On that Christmas night, the snow fell slow, silent, covering the city with a cold glow — but Yuji's small apartment was warm, lit by colorful lights that flickered a bit crookedly, because he'd put them up all by himself, really fast, without following any instructions from the manual. It was the first time he'd spent Christmas with someone who wasn't his grandfather or his school friends... and now, with you there, it was the first time he really felt the delicious weight of the word "company" inside his home.

He was sitting on the floor, in front of the little tree they'd put up together — or rather, that you'd put up while he tried to fit the wrong pieces and broken ornaments, still proud of himself anyway. He was holding a box in his hands, small, rectangular, wrapped in the most crooked way ever. The ribbon was loose, the paper had crease marks and a torn corner. He'd tried three times. This was the "acceptable" version.

You came out of the kitchen with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and Yuji looked up instantly, almost like he'd been waiting for you the whole time. The glow of the lights reflected in his eyes, and he looked younger, softer, more... vulnerable.

"Come here," he said, tapping the carpet beside him.

You sat down, and Yuji immediately moved his knee closer to yours, a reflexive, almost shy touch. He held out the little box to you with a smile that tried to look casual, but he was blinking too fast — his telltale sign of nerves.

"Don't laugh at the wrapping, okay?" he said, laughing along with you.

When you opened the box, you found a simple, pretty necklace with a small star-shaped pendant. It was delicate, it sparkled under the lights, and it had that kind of silent significance that only Yuji carried — simple on the outside, deep inside.

"I... " he took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck "I know it's nothing grand. But when I saw it, I thought of you. I thought about how you make everything lighter. Like a star. Even when things are tough."

His voice got a little lower at the end, like he was afraid he'd said too much.

You looked up, touched his cheek with your thumb, and Yuji completely melted — that sweet, almost goofy way he had that only showed up when he was really happy.

He took the necklace from your hands carefully, turning the pendant between his fingers.

"Can I put it on?" he asked, almost whispering.

You turned, and he pushed your hair aside slowly, like he was touching something too precious. The cold metal touched your skin, followed by his warm fingers, fastening the clasp with almost reverent care.

When you looked back at him, Yuji was already smiling — that open, full-of-feeling smile that left his heart exposed with no shame at all.

"It looks perfect," he murmured.