merry christmas;

[sunshowered]

❆
sleigh bells r i n g

Christmas parties: the bane of the winter season for any socialite heir who actually was not very social at all.

Nonetheless, the first son of the Hijirikawa group did his best to put on a benign smile where they would normally be a harsh grimace, mingling as best he could. As a young boy, he could stand at the side and not be missed – often overlooked enough to even run off with one that he used to call his friend – but now that he was fully grown, there was a responsibility he had to tend to with greeting all these people who barely knew him but knew his family’s rank in detail.

Eventually, blue eyes came to meet amber.

Ren lifted his champagne glass in greeting as he stood opposite from Masato now, a number of young women gathered behind the Jinguji son as they surveyed the meeting between the two. “The meeting of two scions” – the words drifted toward their ears, but they did not pay it much mind.

“Hijirikawa. Having a happy holiday as we take a break from school?” A smooth tilt of his head left Ren’s lazy gaze completely on his Saotome roommate. Though they would have a chilly relationship within the walls of the academy, they were now placed under a spotlight in the setting of big name companies.

“As happy as it can be…” Masato nodded his head bluntly at the statement, not mentioning how foolish he thought it was to have a Christmas party of all things. Japan didn’t even—

“Really?” Ren laughed. “I didn’t expect that from you. I thought you would get more technical about how Japan doesn’t even really celebrate this holiday except for couples.”

Blue eyes widened at that before the Hijirikawa heir turned away. His rival merely chuckled at that before giving a dismissive wave and turning his back to go interact with the young ladies at the party.

Masato didn’t like how he was right.

He couldn’t even truly appreciate it as a familiar string of notes entered the air from a saxophone to accompany the bells that were already ringing.

There was a twinkle to Ren’s eye, especially as he caught Masato’s gaze. Figuring that it might succeed in flustering – or if nothing else, bewildering - his roommate, he winked in his general direction as well.

In response, Masato fought down the instinctual reaction of confusion and scoffed, looking away.

He never liked how Ren’s assumptions about him were always right.

Even now.

❆
are you l i s t e n i n g ?

“Hey runt, where’s your attention span at today?”

Minato blinked, looking up from the new task that Bekunosuke had set him out to do – something with the rope. It was demonstrated to him but he was never told exactly how to do it, or what it was even called. He’d been having a hard time wrestling with it until now.

“On the rope,” came his blunt reply, his odd sense of humor at work as he tried to pull on one end of it, still not giving his aniki his all.

“Nah, I mean, Bekunosuke said that you were wanderin’ off into the forest-y areas for a bit on your break! He mentioned it off-handedly, but I figure that’s not somethin’ you’ve done since ya first came to the island.”

The blue-haired boy looked back at his older brother figure and blinked. It’d still take a bit longer to get used to the fact that Motochika was even more observant and on top of things in his home island.

“Ah…” he didn’t deny it, contemplating his word choice, “I was wondering what kinds of trees you had here.”

“… trees?” the pirate quirked a brow.

“Right… It’s approaching winter, isn’t it? So it’s getting close to Christmas in my world,” Minato explained, looking at Motochika directly now. “There are normally trees to decorate. I was just curious if the holiday has been established here or not.”

“Christmas…”

Even as the word awkwardly rolled off Motochika’s tongue, Minato knew that it was definitely foreign at this point.

“Well…” he crossed his arms before turning his back to the boy, “Set the rope down. What kinda tree are we lookin’ for?!”

“… huh?”

The pirate glanced back and gave a huge grin, “Ain’t no reason to hold back on a party now! Let’s introduce ‘em all to this Christmas holiday then!”

Minato blinked.

This would probably drastically alter the future.

… but with the determined look in his aniki’s eyes, he decided it probably wouldn’t be worth trying to backtrack.

Might as well enjoy the holiday while he had the opportunity and Motochika was in a good mood.

❆
in the l a n e

“What a whim of yours this is, my lady.”

There was a fair rhythm in the crunch of the snow as the well-dressed pair walked down the streets of some town that Sharon didn’t care to remember the name of – it was meant to be a secret that they were out, after all.

“How kind of you as always to indulge these whims, Break,” she spoke softly as her hand rested lightly in the crook of Break’s elbow, allowing him to act as a guide despite the fact that her steps were far more eager in comparison.

Looking up at her servant, Sharon’s lips softly parted into a smile. It was the same smile that managed to melt so many hearts, even in the face of the cold. Yet her servant had long since developed immunity to it, nodding simply in response.

But he was right.

What a whim it was indeed.

Contractors who had stopped aging normally, truly had to follow the rules that stated that they could not attend social events. In response to that, Sharon took it gracefully and saw it only as a minor sacrifice if she could be of greater service to her Xerx-nii.

Nonetheless, it seemed that this year she wanted to indulge just a bit.

Wandering the streets to view the lights wasn’t socializing, was it? It was participating in every day society, that much was true, but she thought for certain that no one would really recognize the Rainsworth heiress in this crowd.

… and despite how it was sad to think that she had to let go of her opportunities in such a way, she also found this so much more rewarding.

“Isn’t it nice, Break?” The lights were reflected in her wide eyes, full of childish wonder, though she was able to carefully maintain her outward expression to one that was at least moderately ladylike.

Glancing down at his charge, Break managed a small, whimsical smile as he followed her gaze to the lights.

“In a manner of speaking, my lady.”

“What a scrooge you are.”

❆
snow is g l i s t e n i n g

In those romantic movies where the girl would be whisked away after her love sought after her in the dead of night, he normally caught her attention by throwing pebbles up at her window and then whispering for her to meet him outside so they could run away.

When Oishi found himself in a similar situation, he found a number of details to be greatly altered.

For one, he really didn’t think he suited the female part. However it stood to reason that would be his role, seeing as he was the one waiting in his room in the second floor of the house, a book in his lap.

The next issue would have to be that it wasn’t pebbles that were hitting his window, but instead chunks of loosely patted together snow that made more of a thump than the light tink he had always been familiar with.

And as he opened his window out of pure curiosity and peeked his head out, despite some of his pride telling him not to, he was greeted with not calls of “come meet me outside but”—

“O-Oishi! I-It’s cold, c-c-can I come in?!”

“E-Eiji?!” Mother hen tendencies came before logic as he immediately insisted, “What are you doing…?! It’s ten at night—and it’s still snowing!”

“S-s-so invite me in, partner! Nyaaaahhh!” the other boy whined as he stood outside, his outline shivering faintly.

“G-Get in here…!”

And that was really all it took.

Except unlike how most people would be logical enough to use the front door, Eiji was not nearly so smart. Springy as he was, it was easy for him to use the window ledges from the first floor to climb his way up to Oishi’s window, the other boy recoiling back from it some to give him space.

Yet Eiji remained perched on the window, teeth faintly chattering as he dug through a bag – how on earth did he make it up there carrying that sack around? – and managed to pull out a box.

A strangely nicely wrapped box that was not faintly dusted with snow.

The box was now being offered to Oishi.

“… what’s this?” he blinked, taking it.

Eij’s response was a grin – which was hard to maintain with his teeth chattering as they were – and pointed to the red hat that sat atop his head, along with the white puff ball that rested at the end of it.

“Oh, wait, give this one to your sister!” he said after a moment’s thought and handing Oishi another box – this one twice as big and pink. (Why was it bigger than his?)

“Eiji, this isn’t—”

But it looked like Santeiji wouldn’t be staying long as he suddenly hopped off the windowsill, landing lightly on the ground like a cat. Then running off in the snow, his bag of gifts trailing behind him, there was a call in the night, “Hohoho! Merry Christmas, aibou!!”

Oishi would’ve asked himself what just happened if he wasn’t a worrywart.

But seeing as he was, he instead reached for the phone to ask if Eiji’s siblings knew what his intended route was.

Upon receiving it, he sighed and reached for the coat that was hanging in his closet.

The Golden Pair never suffered from a boring holiday.

❆
a b e a u t i f u l sight

“You know what my favorite part of Christmas is?”

It was a rather sing-songy question asked from a very, very cheerful Dong-hwi, a smile set on his face as he leaned down over the back of the couch to offer Yukari her mug of hot chocolate.

“Mm…” she hummed thoughtfully as she took a sip of the drink, more than happily accepting the warmth that it brought to her system. That was needed after they spent their time wandering around looking at all the decorations – all Dong-hwi’s prodding, of course. He really was like a child.

And so what did children like most about the holidays?

“Presents?” she smiled, tilting her head as she tucked her legs underneath her, letting him sit down on the other side of the couch.

“Haaa? Do you really think I’m that immature?” The pout that stretched across his lips and pulled down his face really wasn’t working to convince her otherwise.

Quirking a brow, she just continued to smile.

“… okay okay,” he sighed, reclining into the coach and taking a sip out of his own mug. “But that’s not what I love about Christmas! Keep guessing.”

She really was trying. But if it wasn’t the presents, then the next juvenile she had to think of was—

“… mistletoe?”

“Yukari… what do you think of me?” Dong-hwi sighed, looking at her out of the side of his eye, bristling a bit like a cat.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed, “If that’s not it, then just blurt it out already!”

“Fiiiiiine,” he sighed dramatically as he reclined all the way back and faced the ceiling. “It’s the break.”

“… the break?” Yukari could only raise an incredulous eyebrow.

“Right…” he laughed a bit. “We didn’t really have much of a break for it back home in Korea. I heard that Japan didn’t have one for it either. But here… schools actually let out for Christmas! Just for this holiday! So you can have all the time to do your shopping and to relax… and I like it. Because that’s what the holiday’s really all about and I get it now!”

… he really never stopped being surprising. Sighing a bit, Yukari smiled gently. “Yeah….?”

“Yeah!” and he turned to her with a big, goofy smile, “You’ve got more free time too, and I can never really complain about that.”

Flattering, as always.

Though his attention span never really stopped being short, especially as he caught sight of his own mug of hot chocolate and lifted it, “How about a toast, Yukari? To holidays and spending time with people you love!”

… and blunt as always.

Despite her embarrassment and what her tsundere nature dictated, she decided to let him have it easy for the holiday he enjoyed so much.

So as he sat up and offered his cup, she lifted her hug to meet his—just as her lips did the same.

❆
we’re h a p p y tonight

Ieyasu always woke up before Mitsunari when it was a day off and this remained to be true on Christmas morning.

There was a nagging feeling in his head as he stirred that he had something to be excited for. It was well past noon, so they really should get up. However they’d gone to some sort of gathering the night before for just an hour before they retreated back home, but that was enough to wipe out Ieyasu entirely.

But what was it, what was it?

It failed to really hit him until he pried his eyes open and the clock clearly read 12:25.

… ah.

It was Christmas, wasn’t it?

There was some sort of childish excitement that filled Ieyasu’s veins then, energy rivaled only when the Gundam movie was announced. But immaturity be damned, he was still very, very excited for Christmas.

He nearly tore out of bed then and ran to the tree so presents could be opened—

But he still had Mitsunari in his arms.

… hm. Dilemma.

“Mitsunari…” he whispered experimentally.

Nothing.

He really was fast asleep, wasn’t he? Oh the guilt that would come with waking him up… And yet Ieyasu really felt that this was not a day to properly sleep in.

So with some careful maneuvering, he was able to gently coerce Mitsunari into rolling over in his sleep, now left at least facing Ieyasu.

And so the kisses began.

Desperate to get out of bed, but not desperate to ruin a holiday by giving Mitsunari a poor morning to wake up to, Ieyasu tried his hardest to gently nudge his sleeping fiancé out of his dreams.

Light, butterfly kisses were first left on his neck, his cheek- but Ieyasu was running out of ideas by the time he actually pressed his lips to Mitsunari’s—

A sigh passed through Mitsunari’s lips that sounded vaguely like “Enough”.

But at least he was saved now.

Eyes opening slowly but not particularly angrily, it was only a slightly disgruntled look on Mitsunari’s face as looked up at his boyfriend.

“… Merry Christmas?”

“You truly are milking this holiday for all its worth.”

❆
walking in a winter w o n d e r l a n d

As they came to travel along together in partnership, Matthew realized that there was one thing that he could definitely count on Saya to do in terms of planning and prepping for their next destination.

She had a master list of carnivals, festivals, fairs, and general celebrations for just about every city in the country. From the Potato Throwing festival in one town to the boisterous Halloween carnivals that happened in another, she had just about everything marked down in a surprisingly organized notebook.

To some degree, she was able to take care of herself.

At least, when entertainment was concerned.

So that was probably why on Christmas Eve, the both of them were racing from one end of a designated “Winter Wonderland” to the other. Apparently this town was famous not only for its candy apples but also the huge celebration that enveloped the town whenever Christmas drew near. An entire separate park was set up with a number of different carnival rides and games, all for the children to enjoy.

The snow that naturally dusted it all was a very nice touch.

There was much laughter and fun to be had in between the maze that they both managed to lose their way in until Matthew the Cheater decided to peer over the walls to navigate them to the exit or the picture with Santa that Saya absolutely insisted that they get despite the fact that they were easily twice the size of all the other children in line.

And as she mused over the picture, giggles were still spilling forth as she turned to face Matthew, “I’m telling you it’s all worth it.”

Rolling his eyes, he shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked along. “Well you do seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit.”

“More fun that I’ve had on any other Christmas!” she chirped up immediately, looking up at him with a very keen smile.

Blinking, Matthew just couldn’t let that one get away. “That’s awfully honest of you.”

But instead of the usual sputtering backtracking, Saya settled for looking a bit unamused. “And you’re just trying to get a rise out of me. But not today, Matthew~ Christmas Eve will be my victory! Though I admit… it’s a lot better than years in the past. And I mean it.”

“Ahh, did you go to some other Christmas celebration last year?” he tilted his head, recalling the long list of events just for Christmas Eve.

However Saya just shook her head. “Nope~ I weighed the pros and cons of each festival a long time ago! This one is the absolute best that I go to every year!” Her smile adapted a bit of a sheepish hint to it as she admitted, “It’s just nice to have company this time.”

… was that it?

Matthew just laughed.

He knew Saya wouldn’t forgive him after her jolly high wore off and he let her keep spouting all her sappy little secrets like this. So instead he picked up the pace as a bunch of bright lights peeked over the top of one of the little elf cottages. “What’s over there?”

And with that, she was distracted.

“Oh, you’ll love it! Let’s go!” she seized hand there, pulling him over with a big smile.

The event in general was pretty fun. But Matthew had to admit that Saya was right.

It was definitely better with company.