☼ a/n: {originally on my quotev and wattpad, revised slightly}
Figured I'd start to get into the holiday season with one for my lovely hubby!
You walked around the living room at your apartment. You looked at the fireplace mantle, debating whether or not that’s where you wanted the stocking to be hanging or whether or not you wanted the candles positioned the way they were now.
“Why does it matter…” You huffed out as you turned around, emptiness filling your heart as well as the emptiness in the apartment. Rin called in mere hysteria, his coaches weren’t letting them go home for the holidays, they had a very important meet they needed to practice for. So, for Christmas… Rin was stuck in Australia while you were sat alone in the apartment you both shared.
“Gosh I’m bored.” You sat back on your couch, laying her head down over the arm. You pulled your phone out of your pocket and decided to call up Gou.
She answered on the 3rd ring. “Y/N?”
“Gou! Hey! What are you up to?” You started to bounce your legs on the couch.
“Oh, uh, I’m just a tad bit busy, but what’s up?” You could hear chatter in the background.
“Ahh, sorry. I was kind of just wondering if I could, idunno, stay the night tonight? I’m so bored and I didn’t know what you were doing later.” You got out pretty fast.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I can’t tonight. I’m going to be at my friend’s house. That’s actually who you can probably hear in the background. But, Y/N, I’m sorry but I have to get going. I’ll see you on Christmas! Bye!” and with that, she hung up.
Damn.
Now, what were you to do? You grabbed a pillow from your side and put it on top of your face and sighed out loudly before throwing it on the ground. Gosh, you were so bored. You looked over to the side at your Christmas tree, looking at the small array of gifts you had wrapped underneath it.
You were excited about your present for Rin. You’d made him a scrapbook that held all the memories for you both for the past 5 years. First date, first vacation, first apartment. It held close to everything from your relationship like old movie stubs and entrance tickets to aquariums or museums.
Giving up on finding things to do, you settled with binging Criminal Minds in bed until you fell asleep.
~~
Finally, it was Christmas day. You’d spent yesterday at your parents to celebrate the holiday but now you were getting ready to head over to the Matsuoka household. You grabbed a bag before you left and placed the gifts for Gou and their mom in it.
Ringing the doorbell at 8:30 in the morning, you were greeted by Mrs. Matsuoka.
“Oh, Y/N! I’m so glad you made it.” Miyako gave you a heartwarming smile and pulled you in for a hug. She was still wearing her pajamas as she let you in, closing the door behind you.
“Y/N!” Gou chirped and gave you a hug as well.
“Gou! Happy birthday girl!” You slightly yelled as you ran and gave her a hug.
“Thanks.” She smiled as her ponytail swished to the side. “This wasn’t too early for you? I know we pushed it up two hours this year, but we’ve got a lot of things to prep for this year.”
“We didn’t want to have to rush, Mimi will be over in an hour or so and she won’t make it easy to focus on cooking.” Mrs. Matsuoka patted you on the back as she talked about her mother-in-law before heading to the kitchen. “Would you like any hot chocolate before we start opening presents?”
“Yeah, actually, that would be great. Thank you, Mama Matsu.” You gave her a smile before turning to look at the Christmas tree. “Your tree’s so pretty this year.” You said as you walked up to the tree, looking at ornaments made by both Rin and Gou when they were little. “And wow, there’s a lot of presents here.” Your eyes widened at the massive amount of presents under the tree. There seemed to be more than the years before.
“Yeah… A few of them are Rin’s… but we’re going to have to send them down to him but mom didn’t want to not have them under the tree.” Gou sighed as she looked over the presents herself.
“Makes sense… Rin’s is under our tree regardless of him being back for it.” You spoke somberly as your hand grazed across a clay handprint ornament of Rin’s. You sighed and sat down on the couch, being greeted by Steve. Their house cat. “Steve!” You chirped as you began to pet him and his purrs got louder.
“Do you want whipped cream, sweetie?” Miyako spoke out from the kitchen.
“Oh, yes please! That’d be perfect, thank you!” You yelled out, slightly spooking Steve but you scratched behind his ears to calm him down. “So, Gou, any plans for break?”
“Not really, no. I think I’m just going to catch up on my boy’s magazine. There have been so many new, hot muscles shown and oh my god.” She fanned herself with her hand. “They’re just so perfect.” She was daydreaming about muscles, again, like usual.
You chuckled. “Well, did you want to do anything sometime? I don’t have work and obviously Uni is out. So, I guess I’m just doing the same. Well… not catching up on muscle magazines.”
She put a finger up to her chin, pretending to think intensely. “I guess I could squeeze you in.” She laughed out and then her mother appeared and placed the mugs down on the coffee table.
“Alright, who’s ready to open some presents!?” Mama Matsu clapped her hands together and grabbed a random present from under the tree. “Gou, this is for you.” She smiled and handed her a hand sized box.
Opening it revealed a neckless with a turquoise gem and damn, was it gorgeous. “Mom… this is… this is beautiful.” She looked up to her mother who just had a beaming smile.
“That one’s not a Christmas present, it’s for your birthday.” Miyako continued to smile as she helped her put it on. “Alright, now, this one’s for you, Y/N.” She spoke as she handed you a long rectangular flat box on your lap.
“Oh, uh, thanks Mama Matsu.” You bowed your head awkwardly. Yes, it’s been 5 years since you’ve been receiving presents from them but you still shied away from their gifts. You began to unwrap the present and opened the box. It revealed a smooth cotton cardigan. It was a dark maroon color with a scarf that was just a tad bit lighter with colors that accented the maroon. “Mi… Miyako, this is gorgeous… Wow…” You stared it and picked up, unfolding it and you stood up, “trying” it on by just holding it up in front of you. “It has pockets too!” You exclaimed as you admired the piece of cloth.
“I thought you’d like it.” She smiled and kept handing out presents after presents, opening some for herself and she had one more for you. “Oh! Y/N! Hold on one second. I have one more present for you. I had to lock it in my bedroom because Steve would have gotten a hold of it.” She held up one finger as she ran off into her room.
You both sat and waited on the couches and started up light conversation again before Miyako reappeared and nodded at Gou who nodded back and she disappeared again.
“Uh…” You blinked, looking back and forth between the now empty hallway and Gou who was staring at you.
“Okay, you need to keep looking at me, don’t turn around.” She spoke out as she came over to you and held your shoulders in place, turning you slightly so you couldn’t see the hallway.
“Ooookay…?” You questioned out but kept looking at Gou and she had a smile the was slowly creeping on her face.
“Alright, you can turn around in… 3… 2…” Gou was counting down and Miyako came up to your side with a smile and they both said 1 in unison.
You blinked a few times and turned and you could have sworn you fainted.
There stood the red-headed shark boy, looking at you with a huge smile that met his eyes.
Your eyes had widened, shock clear across your face as you tried to process the boy in front of you. “R…Rin…?”
He took a few small steps forward and chuckled. “Yeah.”
His voice penetrated your thoughts in real time and a squeal exited your lips as you ran the few steps closing the gap. “Oh my god, Rin!” You threw your hands around his neck and jumped into his awaiting arms and tears started flowing from your eyes as you felt the warmth of his body. “Rin.” You mumbled out into his neck and dampened his shirt.
His arms tightened around your waist and he put his head into your neck as well and he chuckled again. “Oh baby, I’ve missed you.” He lightened his hold on you and put you back to the ground backing away and taking your face into his hands. His grin was wide, bearing his pointed teeth and yours was cracked open a bit with a smile as the tears fell down your cheeks.
“You’re here.” Your voice cracked out as you held his upper arms in your hands.
“I wouldn’t not be here for you.” He tilted his head slightly then you heard Gou cough. “Well, and I couldn’t miss my favorite sister’s birthday.” He chuckled, peaking his head around to look at a cross-armed Gou.
“But… you said you had to stay…” You looked at him questioningly.
“Well, I did, but I told my couch I would be practicing a lot at home so he let me leave 4 days ago.” He shrugged.
“4 days?! You were here for that long and left me alone in our apartment?!” You looked at him with chuckling bewilderment.
“It killed me knowing you were alone... I wanted to go over and hug you so badly... But I wanted to be your Christmas present.” He spoke out as he brought you in for another hug. “I just wanted to surprise you when you least expected it.”
“Well, Rin. You are by far my favorite present.” You pulled away from the hug and placed your lips upon his and you could feel him smile against you.
“Merry Christmas, Y/N.” He leaned his forehead against yours and looked into your still teary eyes that were filled with happiness.
“Merry Christmas, Rin.” You chuckled out and you both started laughing a bit before embracing each other again.
“Alright, let’s have Rin open his presents now and then we’ll get this show on the road.” Miyako chirped and you both sat on the couch waiting for her to pass out the presents.
“Mine for you is still at the apartment…” You spoke softly.
“Don’t worry about it. I can open it later.” He spoke out then leaned into your ear and whispered. “I also have you to unwrap later.”
And just like that, in a split second, your face flared up with a bright red as you kept your gaze straight, refusing to look at the smirking swimmer. Now, you just wanted to go home.
