12DoD #10: Gift Opening With Yuri

From Yuri at 1:00 PM
Anon can I come over? I have something important to tell you...

Sent at 1:05 PM
Sure thing Yuri. Is something wrong?

From Yuri at 1:05 PM
I'll tell you when I get there. I'm leaving now.

Setting my phone down I frown with concern. Yuri doesn't usually ask to come over, I usually do that. Hopefully nothing is wrong, I'd hate to see her hurt. Placing aside my worry for a moment I decide to get back to wrapping presents before Yuri shows up, and then place them in my room. Just as I'm done doing that my doorbell rings and I hastily return downstairs to answer it.

"H-hi Anon." Yuri nervously says as I open the door, finding her holding a present box. She seems nervous about something.

"Hey Yuri, come on in." I clear the doorway and motion inside. Yuri walks through and I close the door behind her. "So...what was that text about? You seemed kind of upset."

"Can we...sit on the couch?" Yuri says.

"Yeah, let me get your jacket." I take Yuri's winter jacket and hang it next to the door.

We both take a seat next to each other on my living room couch, the Christmas tree shining bright in the corner and some decorations lay on the coffee table where Yuri sets her present box.

"S-so I asked to come because..." Yuri trails off, tears begin to build in her eyes and she tries to blink them away.

"Yuri what's wrong? You can tell me." I say with concern, taking her hands in mine. I've never seen Yuri cry before.

Yuri pulls me into a hug and I hear her force out words from her tight throat. "My parents are going on a Christmas vacation...and they're making me go with them."

"What's wrong with that? As long as you can still spend Christmas in town." I say patting her back in an attempt to sooth her crying.

A sob breaks free from Yuri and she restrains herself to continue. "T-they didn't tell me until today, but the want to leave tomorrow evening...and I won't be here for Christmas." another sob and Yuri grips me tighter. "I know how much we've been looking froward to our first Christmas together but I can't be here for you..."

Many emotions rush through me in that moment, anger at Yuri's parents, disappointment that we won't spend Christmas together, and overwhelming sadness that she is so distraught. I feel tears begin to well up in my own eyes but force them away...I have to be strong for Yuri. I raise a hand to the back of her head and try to soothe her.

"We'll just have to do Christmas today then." I say with a small shake in my voice.

"Y-you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? It's not your fault that you can't be here on Christmas. Now let me go get your presents and we can start." I coax Yuri to stand and we walk hand in hand up to my room.

Yuri seems to have recovered a bit now and is sniffling only slightly. I let go of her hand to pick up the 3 present's and we return to our spots on the couch. I look up to Yuri and place a hand on her cheek, wiping a stray tear.

"I don't care if it's actually Christmas day or not, as long as I can spend it with you Yuri. I love you."

Yuri takes a breath in to collect herself and speaks. "Thank you Anon. For everything, I love you too. Now...let's open our gifts."

Yuri reaches to the table and picks up her present box, handing it to me.

"I didn't have a lot of time to wrap these with the news coming so suddenly...so I hope you don't mind them just being in a box."

"It's fine Yuri, the package doesn't change the thought you put behind it." I lift the lid of the box and look inside. I see a book. "The Complete Works of Junji Ito Volume One?" I say and lift the book out of the box to see another one, as well as one below that. "As well as Volumes Two and Three." Looking at Yuri she has a nervous smile, like she isn't sure I'd like it. "Yuri this stuff is amazing! But where did you get the idea to buy this, I thought you didn't like manga?"

"Well...I asked Natsuki about horror manga and this was the first thing she suggested. She said she hated Junji Ito's work because it was 'too creepy' so I looked at some of it online and thought it was pretty...amazing." Yuri's eyes seem to sparkle. "I thought that maybe we could read some of it together..."

"I'd love to Yuri, but open your gifts first." I say as I hand her the first present, a small wrapped box.

Yuri tears the paper and lifts the lid of the box inside to reveal an elegant stainless steel knife with a fine wooden handle. On said handle the words 'My love for you will never stain. Don't forget that.' are carved in.

"Anon...this knife is so beautiful." Yuri almost whispers, her jaw is open in awe. "This is he best gift I've ever received, thank you." Yuri collects herself and looks into my eyes.

Yuri continues to hold the knife in her hand and as I give her the next present, using it to cut the wrapping paper. I almost chuckle at how eager she seems to test it out. Once she's done dissecting the paper with her new toy Yuri reveals the gift underneath. It is a framed picture of our first date, showing myself holding Yuri around the shoulder with a large smile on my face and her with a small smile of pure happiness on hers. Yuri holds the photo to her chest and I see a smile just like the one in the picture adorn her face.

"I feel like you're spoiling me Anon, it's almost too much." Yuri leans over and kisses my cheek. "But thank you, I'll keep this with me always.

"We're not done yet. I have one more present for you Yuri." I take the final present and hand it to her, silently waiting for her reaction.

Yuri cuts the paper open in much the same fashion as before, using the knife with care. This time peeling back the paper shows her a book.

Yuri's face lights up with joy. "Anon oh my god! The Portrait of Markov special edition is so rare, how did you get this?" Yuri is the most excited I've ever seen her, raising her voice unconsciously.

"Well I had to do a bit of work to get it. But that's not all, look at the inside cover." I smile and reach down to open the cover.

Yuri's eyes go even wider. "I-i-it's SIGNED! How!? The author doesn't even make public appearances!" Yuri grabs my shoulders and exclaims, now I'm a little worried for her heart with how excited she seems.

"W-well that took some work too, I had to talk to a lot of people." I omit the part where I spent several months trying to find the author's address, then sent him a letter explaining how my girlfriend is a massive fan of his work and she was helped through a lot of problems with it. A week later this book came in the mail with no other reply.

"I'm...just so grateful to have you Anon." Yuri wraps her arms around me and buries her face in my neck. "I don't deserve you honestly..."

"That's not true Yuri, you deserve all of this and more." I plant a kiss on her cheek. "Now let's make this Christmas even better. I'll go make some cocoa and then we can read some Juni Ito together okay?"

"Mmm that sounds lovely. Thank you Anon." Yuri nuzzles into me before letting me go to make our cocoa.

I'd give her the world if I could, so the least I can do is make today great.