My Fantasy World

Squalo: I was like you, once.

Neri: Kind?

Neri blinked in surprise as Squalo shoved a present on top of her head. "Hey! I resent that remark! I've grown this year, you know!"

"To be a bigger pain in the ass?" He grinned, toasting a glass towards her before downing it back.

"Never a nice word." She huffed, beginning to open the gift. "Did you get Xanxus anything this year?"

"Same as usual. Bottle of enough alcohol content to kill an elephant, and a voucher to get his own slice of meat however the fuck he wants it himself."

"Well, consistency is the way to a man's stomach, or something like that." Neri snorted, pushing the wrapping paper aside. It was always wrapped so neatly with a lot of care, his presents. "I fear mine was more self-sacrificing in the pursuit of relaxation?"

"Went with the massage oils, huh?" He snickered back, throwing in a wolf whistle that wqs promptly rewarded with a ball of paper thrown back at him. "Look, if you wanted to get your hands on him, you don't even need the oils--"

"Oh, shut up, would you?!" Neri grumbled, the tips of her ears growing pink as she suddenly gasped at the sight of what lay neatly inside the blue padded box. "This--!!"

"You never take that stupid gold one off, so I figured hair ties were out." Squalo muttered, shrugging as if it were no important gesture, staring holes through the other wall.

It was a bracelet, or perhaps.. more of an armguard. Made of shaped steel that she could immediately tell that he'd forged himself, it curved beautifully around her arm when she'd put it on, with engraved designs when she'd turned it in the light to study it. Sharks, tigers and devils alike. All of the animals that she, Squalo and Xanxus would have used in battles time and time again.

"This is worth far more than just a tacky Christmas sweater. How did you..?"

"It's not like I don't have a lot of time on my hands at the moment." Squalo threw up a hand, leaning forward in his seat. "The best present you could give back to me is making sure you're still around next Christmas. I've got it all planned out. We get one of those forced to get along shirts, get you and the shitty boss to wear it--"

"You're such an idiot!" Neri laughed brightly, cupping his face to press a gracious kiss to each of his cheeks. "Don't think you're getting out of a revenge present that easily! If you made me something, then I'll have to make you something--"

"Just no more of your cooking. You can save a body really fucking good, but there's no saving anything that comes out of the oven when you're around."

"I'm going to shove your head in the oven--!"