Make wishes for yourself. It seemed like such an easy thing in theory. Simple, straightforward - but somehow, it still scared him. So many times, it felt like whenever he did try to pursue something for his own sake, that one selfish choice made everything worse, no matter how good his intentions.

Cultivating his own happiness was important, he knew that now. But when pressed, there was no wish he could think of that didn't come with its own consequences. All of his wants and needs were a tangle, twisted in knots with his innate sense of obligation.

It was already enough that he could pursue his own goals in life, though it had meant the ties to Red and his family suffered. He had a boyfriend now, but the choice had destroyed the tenuous connection between his rival and his little brother. And he even took opportunities for this direction in life, even if that meant leaving that boyfriend for months.

"I've... already done my share," he said, sheepish. "If the rest've December was uneventful, that'd already be enough for me."