“Come on, Ryu! It’ll be fun!” Tanaka’s girlfriend juts out her bottom lip, usually a sure fire move to get her way but he’s resisting admirably.
“No way babe, I’m not ruining my reputation!”
“What reputation? Ryu, everyone knows you’re really just a sweetie pie with a rough outer coating. Come on! Please? Where’s your Christmas spirit?” She employs puppy dog eyes and he rolls his own, groaning. ‘
“Fine, but I get to pick them!”
She nods enthusiastically in agreement to his terms.
That enthusiasm is promptly squashed when he shows her what he wants to get.
“Ryu, I don’t think-”
“It’s this or nothing,” he says firmly, crossing his arms. Smirking he adds, “Where’s your Christmas spirit?”
She sighs. “Fine.”
That weekend at the party, they show up in his find: a linked ugly Christmas sweater.
“No surprise here,” Noya says laughing as he points to the “I’ve been naughty” cross-stitched over Tanaka’s chest. His best friend tosses his head back laughing heartily, the motion nearly choking his girlfriend.
“Ryu! You gotta be careful how you move in this thing! One of us is gonna get hurt,” she complains, trying to cross her arms but failing thanks to her lack of left arm hole.
Tanaka’s right arm snakes around her waist, drawing her close.
“Sorry babe,” he murmurs against her ear. “But I gotta admit,” he goes on, voice dropping an octave as he caresses her back with his fingers, “I like being able to touch skin to skin in a room full of people.”
She blushes and can only hope everyone will assume her red face is due to wearing a sweater in such a warm room, though with her and Tanaka literally attached at the hip, she doubts that’s likely.
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