Day 2: Not unlike a fairy tale

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As part of a yearly tradition with yabamena, we write each other drabbles for the 12(+1) days of Christmas. Day Two: The cutest gang-bangers in the world. (It's tagged superpowers because these characters have them, despite not using during this drabble)

Years of not having someone he cared for, of never being in an actual relationship, of never even considering love a possibility meant Aksel still wasn't used to giving gifts. He still had difficulty expressing the intense positive emotions he felt about Han and he found it even harder to put those feelings into words.

Or in this case, find a gift that showed how much he cared about Han, wanted to share things with him and make him happy. The sneakers had been a given. They'd caught Han's eye and Aksel made a mental note to go back and get them, then spent the next month making sure Han didn't buy them for himself.

But the best part wasn't even watching Han wear them immediately. It was watching his eyes alight and his mouth drop open slightly as he panned over the words -- written in English -- that boasted the guided, English-language, fairy tale tour of the Black Forest.

Han wasn't as expressive as Aksel, but anyone could see the excitement in his eyes. The kiss that followed, an incredible balance of sweet and toe-curling, drowned Aksel in pure sensation until the last coherent thought was this:

It really was the thought that counted.