Title: Merry Christmas
Rating: G
Fandom: Great Ace Attorney
Relationship: Asougi Kazuma/Barok van Zieks
Wordcount: 650
Short summary: Kazuma has a gift for Barok this Christmas Eve.
“My lord.”
In the middle of removing his overcoat, Barok is somewhat startled by Kazuma’s sudden address, as the two of them had been enjoying comfortable silence during their return to the van Zieks manor from 221B Baker Street. But perhaps it had only been Barok’s impression of that silence. He knows to be wary when he sees this expression on Kazuma’s face, the one where Kazuma’s eyes are crinkled at the corners and his lips pressed into a smile that looks slightly too wide. Kazuma must be anxious about something.
“I heard presents are exchanged on the eve of Christmas.” A slim box is presented to Barok with two hands like it is a ceremonial object. “So this is for you.”
Barok sighs as he takes off his overcoat. “I don’t need a present from you,” he murmurs, even while taking said box out of Kazuma’s hands. He opens it and sees a fountain pen.
“Because you have everything you need already?” Kazuma snorts.
But Barok ignores Kazuma’s sarcasm and answers genuinely. “Yes. I don’t need anything else besides you.”
It is true. Much has happened in this time just over one year following the “true” Professor case. Feelings of anger and pain have been overcome by love and companionship. It is a miracle, truly, that Barok has reason to look forward and smile every day, because of everything Kazuma is to him. It seems, though, that saying this out loud is enough to stun his companion into silence.
“But thank you, nevertheless. I will find this useful.” Barok will certainly treasure his very first Christmas gift from Kazuma. He contemplates whether he will bring said pen to the office to use right away or if he will keep it in his bedroom to use only for the most intimate of correspondence…
“What about my present?” Kazuma’s cheeky query jolts Barok out of his thoughts. The confident grin is back on Kazuma’s face.
“Do you need one?” Barok jests, chuckling as he receives the heat of Kazuma’s glare. He placates the fire a bit with a brief press of his lips to Kazuma’s forehead. “Follow me.”
He doesn’t explain more as he leads Kazuma up the stairs to their bedroom, to their bed. He leaves Kazuma seated on the bed, watching curiously, as he retrieves a pair of gloves he kept hidden in the dresser among his undergarments.
“For you. When your current pair wears out.”
Kazuma accepts the gloves with open appreciation, as if he did not expect Barok to give him something despite his earlier question. It pleases Barok to have surprised Kazuma with this present; even if the gloves were located exactly where he had placed them in the dresser, he wasn’t completely confident that they had stayed hidden from Kazuma.
“You don’t wish for me to put them on now?” Kazuma frowns.
Barok smiles. “I know they will fit.”
“But what about how they feel?” Kazuma is already pulling off his current pair of gloves to put on the new ones before he finishes his question, making it more of a statement.
Barok raises an eyebrow. “If you insist.”
He is not going to reject Kazuma’s wish here, not when the press of the new leather gloves on his jaw is done so reverently. He is not going to reject the feel of the new gloves against his neck as Kazuma pulls his face closer so that their lips meet. It’s an overdue one after a whole day being spent in public, in the company of others. A Christmas kiss, finally, after a Christmas gift exchange.
And though the feel of the new gloves is nice, and the pen will be put to good use in the future… The kisses that cap off the end of Christmas Eve are much more meaningful to Barok. And he’s pretty sure Kazuma feels the same way…
(Merry Christmas.)