The frat house looks like Christmas threw up on it, and then Christmas's drunk uncle came along and added in his own touches.
Emily's elegant garlands and tasteful white lights compete with what appear to be spray-painted beer cans, red and green, strung together. A beautifully decorated tree stands in the corner, topped not with a star or angel, but with what I’m fairly certain is a modified beer bong wrapped in tinsel.
Someone, almost certainly Kai, has hung mistletoe in strategic doorways with a sign reading "CONSENT STILL REQUIRED" in glitter pen.
Haru stands in the doorway, looking fascinated and terrified by the Christmas chaos inside. He bows slightly to everyone he meets, using formal language that makes the guys exchange amused looks.
"Thank you for your hospitality," he says for perhaps the fifth time. "I have brought something, if it is acceptable for the movie night." He carefully unzips one of his suitcases and produces a DVD. "In Japan, my roommates and I would watch this film each Christmas. It is... how to say... not a conventional Christmas film, but very special."
He holds up a copy of Tokyo Godfathers.
"Heck yeah!" Ethan calls from the couch. "I've heard of that one. It's supposed to be amazing."
The stiffness in Haru's shoulders eases slightly. "You know of it?"
Tyler, arm around Ethan, smiles. "Ethan's a film buff. He drags me to the international film festival every year."
"It is an honour to share with you," Haru says, carefully handing the DVD to Ethan like he's passing along a sacred artifact.
The guys have transformed the common room while we were gone. All the furniture's been pushed against the walls, and the center's now a sea of blankets, pillows, and cushions.
It’s a makeshift theatre style. The massive TV dominates one wall, courtesy of some tech alumnus with deep pockets.
"James! Finally!" Emily materializes in front of me, clipboard in hand, because, of course, Emily has a clipboard for movie night. She's wearing a red sweater with actual jingle bells sewn onto it. "I need your help with the streaming setup. We're having issues with the HDMI splitter."
"On it." I’m ridiculously grateful for a technical problem I can solve. "This is Haru, by the way. He's joining us for the holidays."
Emily's face lights up. "Perfect! We have plenty of room. Have you eaten? Are you allergic to anything? Do you have dietary restrictions?"
Haru looks slightly overwhelmed by the rapid-fire questions. "I... eat most foods. No allergies."
"Great! You're in charge of this." She hands him a bowl of cranberries, popcorn, and a needle and thread. "Just string them together, it's for the tree."
Before he can respond, she's whisked away to the kitchen, leaving Haru staring at the bowl in bewilderment.
"She's like that with everyone," I assure him. "You'll get used to it."
I'm elbow-deep in HDMI cables when I hear something happening at the front door. Gavin is standing, looking uncharacteristically hesitant, as two nervous-looking freshmen shift their weight from foot to foot in the doorway.
I recognize their faces; they're from Epsilon Beta Mu next door, the frat that's been nothing but trouble since Tyler and Ethan came out.
The room temperature seems to drop several degrees as everyone stops talking. These guys are from EBM, the frat that vandalized our pride flag and whose members have "accidentally" bumped into our guys on campus more than once.
"Uh, hey," one of them says, his voice wavering slightly. "We were wondering if we could join your movie marathon? We heard about it from Gavin."
It takes a minute, but then I see what Gavin has already spotted: their hands are tightly clasped together, fingers intertwined so completely that their knuckles are white. They're holding onto each other like lifelines but making no move to hide it.
Gavin catches Drew's eye, subtly elbowing him and nodding toward their joined hands. Drew's expression shifts from cautious to understanding in an instant.
The two freshmen stand a little straighter, clearly bracing for rejection but determined to face it together.
"Everyone," Drew announces, stepping forward, "this is..."
"Miguel," offers one.
"And Danny," adds the other. "From next door."
"Miguel and Danny are joining us for the movies tonight," Drew continues, his tone making it clear this isn't open for discussion.
