Hidden Meanings

WINTER SPECIAL: [BudderlionShipping]

Requested by TheForestEagle

"Kyo-ya!"

Kyoya looked up from where he sat on the couch before meeting my gaze with a scowl.

"Tess, I told you, I won't-"

I raised the ornament to my eye-level, dangling it in front of him. "If you won't, I'll throw this ornament at you," I warned.

"You wouldn't."

"Yes I would," I shot back, then plucked an identical out of the box. "Besides, we have another."

Kyoya stood up, eyes flicking between the ornament and the tree that stood behind me. "Fine," he said, extending a hand towards me. "Gimme that."

"Nuh-uh," I retorted, holding it out of reach. He groaned softly under his breath (a noise I could hear) before swiping at me.

"Mine!"

Kyoya stopped at my playful snarl, and his lips curved up in a smirk as he surveyed my somewhat-decorated tree. "You suck at this."

I glowered at him (which didn't go so well since I was still grinning like a mad child), pouted, then skipped over to the tree to hang my ornament on a branch. "Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"Do not!"

He lifted one of the ornaments on the large Christmas tree, his expression a perfect description of the word 'baffled'.

"You had a small hand as a kindergartener," he informed me, wrapping his own around the imprint of my kindergarten-sized hand.

I shot him a look as I pulled another glass ornament then looked up at the tree.

"If I suck at tree-decorating, why don't you show me how to correctly do it?"

"Gladly," he replied in a off-hand tone.

"You seem happy."

His sapphire-colored eyes narrowed. "I am not," he huffed, crossing his tan arms and facing away from me.

"Well, you're decorating the tree," I responded; hands tugging at the tree to pull off the decorations. "And making hot coco for me. And you're now my servant."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

I glanced up at him, my blue-grey eyes peering into his own, then smiled. It was rare when I wasn't smiling around Kyoya- he just managed to coax a smile from me, no matter what.

"What are you smiling for?"

"Nothing," I said softly, wrapping my arms around me as I finished pulling all the decorations off. "I just wanna put the tree on top."

As I said the last word, I stared at the top of the tall tree, easily high above both of our heads.

Kyoya fished the pointy star from the folds of the cloth it was wrapped in and handed it to me, then crouched.

"What?"

"Get on my shoulders."

I stared at his back. I must admit Kyoya was probably really strong- I could see his muscles, tensed and ready for when I climbed onto his shoulders.

"Fine," I relented, hopping on. Kyoya grunted, struggling to stand up.

"Don't point me in the eye with that thing," he muttered, swatting the star away from him and walking closer to the tree. I eyed the top of the tree which was in arm-reach before placing the star on.

"Yay!" I cheered, giving his ears a flick. "Did it."

Kyoya dumped me on the couch, and I beamed up at him, laughing lightly as I sprang up from the couch.

"Thanks," I murmured, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. He stiffened in my arms, his forest-green bangs hiding his eyes.

"Tess! Let go!"

"Nope~!"

"Dammit, let go!"