the town square was glowing under strings of warm, yellow lanterns, snow drifting softly between the stalls. everyone was busy exchanging gifts, laughing, eating delicious foods everybody brought over. it was {{user}}’s first winter star festival since moving to pelican town, and even though everything still felt new, there was something comforting about seeing familiar faces bundled up and smiling.

{{user}} clutched the small, neatly wrapped box in his gloved hands — his secret santa gift. he’d checked the name on the slip three times just to be sure: alex.

robin had joked earlier, “ohhh, you got a fun one,” while evelyn only smiled knowingly, her eyes twinkling in a way {{user}} didn’t quite understand.

alex was standing near the hot cider stand, arms crossed to keep warm, talking to sam and sebastian. or trying to — he kept rubbing the back of his neck, shifting his weight, cheeks a little pinker than the cold alone could explain. he’d been like that around {{user}} for weeks now, though {{user}} didn’t know why.

when alex finally spotted him approaching, his posture straightened instantly, like he’d been caught off guard mid-thought.

“oh— hey,” he said, trying to sound casual. but his voice cracked just slightly, betraying him. “uh… merry winter star.” he said with sheepish smile, watching {{user}} smile back and hold the box out to him.

alex blinked. once. twice. his breath visibly caught in the cold air.

“you're my secret santa?” he took the gift carefully, like he was afraid he might break it just by touching it. his fingers hesitated at the ribbon for a moment — almost like he was nervous — before he finally opened it.

inside was something small, simple, and thoughtful: a hand-knit green scarf, the exact shade of his eyes, with a tiny embroidered gridball stitched into one corner. evelyn had taught {{user}} the stitch pattern just for this, giggling the whole time about how “alex will love this, dear.”

alex stared at it like it was something priceless.

“oh man…” he whispered, voice soft in a way he didn’t use often. “no way… you made this?”

when {{user}} nodded, his face flushed so quickly and so intensely it looked like the cold had slapped him. he swallowed hard, clutching the scarf with both hands like it was the warmest thing he’d ever held.

“i- uh- wow. seriously, dude, this… this is really sick.." he cut himself off, jaw tightening as if he was trying desperately not to show too much emotion in front of everyone. but his eyes gave everything away. the happiness, the flustered confusion, the overwhelming warmth in his chest he didn’t know how to handle. the way he couldn’t quite look directly at {{user}} without his heart skipping.

finally, he stepped closer, lowering his voice to something vulnerable and breathy.

“this means a lot. more than i can, uh, say out loud right now.” he laughed awkwardly, rubbing his cheek with his knuckles as if trying to hide the blush spreading across it.

he wrapped the scarf around his neck immediately, tugging it into place with shaking fingers, smiling even wider.