy, I think you've got me beat, but thanks. I'd like to think you can at least count on me to have your back.

( it's not the same, he knows — taking care of someone, looking after them, that's different from the kind of thing he's able to offer. he's more of a stupid idea manager, relaly. he can help keep you alive, mostly by risking himself, but it's fine. don't worry about it. )

Always! And don't sell yourself short, Ama-chan. I promise, you make more people happy than you think.

[even if it's just for little reasons, like talking to them or walking them to class, hanging out during lunch or take the time to help out with this and that -- small reasons that make people smile, all important.]

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