When he was very young, J wanted to do such things for S. As a child, he wished he could give S some toy to play with that he'd like, but J could never afford that. When they were older, when he had some money of his own from the jobs he worked, when he could give S gifts, he had to be more practical about it. It feels good to have bought something frivolous and not feel panicked about whether he should have really done it. It's good to get frivolous things, for that matter. While he always takes creation seriously to some extent and while the camera means an awful lot, it's not as if it's particularly practical. J loves it for that, too. He doesn't have to do something useful with it. And by making S smile like this, little Frederic has already served his purpose.

Smiling, he leans close, nose brushing S's cheek, lips following. "Merry Christmas," he murmurs. "I'm so glad you like him. All of it. I love you so much." He would have done more if he could, but he knows S knows that. It's never been about the quantity or the price. They couldn't afford that. What counts is this, making each other happy. That's what a good gift really is, a way of saying I was thinking about how to make you happy, and this year, J feels like he's succeeded again. It warms him through, his arms hugging one of S's to him. "This really is the nicest Christmas I've had... maybe ever."