Kyoko hadn't thought she was hogging the kitchen--was it really that much more than normal? She didn't have that many friends, she only needed to make so many cookies! And she didn't go on her baking spree when it was time to cook actual meals, so surely she wasn't getting in the way of anything, right?

In any case, all of that was definitely done by the 25th anyway, because she had things to do! Gotta go make sure the last of those treats reached their targets, gotta go attend a cat's Christmas concert, gotta bring the dragon fledglings some sushi.

Gotta come home and be ambushed.

"--Mm??" Thank you for the smooch, she was just gonna blush and sputter right here in the doorway for a minute. "Huh?" Close... her eyes... "But I have to take off my shoes??"

"Whoa--" A charming grin, and then she was being spun around, all while she was still flustered. Gosh! "Wh-what? But..." She was obediently taking off her shoes anyway, but?? What was this? Why did her eyes need to be closed just to walk through this house, the one she lived in?

... Oh. Oh? Oh?! Could this be--no, no, don't expect anything, Kyoko!!

Straightening up, Kyoko closed her eyes and turned around, hands curling at her sides. "What--what do I do next?"

Her hands were his to take. Kyoko had to bite her lip a little, just a very faint, excited vibration coursing through her body, but she tried to keep it under control as she let Kaito lead her along.

"Is... it far?" she asked after a moment, unable to contain herself even though it was a silly question--really, how far could he possibly take her within the confines of this one house?

She didn't peek! She was being good! And there was no tripping either, with how carefully he was leading her. Only cautious anticipation threatening to bubble over--and it just kept growing as they went.

There were some very good smells wafting through the air--confusing ones, though. Kyoko couldn't quite pinpoint what was happening in the kitchen, especially when they kept going right on past it. And the further they went, the antsier she got.

"Can I--can I look yet?"

"Eh--?" Kyoko had whirled around after the sound of the door closing behind her, because what? Hey? Why was she being abandoned? How was she supposed to know what she was making a choice on? Kaito??

But he was gone, and Kyoko was left to turn around in a dazed circle to search her very normal surroundings. It took a moment after her gaze landed on her bed to really understand what was different about it, and even then she didn't fully grasp the significance until she'd stepped over to lift up one of those piles of pink and watch the fabric spill down.

"Oh..."

Her eyes had gone wide, but when she tore them away from the dress to look at the others still waiting for her, tears pricked at the corners of them.

It was a while before Kyoko slipped cautiously out of her room, cheeks matching the soft pink of her dress. She'd just needed a minute or ten before she even dared to try anything on, okay. But she was ready now, it was time to face down what was waiting for her in the living room.

Wow, can't believe Bug would be used against her in this way.

But when Kaito appeared, looking very handsome and definitely not real, Kyoko was too stunned to argue. Orange still in her hands, she trailed after the boys over to the kotatsu, where instead of sitting down as instructed she looked over it dimly.

"... Did... we always have this many plates?" she mumbled, dazed. Truly, where was she supposed to begin? Would someone come find her passed out on the floor in her room soon? What was happening?

She was looking at them all, in fact. There was a lot to look at! Why were there so many! Shinji!! Was this you!?

But before she could launch any questions from that train of thought, Kaito was there to derail her with his kiss and soft words. His favorite... so he really had picked all those dresses himself? He'd actually thought about it enough to prefer one?

"It fits," Kyoko mumbled, still dizzy with questions. He--he knew her size? She made it--

Though she barely noticed, Kaito had gotten her sitting down, which was a good safety move in case she actually did lose consciousness. "You... borrowed the clothes too, right?"

Kaito might be shrugging and grinning, but Kyoko was losing her mind all over again. The only thing that had made all this make sense up to now was the thought that all those dresses--or at least the ones she wasn't wearing, because that was surely the point when he'd told her she had to make a choice?--were going to be returned. The idea that they were all actually purchased outright for her was just ridiculous?

"Tha--" Kyoko swayed a little, but tried to keep herself firm. "That's too much! Please don't spend that much money on me!"

This was more spoiling than she could reasonably be expected to survive! Even if she didn't touch on that thought of what it means when a man buys you clothes, this was just way more than she could give in return! And he was acting like it was normal, proportional even.

"You made me something nice," she insisted, cheeks flushed and tears pricking at her eyes again. "All of this... you and Shinji must have worked so hard. There's no way I could need anything else."

With Kaito down there beside her, there was nothing to stop Kyoko from surging forward with a hug as the warmth in her chest overflowed. She couldn't repay him, but she had to let him know somehow, how big her feelings were.

"Thank you," she mumbled, voice thick.

Kyoko nodded into his shoulder, letting out a little mmhm. Both of these boys were going to get as much affection as they could tolerate tonight, never fear.

But after another squeeze, she looked down at his shoulder again, and--oh. Oh no!! "--I got it wet!" Happy tear betrayal!! Time to pull back and reach frantically for a napkin. "Aaah, and it's brand new, too!"