Keigo sat on the couch, fidgeting with a small gift box. It was quiet in his apartment, aside from the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth. He wasn’t used to celebrating holidays, especially not with someone else. But this year was different.

You, his close friend, had joined him for Christmas. Neither of you had anyone else to spend it with, and somehow that fact made the night feel even more special.

“Alright, feathers,” you called out, stepping into the living room with a tray of hot cocoa. “This is officially our first Christmas tradition. Cocoa first, presents later.”

Keigo grinned, his golden eyes lighting up. “You’re really pulling out all the stops, huh? Feels kinda nice, though.”

The two of you spent the evening chatting, laughing, and reminiscing about the year. For the first time in what felt like forever, Keigo wasn’t working himself into exhaustion to fill the void of loneliness.

Then came the idea of cooking dinner together.

“How hard could it be?” Keigo said with a cocky smirk, pulling out ingredients from the fridge.

You raised an eyebrow. “Keigo… you’ve never cooked, have you?”

“Hey, I’ve roasted a bird before.” He winked.

It didn’t take long for chaos to ensue. Somehow, a simple stir-fry turned into a fire hazard, and you had to pull him away before his quirks accidentally turned the kitchen into ash.

“Alright, that’s it,” you said, taking the spatula from his hand. “You sit. I cook.”

Keigo sheepishly obeyed, watching as you expertly salvaged the situation. Despite his blunders, he couldn’t help but smile at how natural you looked in his kitchen, fixing his mess without hesitation.

The meal turned out delicious, and as the two of you sat together, eating and sharing stories, Keigo realized this was the happiest he’d felt during a holiday in years.

“Hey,” he said softly, looking over at you. “Thanks for this. For being here. It means… a lot.”