“A graduation present?” Chris gave Hibiki a nonplussed look over her hot chocolate.

Hibiki nodded. “I need it to be perfect, but I can’t figure out what it should be. Please, Chris, I need your help!”

They were in Chris’ apartment, the heat blasting to warm up the cool winter. Outside the window, one could see soft dustings of snow just beginning to drift through the air. It was the kind of Saturday meant to be spent indoors and under the covers, bingeing old action movies and gorging on store-bought sweets. So of course it was today, of all days, that Hibiki was on a mission.

Chris sipped her cocoa. “You want to do something for Miku.”

Hibiki nodded vigorously

“Something special.”

More nodding.

“And you, her girlfriend, are unable to think of anything that will fit the bill.”

More nodding.

“And so you come to the brilliant conclusion that I, who met you just a year or two ago, would know better than her girlfriend, who has been inseparable from her for as long as either of them can remember.”

“Exactly!”

Chris rubbed her temples. “Sarcasm. That was sarcasm, Hibiki.”

Hibiki blinked. She thought back to what Chris had just said. “Ooooooh!” she gasped, finally realizing. “Wow, how did I miss that? Also, rude.”

Chris face-planted into the table. “I can’t believe you’re almost an adult,” she grumbled.

“I know, that’s the problem! Miku and I are gonna be real adults soon. I gotta give her something really cool to mark the occasion!”

Chris sighed. She’d thought of a lot of different possibilities when her former kouhai had called her up and said there was something important she needed her help with. Maybe the Noise had come back. Maybe Miku’s nightmares weren’t getting better and Hibiki wanted advice from someone who’d been through hell and back herself. But in retrospect, maybe she should’ve expected something like this. The things Hibiki struggled with were… not always the same things everyone else did.

“Why don’t you go bother Shirabe and Kirika?” Chris lifted her face off the table and returned to her cocoa. “If anyone’s gonna know the perfect mushy gift, it’s those two.”

“You think I didn’t ask them first?” Hibiki slumped. “They just talked about good date locations.”

“Well, there you go.”

“But I don’t want it to just be a date! I want it to be something, like, you know!” Hibiki flailed her arms in exasperation, searching for the word.

Chris rolled her eyes. “Yes, very helpful.”

“Chriiiiis! Don’t be mean!”

“Fine, fine. Sorry.” Chris drained the last of her cocoa.

Romantic advice? Like she could help with that at all. That was so far outside her wheelhouse that it got lost and wandered into an entirely different wheelhouse where it was adopted by the nice old couple who lived there, never to return to its abandoned stomping grounds, though it occasionally cast a scornful eye over its shoulder.

The thought made her chuckle. Jeez, that metaphor got away from me.

Maybe there was some comfort in that. The old her would’ve bitten Hibiki’s head off for coming to her with such asinine questions. She would have considered it an annoyance, a waste of time, something unfathomably bothersome and devoid of merit. And yet, as much as she hated to admit it, she was enjoying herself right now. Maybe it was just how much fun Hibiki was to tease.

“So, more special than just a fancy date. Maybe you can set off fireworks together?”

Hibiki shook her head. “We’ve already done that.”

“Fine, then.” Chris stood up, stretched, and trundled over to the kitchen to refill her mug. “Maybe you could take a trip?” she called over her shoulder. “Someplace exciting, somewhere you’ve never been before.”

Hibiki’s eyes lit up. “A trip! Yeah, that sounds…” Her face sunk. “But we’ve been traveling all the time for SONG already. There’s no way that would be good enough.”

We’ll be here all day at this rate. “Is there anything you could buy for her? Like a physical present?”

“Nothing that would be special enough.”

“Seriously? Nothing she’s had her eye on for a while?”

Hibiki glumly shook her head.

“Have you tried asking her?”

“I mean.” Hibiki shuffled. “I asked her a while ago if there were any Christmas gifts she was hoping for. You know, trying to be subtle.”

Chris snorted as she returned to the kotatsu. “You, subtle? I’d pay to see that.”

“Chriiiiiiiiiiis!”

“Pouting doesn’t work on me, sorry.” Chris slipped her legs under the covers and sipped her cocoa. She was way too much fun to tease. “So, what did she say?”

“Well, she said…” Hibiki blushed and turned away. “She said I’m already the best gift she could ever wish for.”

Chris choked on her cocoa. “Ackpttpht! Seriously?”

“I knooow!” Hibiki wailed, her face beet red. “How could she spring something so sweet on me when I’m trying to do something nice for her? It’s so not fair!”

Chris pressed her forehead into her hand, hoping Hibki hadn’t noticed her own cheeks flushing. It was bad enough when those two lovestruck idiots were still circling around each other like skittish meerkats. Now that they were actually together? They were insufferably adorable about each other. Chris had no idea how the others stomached being around them without developing diabetes.

“Maybe there’s your answer,” she muttered sarcastically, lifting the mug back to her lips. “Just wrap yourself in a big ribbon and call yourself the present.”

“She… already did that for me.”

At this revelation, Chris involuntarily spat out a mouthful of hot chocolate. OH MY GOD.

“I-i-i-it was a while ago!” Hibiki stammered, looking like she wanted to bury under the ground and hide there forever. “It was my fifteenth birthday, and she dressed up in a big purple ribbon and waited for me to come home from make-up singing classes, and when I showed up, she was lying on the couch, and she winked at me!” Thus saying, the frazzled idiot dove headfirst under the kotatsu covers and curled up like a five-year-old hiding from the monsters in her closet.

Chris flopped face-down onto the table, breathing heavily. This day was going to be the death of her. “She winked at you.”

“Shut uuuuuuup!”

“And somehow, you still didn’t realize you two were a couple until just a few months ago.”

“I thought she was joking!” There was a loud rustle from under the covers; Hibiki was rocking back and forth in shame. “Aaaaaaarg, I’m such an idiot!”

Well, we agree on something. “I swear, I don’t know how she puts up with you sometimes.” She pushed herself back into a seating position. “Hey, watch it, you’re gonna bump your-“

Bang!

“OW!”

“…head.”

Hibiki’s head popped back out from under the covers, her face twisted in a grimace of pain. “Sorry.”

Chris rolled her eyes. You are ten years old. “Just be thankful you didn’t spill the rest of my cocoa.” She picked her mug up and took a sip, just to be safe.

Sighing, Hibiki let herself flop on the floor, everything but her head still buried under the kotatsu. Her brow furrowed in what looked like an attempt to bring about deep concentration. It was such a comical sight, Chris almost burst out laughing on the spot. “Never a dull moment with you around,” she chuckled.

Hibiki didn’t answer. Her gaze was still focused elsewhere. Chris raised an eyebrow; was she actually lost in thought? Huh, will wonders never cease.

“Sometimes I don’t either.”

Chris frowned; suddenly, Hibiki’s voice sounded a lot more serious. “Huh?”

“Sometimes I don’t know either. How she puts up with me, I mean.”

Chris winced. “Uh, sorry, that was a joke. I wasn’t trying-”

“No, I know, know!” Hibiki scrambled out of the covers fully, pulling herself back up to a sitting position. “I just mean, like, she does so much for me. She cooks dinner every night, she helps me with homework, she looks out for me when I’ve had a rough day… and it’s not fair, you know? It’s not fair she does so much and I barely do anything.”

“Um.” Chris blinked. How am I supposed to respond to that? She felt like she’d just been smacked in the face with a wet towel. How did the conversation get so serious so fast?

Sensing her discomfort, Hibiki forced a smile on her face. “Ah, sorry! Got a little weird there. Don’t worry about it, it’s not a big deal!”

But this time, Chris wasn’t listening. The gears were turning in her head. “That’s why,” she muttered to herself.

“Huh?”

Chris let out a sigh of relief. Now everything made sense. “Hey, Bikki?”

“Eh?” Hibiki blushed. “S-since when did you use that nickname for me?”

“Since two seconds ago, now shut up for a second. I’ve got the perfect graduation present.”

Hibiki’s face brightened with joy. “You do? Oh, thank you, Chris! I knew I could count on you!” She punched the air in triumph. “Success!” she crowed.

“Save the celebration for when you’ve actually heard it, dummy.”

“Right, right!” Hibiki set herself down on her knees and leaned in closer. “Please, Chris dear, impart your wisdom to me!”

In spite of herself, Chris grinned. It really was remarkable, wasn’t it? Somehow, Hibiki never failed to bounce back from whatever funk she was in. Not even the Custodians themselves could keep her down. Someday, Chris would have to ask her how she did it.

But for now, it was her turn to be cool.

“Listen up,” she said, putting on her best wise-older-sister affect. “The reason you’re having so much trouble picking a graduation present is because you’re thinking too big. You want to repay Miku for everything she does for you, right?”

Hibiki nodded vigorously.

“Then why not give her a taste of her own medicine? Do something for her that she usually does for you? If it’s so special to you when she cooks for you, I’m sure it’ll be just as special to her if you do the same.”

Hibiki stared at her. “That’s… it?”

“That’s it.”

“Just cook for her?”

Chris sipped her cocoa in satisfaction. “Think about when you eat what she makes for you. How does that make you feel?”

“I…” Hibiki leaned back and blushed slightly. A bashful smile crept across her face. “It feels amazing,” she mumbled. “It’s like I can feel her heart speaking to me in every bite, or something.”

Mentally, Chris made a note never to ask Hibiki about Miku’s cooking again. “Well, there ya go. That sounds like a pretty special gift to me.”

“You really think that’s enough?”

“You don’t need her to sweep you away to Rome, right? Why would she need that from you?”

A moment passed. Hibiki’s brows furrowed as she considered Chris’ words. Then, she leapt to her feet. “I need to go to the supermarket.”

“Wait, now?”

“I’m gonna need to practice!” Already, Hibiki was scrambling for her coat and gloves. “Graduation’s close, and there’s no way I’ll be good enough on my first try!”

“Ah- hold on!” Chris scrambled to her feet. “Slow down two seconds!”

Hibiki paused in the middle of throwing her scarf on. “What?”

Chris opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her thoughts were racing, trying to catch up to the speed of Hibiki’s energy. “You’re… just gonna leave like that?”

Hibiki frowned. “Chris?”

“I mean…” Chris rocked on the balls of her feet. What? What was going on? Why weren’t any words coming to her? Was something wrong? No, of course not. Why would it be? But then, what was she trying to say?

Suddenly, Hibiki’s eyes lit up. A mischievous grin spread across her face. “Why, Chris,” she purred. “I think you’re enjoying hanging out with me today.”

“Wh-NO!” Suddenly, Chris’ cheeks felt like boiling steam kettles. “D-don’t be stupid!”

Hibiki’s grin grew, if possible, even wider. “Aw, you’re really gonna miss me that much?”

“Y-y-you’re jumping to conclusions!” Chris stammered out, flailing her arms wildly. “I’m just being a good host, that’s all! Idiot!” Frantically, she turned away and buried her face in her hands.

Wow, master of deception right here.

SHUT UP, ME!

Hibiki giggled. “Alright, then,” she said. “So, why did you stop me from leaving?”

Chris would’ve given anything for the Earth to swallow her up right then and there. God, when did she get so sentimental? When did she start caring this much about her friends? Or having this much fun being around them? I can’t believe these idiots actually rubbed off on me.

Does that have to be a bad thing?

An image came into her head. It was the second time she and Hibiki crossed paths, back when they were still on opposite sides. She’d been so convinced that she could never connect with other people, that trying to reach out would only lead to destruction. But then this idiot showed up, completely out of the blue, and it didn’t matter they were supposed to be enemies, she just started oversharing everything like they were already going on sleepovers. Her age. Her blood type. Her birthday. Her height. Her hobbies. How she’d never had a boyfriend in her life (Gee, wonder why that was). How much she loved food.

“My weight is… you know what, I’ll tell you when we’re better friends!”

In spite of herself, a smile crept across her face. You never did get around to telling me that, did you?

“Heeeeeey, Chris? You okay in there?”

Chris exhaled. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

She straightened up and faced Hibiki again. “So, here’s the deal. If you start fooling around in the kitchen to practice, Miku’s bound to get suspicious. Plus, I doubt accidentally starting a fire in the microwave would be a good way to set the mood.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t-“

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Hibiki opened her mouth, then deflated. “No, you’re right, I totally would.”

Chris smirked. Dork. “Exactly. If you wanna learn how to cook, you’ll want a safe, secure training ground and a willing teacher.” She glanced in the direction of her kitchen. “And hey, not like I’ve got anywhere else to be today.”

Hibiki’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

“Also, you’re really gonna want to figure out what you’re making before you run off to get ingredients. I do not trust you to improvise a recipe yet.”

And then Chris’ train of thought was completely derailed, because Hibiki had wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted her clean off the ground. “AAAAAA! Chris, you’re the best!”

“Guuuh! Watch the ribs, dummy!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Hibiki let her go, practically bouncing with excitement. “You’ll really do it? You’ll teach me how to cook?”

“Hey, we’ve literally kicked God’s ass before, how hard could it be?”

Mercifully, Hibiki didn’t catch that bit of sarcasm, probably because she was too excited. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, this is gonna be great!” She tossed her outerwear to the side as quickly as she had yanked it on. “Okay, Sensei, I’m in your hands! Where do we start?”

Chris rolled her eyes. Sensei, huh? All things considered, it didn’t sound half bad.

“First off,” she said, “we pick a recipe. Grab my cookbook out of the kitchen and let’s do some brainstorming.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Hibiki was already racing off, flailing her arms to keep from smashing head-first into the doorframe.

Sighing, Chris collapsed back down at the kotatsu and slipped her legs under the blankets. Her mug was almost empty; there were just a few sips of cocoa left. She considered refilling it, but decided to hold out. Something told her she was gonna need a lot of it to get through the upcoming ordeal.

Ten bucks says I make it through the entire pot today.

She smiled at the thought. Yeah. Wouldn’t that be something.

“Chriiiiiis!” Hibiki’s rang out from the kitchen. “I can’t find it!”

Chris sighed. “And so we begin,” she muttered to herself. Then, louder: “Alright, on my way!”

Stretching her arms, she stood up and headed for the kitchen as the snowfall started to pick up outside.