FIC - ... and a Happy New Year!
Title: ... and a Happy New Year!
Characters: ... just about everyone. No, seriously.
Rating: PG for teasing and kissing and fluffy overtones.
Summary: Holidays at the school!
Notes: This was supposed to be my advent-project for the year. But work and life decided that no I shouldn't. So have a lot - and I do mean a lot - of ficlets, set more or less in order.
“Everyone! I have like, great news!” Clef sighed as Caldina danced her way inside his classroom, knowing that whatever calm and tranquility that he and Presea had fought for the last hour was lost; the children would most likely - and based on experience - be in an uproar after whatever it was that Caldina was going to tell them.
Barely waiting for a few confused questions from the kids and a “LEMME GO” from Kurogane, who had been tied to a chair with tinsel by Fai and Yuui, Caldina beamed to everyone, bringint out from beind her back a script bound with glitterly pink plastic which immediately called Primera's attention, and most of the children were naturally - and destructively - curious enough that they sat down without being prompted.
“This year, the kindergarten will like, make the school play!” Caldina all but bounced on her place, her smile wide and joyous. “And it'll be like, The Nutcracker!”
An amazed silence swept over the children for a few seconds before they started chattering among themselvex, excited little chirps that made him smile without being able to stop it. The children had seen the classical animated movie last week (and for his eternal headache, the Barbie one, too, after Primera had been the one to choose the movie) and it was the story that Presea had been telling them this week during story-time.
Just then, Tomoyo giggled, eyes sparkling, raising her hand up.
“Sakura-chan should be Clara! She'll look so beautiful in a tutu!”
And there wouldn't have been any issue with that statement (at least not anything bigger than usual) if not for the fact that Eagle, smiling like a conman, had stood up at the same time, a hand against the desk, proclaiming that Hikaru should be the lead exactly at the same time.
The silence that followed that statement was barely broken by Yuui adding the sound effects with a loud 'DUN-DUN-DUUUUUN'.
Both Eagle and Tomoyo turned to look at each other, turning their smiles to each other. Clef had to wonder who'd survive that civil war, quite certain that he wouldn't be among the lucky ones. Just as Presea was ducking behind a bean-bag, Hikaru giggled and shook her head no, hard enough that her braid lashed a bit before she glomped Umi, who was sitting besides her.
“Umi-chan should be Clara!” she exclaimed, still hugging the blue-haired girl, who blinked, confused. “'cause she already knows ballet and all!”
Sakura, who had green tinsel in her hair to hold her pigtails and was happily tying some Christmas-y ribbons around Syaoran's clothes, noddes, just as happy.
“Umi-chan will look so pretty!” Then she giggled and bounced a little. “I wanna be a mouse!”
“Oh, me too, me too!”
Eagle and Tomoyo both blinked for a moment before their smiles turned back to the usual level of threat which meant that Clef could breathe again. He also made the mental note to find an excuse to give Hikaru and Sakura a bright gold star - or a pink heart, whichever they preferred - just for innadvertily making sure he (and Presea, who was emerging from behind the bean-bag) was going to live another day.
“But weren't the mice evil?” Ferio asked, cocking his head to the side.
Just like that, Eagle's smile got a little extra sharp, turning to face Ferio while Lantis crossed his arms. Tomoyo's smile was very white and white and it was directed full force towards the boy, who had no problems whatsoever in hiding behind Primera's fairy wings.
“If Hikaru-chan and Sakura-chan want to be GOOD mice,” Eagle said ever-so sweetly. - “They'll be good mice.”
“And they're going to look adorable with cute pink mice ear!” Tomoyo cooed, hands on her cheeks.
As the children started to call up on the roles they wanted (no-one was surprised when Primera said she'd be the Sugar Plum fairy, nor when Xiao-kun and a recentl freed Kurogane said that they'd be ninja because ninja were so much better than mere soldiers), Clef noticed that although Umi was aiding to decide which role should others be, there was a tiny, happy and pleased little smile too herself and that Ascot was staying a little apart as he held an alligator plushie to his chest.
“It's going to be like, soooo awesome!” Caldina chirped. Lafarga smiled as he saw her keep on dancing from her fridge to the counter, even leaning to give him a teasing kiss and a wink. “Karen-san and Emeraude-san are going to do the costumes, and Satsuki-chan said she'd look into the lights and audio! Now it's just choosing who'll be who and that's it!”
The boy blushed, pulling the sleeves of his sweater to cover his hands.
“Can you... teach me how to dance?”
*
Hikaru giggles, eyes merry as she holds hands with them both. Then, out of the blue, she stops, eyes wide in the amazing possibility.
Eagle blinks. Lantis shrugs, a gentle twist to his lips that made Eagle feel warm inside and that made Hikaru giggle again.
“Mmm... I don't know,” Eagle concedes, making a thinky noise. He doesn't care much for cold weather or snow, unless he was wrapped up in blankets with Lantis sleeping over by his side, having some hot cocoa (with marshmellows!) waiting for him by the side of his bed, but he does admit that the mental picture of Hikaru-chan playing in the snow is definitely cute enough to consider it.
Hikaru beams anyway.
“I hope we do! So we can make a snowmen and snow angels!”
Eagle has never quite considered making a deal with the weather (he has entertained the thought a couple of times, though, when he has tried negotiating for something so that he could stay in bed) but for Hikaru-chan, and the way Lantis was smiling too...
He smiles.
“I'll see what I can do.”
**
All around the school, people paused as they heard a familiar cackle and, a few seconds after that, they might have been treated with the sight of Nakuru, wearing a Santa-like skirt and still cackling, carried a Primera on her back so that Primera could throw tinsel and glitter and sparkly things of all kinds at everyone around them.
**
“But niisan looks better in purple,” Kazuki insists, arms crossed and wearing a very pretty purple dress herself. Nataku holds the look of someone who's long used to suffering so he just sighs as Kotori keeps on brushing his hair.
“But it's not festive!” Hokuto repeats, slapping a hand down her 'designs'. “It's red, white and green! Kamui-kun's red, Subaru's green, Kotori-chan is white! Seishirou-san's red, I'm red too and you said you wanted green!”
“What about blue and silver?” Kotori says, blushing a little when her two best friends turn to look at her, but she smiles. “Um, I just thought, the dress that Karen-sensei was wearing...”
Hokuto makes a thinky noise and Kazuki cocks her head to the side. When they both smile, Nataku knows he's doomed.
“You knoooow... that might work.”
**
“Mistletoe!” Sorata sing songs, puckering up. “Hooooneeeeeeeey! You have to kiss me nooooow! Here, here! Kiiiiss, kiiiiss!”
Yuzuriha does her best to keep a straight face as Arashi, without missing a bit, puts a chocolate on her husband's hand and walks away, but she does break down into giggles when Kusaragi-san takes the chocolate, opens it, and places it on Sorata's open mouth.
**
Alongside with Presea-sensei, Emeraude-sensei, Sorata-sensei and Aoki-sensei, Clow, Eriol, Touya and Watanuki (plus Nakuru and Yukito, but, as Yue had said and the two cousins had agreed before, they were only there to pig it out if they could) are wearing matching aprons and moving through the school's kitchen as the eight of them plus 'helpers' ae baking and making every single dessert they could think of for their school's festivities.
“Arent' we doing too much?” Watanuki asks once to Clow.
Touya snorts. “No if we have into consideration Nakuru, Ashura and Yuki.”
“Sugar candies! And gingerbread people and houses! CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES! And lots and lots of cinnamon!” Nakuru sing-songs, hugging Eriol from behind, who seems amused and he lets her have a spoonful of the chocolate he's using to decorate.
“Besides, your sister also loves candies, Kimihiro-kun,” Clow smiles warmly as he says this and Watanuki fears for his life - and sanity - once more, wondering why he can't just have a normal sister who has a normal friend/boyfriend/whatever it is that Clow-senpai is.
“The first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,” Eriol humms and Watanuki can't get the feeling that he's being laughed at.
**
“Xiao-kun, Syaoran-kun, Karen-san!” Seichirou calls, rushing to get off his shoes and get to the kitchen. “I'm so sorry I'm late! Nokoru-san asked me for help on some documents and before I knew it he was gone so I had to help Souh-san and Akira-san to--”
When he gets to the kitchen, his sons are putting the table between taking carrot sticks from the salad bowl and Karen is wearing his apron, cutting up more vegetables, the scent of curry filling the kitchen.
Karen looks at him with a sweet, sweet smile.
“I hope it's okay that I started lunch?” Karen smiles, puts her hand gently on Syaoran's head. “The boys were starving.”
Xiao nods a lot, and he'd probably say more if not for the fact that his mouth seems full of carrot sticks, and Syaoran is doing the same, too.
Seichirou just smiles and nods back to them, warm and happy as he looks at his kids and his-- that's to say, to Karen-san.
“Ah, more than okay,” he assures before rolling up his sleeves. “I'll help too, if you don't mind.”
Karen's smile is very pretty and sweet as she shakes her head no, saying that she won't mind at all.
**
Caldina shakes her head, wondering just how her little brother is going to survive the play when even with just Ashura-chan and Yasha-kun he's blushing so much, but she knows better than to say a thing. The wonders of someone's first crush.
“Okay, Ascot, but you have to move your arm a little more. Remember, you're like, going to be asking Umi-chan to dance.”
And that was totally the wrong thing to say as Ascot's blush deepens. She's trying to think about something to say but then Ashura giggles
“Ascot, see!” Ashura says, standing up with a shimmy that sends the coins over his belt and the bangles over his wrists and ankles. “Yasha and I'll help you practice! Won't we, Yasha?”
Both little boys seem confused, blinking towards the other pretty boy even as Ashura starts twirling in the dance he and Nakuru-chan are going to do before he grasps Ascot's hand and pulls him along, laughing and singing. Which isn't the kind of help Caldina had thought but is totally worth it once her brother relaxes and starts giggling, too.
**
It had taken Eagle a while to get the proper number. As his grandfather always says, it's important to have the right links to get what you want. So after a few days of planning, Eagle finally got the number of the one man who could, at the moment, tell him just how to make this deal.
So he dials the number and waits. And waits some more. And he entertains himself by swinging his feet a little and humming to the song until finally someone picks up and then he can make his proposition. Any business-man would see he's offering gold.
He's very polite until the end of the call, but Eagle makes the mental note to put the weather-man on his list.
Treating him like a kid. Please.
Oh well. He'll just have to find another way to give Hikaru-chan the snow that she wants.
*
“Here, sensei, thought you might like this.”
Satsuki blinks at the CD Yuuto is offering her but she gives him a smile, too. Even if Yuzuriha won't leave her alone about a kid having a crush on her, she can't say she minds terribly Yuuto's company. Evfen if his interest in computers is only motivated over a crush, he's still respectful and smart and he does his best to learn.
“Thank you, Yuuto-kun,” she says, and it's a sweet thing the way the boy beams. She opens the CD and lets the Christmas Carols wash over the room before she opens a drawer and brings out a chocolate box.
“Would you like some chocolate?”
**
Their dorm has been completely rearranged by the time they come back to it, tinsel and bells and angels decorating it. There's even a tree and, underneath it, there are lots o prettily wrapped presents.
Well. To be serious abot it, underneath it there's also a very asleep Nakuru, a nest of ribbons and tinsel and wrapping-paper around her.
Yue sighs.
“Idiot.” Nakuru is going to get sick like this, the idiot, and he'll be forced to take care of Nakuru's whims and go absolutely crazy. “He should've done something more productive.”
“Mmm, I don't know, Yue-kun,” Clow-senpai says and he smiles, putting down the trays of sweets and candies they still need to wrap up to be able to sell. “I think that Nakuru-chan wanted this to be a surprise.”
Yue blushes at Clow-senpai's comment, having almost forgotten that Clow-senpai was there too. Yukito giggles, shaking his head before he goes to pick up a blanket to put it over Nakuru, who mutters something about cookies as she snuggles deep into the cover.
*
“I wont really be evil, though!” Ferio says, wide eyed and even pouting a little when Fuu-chan asks him about it. “I promise, Fuu-chan! It'll be a misunderstandin' and everythin'll be fine!”
Fuu smiles and nods. “That's much better. I like Ferio-san when he is good”
It takes Ferio a few moments after Fuu has gone to realize what she said, so it's quite silly when he ends up blushing all alone.
*
“A kissing booth?” Clow blinks, shaking his head. “I'm afraid I don't see the purpose, dearest.”
“That's because you're blind,” Yuuko drawls, canting a hip with a hand over it before she smiles, smug and confident. “And you haven't seen the people that I recruited.”
Clow follows her, hads behind his back, until Yuuko points towards Emeraude-sensei and Nokoru-sensei and Hikaru-chan, Himawari-chan and Sakura-chan. Then he laughs.
“You, Yuuko-chan, are brilliant.”
Yuuko's smug expression doesn't waver at all. “I know.”
*
“Mmm, I wonder if I'll get what I asked for,” Sakurazuka says out of the blue, sighing loud enough that Subaru stops playing with him and Fuuma stops reading his book.
“Um. What did Seishirou-senpai asked for?” Subaru asks, voice sweet and gentle and curious. Kamui picks up something to throw, because if he knows where this is going...
“Well, a Subaru-kun of my own, of course!” Sakurazuka says, beaming even when that makes Subaru splutter and blush so hard he's redder than Rudolph's nose.
... he's going to need it. Sadly, it's nothing heavier and more damage-inducing like one of those anime-swords, but just as he's getting ready to throw the ball to the Sakurazuka's head as hard as he can, he feels Fuuma's arms around him, stopping him as Fuuma leans his chin against his shoulder, his fingers prying the ball from his hand and letting it fall down to the floor and then holding his hand..
“Be nice,” Fuuma asks, sweet and kind and Kamui sort of wishes for a moment that he wouldn't be so that he could kick him. But he'd rather kick himself than kick Fuuma, so Kamui contents on glaring at Sakurazuka's stupid stupid back.
*
“If you give me ONE snow day this week, you can have the rest of the month without it,” Eagle mutters and he grins as he looks up to the clouds, shielding his eyes with Geo's rockstar sunglasses. It's his best grin, too, and he's sure he's offering the best deal ever. “AND you can have one day over spring or summer to be as cold as you'd like. ”
Eagle waits again and he waits some more. He waits until Geo calls him from the door to his yard, saying that dinner's ready and that there's ice cream for dessert before Eagle realizes that the Weather is much tougher than he thought.
Then he realizes it's time to pull out the big guns.
“Geo, would you mind if I use your phone? I have to call Tomoyo-san.”
*
The choir is in the middle of practicing the carols they're going to sing, Yuzuriha's little sister Meiling (who came to visit alongside with their grandma) helping cheerfully, swinging hands with Primera as if they had known each other forever. Emeraude smiles and goes through the carol's list, giving a soft sigh as Tomoyo-chan finishes singing her solo, too, the talent that she'll have - and already does - obvious as she clasps her hands over hear heart.
Suu-chan, however, wide eyed and still shy, only starts singing once she can half hide behind her legs, but then she sings with Eriol-kun's piano as sweet as Emeraude knows she can.
Suu is finishing the chorus she's meant to sing alone when the first snow-flakes star to fall down.
*
“KURO-ANGEL!”
“Wha-HEYWAITNO!”
Fai giggles, bundled up in his coat as Yuui tackles Kurogane - who had been, once again, playing ninjas with Xiao - to the snow, rubbing as much snow as he possibly can before his twin runs away, a snow-covered Kurogane chasing after him.
Sakura seems to like Yuui's idea, tackling Syaoran to the snow too, causing Syaoran to blush and sputter, worriedly telling her that she was going to get sick and then letting Sakura pull towards where Hikaru, Umi and Fuu were building snow figures.
With both his brother and ninja-rival gone, Fai isn't surprised when Xiao flops down to sit besides him, shaking snow off his hair. He is ready to snuggle into his friend since Xiao never complains and it's obvious that Kurogane isn't available to do that, nor Yuui seems to be sleepy like he is to want to play Kuro-pillow with him, when Xiao points to his hands.
“And your gloves?”
Fai shrugs and smiles, pulling on his sleeves so that most of his hands are covered, too. “I think I lost them.”
Xiao looks thoughtful for a moment before he rushes to take off his own gloves, offering them to Fai without a word. It's hard to be sure when their faces are already pink with the cold, but Fai thinks that Xiao-kun might be blushing.
So he smiles and picks up a glove and slides it unto his left hand, giving the other to Xiao.
“You wear that one.”
“But...” Xiao seems almost crestfallen at his rejected offer but he does. As soon as he does, though, Fai takes his left hand with his right and he beams, snuggling.
“Better like this, ne?”
Now he's sure Xiao is blushing, 'cause he's making the same face his dad makes when his mom snuggles up close.
*
“Who'd see you smiling like that,” Presea mutters, arms crossed as she leans against the door. Her voice is warm and just a little bit teasing, but Clef freezes up anyway, half in the way of putting two huge chocolate bars down Xiao and Syaoran's boots.
“Well,” Clef says, trying to regain what little dignity being a kindergarten teache here has left him. “It's Christmas. Or almost.”
“I won't say a thing,” Presea says, her smile still warm and teasing and perhaps something else before she starts picking up the toys.
*
“Told you they wouldn't last,” Zagato mutters against her hair.
Emeraude smiles and she looks down, Ferio completely sprawled over the sleeping bag, his hand almost smacking Lantis head, Lantis curled over his side.
She shrugs a little before she looks towards her fiancé. “It was still worth it a shot.”
Zagato's kiss is soft and tender, his hand on her face warm. Emeraude snuggles back, her head against Zagato's shoulder as they watch the rest of the movie, knowing that she wouldn't change anything at all in her life.
*
Himawari-chan smiles, pigtails bouncing and held back with the hair-ribbons he gifted her as she steps on and Kimihiro is sure that there is no one more wonderful in the entire world ever. Totally worth it how much neesan teased him and how expensive is going to be paying her back the favor.
“Did you like your cookies?” She asks then, and Kimihiro knows better than to say that he is so not gonna open them, that he's going to keep them for as long as he possibly can.
“They were good,” and there goes Doumeki interrupting again.
“SHE ASKED ME, YOU MORON!”
Himawari-chan giggles. “It's okay, it's okay! I bought the cookies at the same place, after all.”
“A-aah! I'm sure Himawari-chan's taste in cookies is BETTER than just 'good'! Amazing! Incredible! The best e-veAAAAAH!”
“Idiot,” Doumeki calls as he holds his arm and stops him from falling down when he slips with ice he failed to notice because the idiot had distracted him.
Kihimiro bristles and he's ready to lash out when there's a painfully familiar whistle and, when they look up, he winces at seeing Yuuko-neesan leaning from outside a window. Kimihiro really, really does feel for Zagato-sensei and he makes the mental note to put extra chocolate in his gift.
“Oiiii, Kimihiro! Remember, no public-displays of affection until you're sixteen! Oooor I'll tell~ ”
“NEESAN IS NOT LIKE THAT!” Kimihiro bristles again and he shakes his arms; Doumeki's eyes open a fraction more as that unbalances them and Himawari-chan gasps, trying to keep them standing up but Kimihiro knows it's a lost cause long before they hit the snow-covered ground.
Himawari-chan is giggling to his right and Doumeki is muttering thingsunder his breath and above him he can see Yuuko-neesan cracking up about his misfortune.
Why can't he have a normal oneesan?!
*
So the play-dance of course it isn't perfect, but at least it's very fun and mixed up, from Ashura and Nakuru's like dancing interlude to the kindergarten version of the Nutcracker play, Ascot saying his lines and doing his best to actually look towards Umi-chan, who looked like an cute little angel in her white tutu danced.
And of course, Hikaru-chan and Sakura-chan the cute mice was so totally an immediate success, and the choir did a lovely job and Caldina sees Nakuru jumping over Yue's back and telling him to go to the cafeteria for some desserts, and the kindergarten students running to their parents and Ascot talking with Umi-chan and all's good.
So Caldina gives a happy sigh before she pulls Lafarga underneath some mistletoe for having been a good boyfriend.
*
“It was lots of fun!” Umi smiles and Ascot nods a little, his cheeks a little pink. Then, Umi smiles at him and Ascot has to remind himself to breath. “Thanks to you too, Ascot-kun. I liked it.”
“U-um. It was. Ah. I. I'm glad,” he manages to say, looking a litlte down so that he sees the ruffles over Umi's skirt and her shoes.
Umi giggles then before she leans and kisses his cheek.
“Merry Christmas!” Umi wishes for him, running towards her mom and dad. “See you next year, Ascot!”
Ascot would love to say anything but he's too busy trying not to self-combust as the thought that Umi had just kissed his cheek keeps running through his mind.
*
As they're walking to the car and she keeps on yawning, cuddling as close as she can to her dad, Sakura still hears her mother gasp.
“A falling star!”
So she opens one eye and she wishes really hard for it before she goes back to snuggling against her dad, letting the star do its job.
Characters: ... just about everyone. No, seriously.
Rating: PG for teasing and kissing and fluffy overtones.
Summary: Holidays at the school!
Notes: This was supposed to be my advent-project for the year. But work and life decided that no I shouldn't. So have a lot - and I do mean a lot - of ficlets, set more or less in order.
“Everyone! I have like, great news!” Clef sighed as Caldina danced her way inside his classroom, knowing that whatever calm and tranquility that he and Presea had fought for the last hour was lost; the children would most likely - and based on experience - be in an uproar after whatever it was that Caldina was going to tell them.
Barely waiting for a few confused questions from the kids and a “LEMME GO” from Kurogane, who had been tied to a chair with tinsel by Fai and Yuui, Caldina beamed to everyone, bringint out from beind her back a script bound with glitterly pink plastic which immediately called Primera's attention, and most of the children were naturally - and destructively - curious enough that they sat down without being prompted.
“This year, the kindergarten will like, make the school play!” Caldina all but bounced on her place, her smile wide and joyous. “And it'll be like, The Nutcracker!”
An amazed silence swept over the children for a few seconds before they started chattering among themselvex, excited little chirps that made him smile without being able to stop it. The children had seen the classical animated movie last week (and for his eternal headache, the Barbie one, too, after Primera had been the one to choose the movie) and it was the story that Presea had been telling them this week during story-time.
Just then, Tomoyo giggled, eyes sparkling, raising her hand up.
“Sakura-chan should be Clara! She'll look so beautiful in a tutu!”
And there wouldn't have been any issue with that statement (at least not anything bigger than usual) if not for the fact that Eagle, smiling like a conman, had stood up at the same time, a hand against the desk, proclaiming that Hikaru should be the lead exactly at the same time.
The silence that followed that statement was barely broken by Yuui adding the sound effects with a loud 'DUN-DUN-DUUUUUN'.
Both Eagle and Tomoyo turned to look at each other, turning their smiles to each other. Clef had to wonder who'd survive that civil war, quite certain that he wouldn't be among the lucky ones. Just as Presea was ducking behind a bean-bag, Hikaru giggled and shook her head no, hard enough that her braid lashed a bit before she glomped Umi, who was sitting besides her.
“Umi-chan should be Clara!” she exclaimed, still hugging the blue-haired girl, who blinked, confused. “'cause she already knows ballet and all!”
Sakura, who had green tinsel in her hair to hold her pigtails and was happily tying some Christmas-y ribbons around Syaoran's clothes, noddes, just as happy.
“Umi-chan will look so pretty!” Then she giggled and bounced a little. “I wanna be a mouse!”
“Oh, me too, me too!”
Eagle and Tomoyo both blinked for a moment before their smiles turned back to the usual level of threat which meant that Clef could breathe again. He also made the mental note to find an excuse to give Hikaru and Sakura a bright gold star - or a pink heart, whichever they preferred - just for innadvertily making sure he (and Presea, who was emerging from behind the bean-bag) was going to live another day.
“But weren't the mice evil?” Ferio asked, cocking his head to the side.
Just like that, Eagle's smile got a little extra sharp, turning to face Ferio while Lantis crossed his arms. Tomoyo's smile was very white and white and it was directed full force towards the boy, who had no problems whatsoever in hiding behind Primera's fairy wings.
“If Hikaru-chan and Sakura-chan want to be GOOD mice,” Eagle said ever-so sweetly. - “They'll be good mice.”
“And they're going to look adorable with cute pink mice ear!” Tomoyo cooed, hands on her cheeks.
As the children started to call up on the roles they wanted (no-one was surprised when Primera said she'd be the Sugar Plum fairy, nor when Xiao-kun and a recentl freed Kurogane said that they'd be ninja because ninja were so much better than mere soldiers), Clef noticed that although Umi was aiding to decide which role should others be, there was a tiny, happy and pleased little smile too herself and that Ascot was staying a little apart as he held an alligator plushie to his chest.
“It's going to be like, soooo awesome!” Caldina chirped. Lafarga smiled as he saw her keep on dancing from her fridge to the counter, even leaning to give him a teasing kiss and a wink. “Karen-san and Emeraude-san are going to do the costumes, and Satsuki-chan said she'd look into the lights and audio! Now it's just choosing who'll be who and that's it!”
The boy blushed, pulling the sleeves of his sweater to cover his hands.
“Can you... teach me how to dance?”
*
Hikaru giggles, eyes merry as she holds hands with them both. Then, out of the blue, she stops, eyes wide in the amazing possibility.
Eagle blinks. Lantis shrugs, a gentle twist to his lips that made Eagle feel warm inside and that made Hikaru giggle again.
“Mmm... I don't know,” Eagle concedes, making a thinky noise. He doesn't care much for cold weather or snow, unless he was wrapped up in blankets with Lantis sleeping over by his side, having some hot cocoa (with marshmellows!) waiting for him by the side of his bed, but he does admit that the mental picture of Hikaru-chan playing in the snow is definitely cute enough to consider it.
Hikaru beams anyway.
“I hope we do! So we can make a snowmen and snow angels!”
Eagle has never quite considered making a deal with the weather (he has entertained the thought a couple of times, though, when he has tried negotiating for something so that he could stay in bed) but for Hikaru-chan, and the way Lantis was smiling too...
He smiles.
“I'll see what I can do.”
**
All around the school, people paused as they heard a familiar cackle and, a few seconds after that, they might have been treated with the sight of Nakuru, wearing a Santa-like skirt and still cackling, carried a Primera on her back so that Primera could throw tinsel and glitter and sparkly things of all kinds at everyone around them.
**
“But niisan looks better in purple,” Kazuki insists, arms crossed and wearing a very pretty purple dress herself. Nataku holds the look of someone who's long used to suffering so he just sighs as Kotori keeps on brushing his hair.
“But it's not festive!” Hokuto repeats, slapping a hand down her 'designs'. “It's red, white and green! Kamui-kun's red, Subaru's green, Kotori-chan is white! Seishirou-san's red, I'm red too and you said you wanted green!”
“What about blue and silver?” Kotori says, blushing a little when her two best friends turn to look at her, but she smiles. “Um, I just thought, the dress that Karen-sensei was wearing...”
Hokuto makes a thinky noise and Kazuki cocks her head to the side. When they both smile, Nataku knows he's doomed.
“You knoooow... that might work.”
**
“Mistletoe!” Sorata sing songs, puckering up. “Hooooneeeeeeeey! You have to kiss me nooooow! Here, here! Kiiiiss, kiiiiss!”
Yuzuriha does her best to keep a straight face as Arashi, without missing a bit, puts a chocolate on her husband's hand and walks away, but she does break down into giggles when Kusaragi-san takes the chocolate, opens it, and places it on Sorata's open mouth.
**
Alongside with Presea-sensei, Emeraude-sensei, Sorata-sensei and Aoki-sensei, Clow, Eriol, Touya and Watanuki (plus Nakuru and Yukito, but, as Yue had said and the two cousins had agreed before, they were only there to pig it out if they could) are wearing matching aprons and moving through the school's kitchen as the eight of them plus 'helpers' ae baking and making every single dessert they could think of for their school's festivities.
“Arent' we doing too much?” Watanuki asks once to Clow.
Touya snorts. “No if we have into consideration Nakuru, Ashura and Yuki.”
“Sugar candies! And gingerbread people and houses! CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES! And lots and lots of cinnamon!” Nakuru sing-songs, hugging Eriol from behind, who seems amused and he lets her have a spoonful of the chocolate he's using to decorate.
“Besides, your sister also loves candies, Kimihiro-kun,” Clow smiles warmly as he says this and Watanuki fears for his life - and sanity - once more, wondering why he can't just have a normal sister who has a normal friend/boyfriend/whatever it is that Clow-senpai is.
“The first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,” Eriol humms and Watanuki can't get the feeling that he's being laughed at.
**
“Xiao-kun, Syaoran-kun, Karen-san!” Seichirou calls, rushing to get off his shoes and get to the kitchen. “I'm so sorry I'm late! Nokoru-san asked me for help on some documents and before I knew it he was gone so I had to help Souh-san and Akira-san to--”
When he gets to the kitchen, his sons are putting the table between taking carrot sticks from the salad bowl and Karen is wearing his apron, cutting up more vegetables, the scent of curry filling the kitchen.
Karen looks at him with a sweet, sweet smile.
“I hope it's okay that I started lunch?” Karen smiles, puts her hand gently on Syaoran's head. “The boys were starving.”
Xiao nods a lot, and he'd probably say more if not for the fact that his mouth seems full of carrot sticks, and Syaoran is doing the same, too.
Seichirou just smiles and nods back to them, warm and happy as he looks at his kids and his-- that's to say, to Karen-san.
“Ah, more than okay,” he assures before rolling up his sleeves. “I'll help too, if you don't mind.”
Karen's smile is very pretty and sweet as she shakes her head no, saying that she won't mind at all.
**
Caldina shakes her head, wondering just how her little brother is going to survive the play when even with just Ashura-chan and Yasha-kun he's blushing so much, but she knows better than to say a thing. The wonders of someone's first crush.
“Okay, Ascot, but you have to move your arm a little more. Remember, you're like, going to be asking Umi-chan to dance.”
And that was totally the wrong thing to say as Ascot's blush deepens. She's trying to think about something to say but then Ashura giggles
“Ascot, see!” Ashura says, standing up with a shimmy that sends the coins over his belt and the bangles over his wrists and ankles. “Yasha and I'll help you practice! Won't we, Yasha?”
Both little boys seem confused, blinking towards the other pretty boy even as Ashura starts twirling in the dance he and Nakuru-chan are going to do before he grasps Ascot's hand and pulls him along, laughing and singing. Which isn't the kind of help Caldina had thought but is totally worth it once her brother relaxes and starts giggling, too.
**
It had taken Eagle a while to get the proper number. As his grandfather always says, it's important to have the right links to get what you want. So after a few days of planning, Eagle finally got the number of the one man who could, at the moment, tell him just how to make this deal.
So he dials the number and waits. And waits some more. And he entertains himself by swinging his feet a little and humming to the song until finally someone picks up and then he can make his proposition. Any business-man would see he's offering gold.
He's very polite until the end of the call, but Eagle makes the mental note to put the weather-man on his list.
Treating him like a kid. Please.
Oh well. He'll just have to find another way to give Hikaru-chan the snow that she wants.
*
“Here, sensei, thought you might like this.”
Satsuki blinks at the CD Yuuto is offering her but she gives him a smile, too. Even if Yuzuriha won't leave her alone about a kid having a crush on her, she can't say she minds terribly Yuuto's company. Evfen if his interest in computers is only motivated over a crush, he's still respectful and smart and he does his best to learn.
“Thank you, Yuuto-kun,” she says, and it's a sweet thing the way the boy beams. She opens the CD and lets the Christmas Carols wash over the room before she opens a drawer and brings out a chocolate box.
“Would you like some chocolate?”
**
Their dorm has been completely rearranged by the time they come back to it, tinsel and bells and angels decorating it. There's even a tree and, underneath it, there are lots o prettily wrapped presents.
Well. To be serious abot it, underneath it there's also a very asleep Nakuru, a nest of ribbons and tinsel and wrapping-paper around her.
Yue sighs.
“Idiot.” Nakuru is going to get sick like this, the idiot, and he'll be forced to take care of Nakuru's whims and go absolutely crazy. “He should've done something more productive.”
“Mmm, I don't know, Yue-kun,” Clow-senpai says and he smiles, putting down the trays of sweets and candies they still need to wrap up to be able to sell. “I think that Nakuru-chan wanted this to be a surprise.”
Yue blushes at Clow-senpai's comment, having almost forgotten that Clow-senpai was there too. Yukito giggles, shaking his head before he goes to pick up a blanket to put it over Nakuru, who mutters something about cookies as she snuggles deep into the cover.
*
“I wont really be evil, though!” Ferio says, wide eyed and even pouting a little when Fuu-chan asks him about it. “I promise, Fuu-chan! It'll be a misunderstandin' and everythin'll be fine!”
Fuu smiles and nods. “That's much better. I like Ferio-san when he is good”
It takes Ferio a few moments after Fuu has gone to realize what she said, so it's quite silly when he ends up blushing all alone.
*
“A kissing booth?” Clow blinks, shaking his head. “I'm afraid I don't see the purpose, dearest.”
“That's because you're blind,” Yuuko drawls, canting a hip with a hand over it before she smiles, smug and confident. “And you haven't seen the people that I recruited.”
Clow follows her, hads behind his back, until Yuuko points towards Emeraude-sensei and Nokoru-sensei and Hikaru-chan, Himawari-chan and Sakura-chan. Then he laughs.
“You, Yuuko-chan, are brilliant.”
Yuuko's smug expression doesn't waver at all. “I know.”
*
“Mmm, I wonder if I'll get what I asked for,” Sakurazuka says out of the blue, sighing loud enough that Subaru stops playing with him and Fuuma stops reading his book.
“Um. What did Seishirou-senpai asked for?” Subaru asks, voice sweet and gentle and curious. Kamui picks up something to throw, because if he knows where this is going...
“Well, a Subaru-kun of my own, of course!” Sakurazuka says, beaming even when that makes Subaru splutter and blush so hard he's redder than Rudolph's nose.
... he's going to need it. Sadly, it's nothing heavier and more damage-inducing like one of those anime-swords, but just as he's getting ready to throw the ball to the Sakurazuka's head as hard as he can, he feels Fuuma's arms around him, stopping him as Fuuma leans his chin against his shoulder, his fingers prying the ball from his hand and letting it fall down to the floor and then holding his hand..
“Be nice,” Fuuma asks, sweet and kind and Kamui sort of wishes for a moment that he wouldn't be so that he could kick him. But he'd rather kick himself than kick Fuuma, so Kamui contents on glaring at Sakurazuka's stupid stupid back.
*
“If you give me ONE snow day this week, you can have the rest of the month without it,” Eagle mutters and he grins as he looks up to the clouds, shielding his eyes with Geo's rockstar sunglasses. It's his best grin, too, and he's sure he's offering the best deal ever. “AND you can have one day over spring or summer to be as cold as you'd like. ”
Eagle waits again and he waits some more. He waits until Geo calls him from the door to his yard, saying that dinner's ready and that there's ice cream for dessert before Eagle realizes that the Weather is much tougher than he thought.
Then he realizes it's time to pull out the big guns.
“Geo, would you mind if I use your phone? I have to call Tomoyo-san.”
*
The choir is in the middle of practicing the carols they're going to sing, Yuzuriha's little sister Meiling (who came to visit alongside with their grandma) helping cheerfully, swinging hands with Primera as if they had known each other forever. Emeraude smiles and goes through the carol's list, giving a soft sigh as Tomoyo-chan finishes singing her solo, too, the talent that she'll have - and already does - obvious as she clasps her hands over hear heart.
Suu-chan, however, wide eyed and still shy, only starts singing once she can half hide behind her legs, but then she sings with Eriol-kun's piano as sweet as Emeraude knows she can.
Suu is finishing the chorus she's meant to sing alone when the first snow-flakes star to fall down.
*
“KURO-ANGEL!”
“Wha-HEYWAITNO!”
Fai giggles, bundled up in his coat as Yuui tackles Kurogane - who had been, once again, playing ninjas with Xiao - to the snow, rubbing as much snow as he possibly can before his twin runs away, a snow-covered Kurogane chasing after him.
Sakura seems to like Yuui's idea, tackling Syaoran to the snow too, causing Syaoran to blush and sputter, worriedly telling her that she was going to get sick and then letting Sakura pull towards where Hikaru, Umi and Fuu were building snow figures.
With both his brother and ninja-rival gone, Fai isn't surprised when Xiao flops down to sit besides him, shaking snow off his hair. He is ready to snuggle into his friend since Xiao never complains and it's obvious that Kurogane isn't available to do that, nor Yuui seems to be sleepy like he is to want to play Kuro-pillow with him, when Xiao points to his hands.
“And your gloves?”
Fai shrugs and smiles, pulling on his sleeves so that most of his hands are covered, too. “I think I lost them.”
Xiao looks thoughtful for a moment before he rushes to take off his own gloves, offering them to Fai without a word. It's hard to be sure when their faces are already pink with the cold, but Fai thinks that Xiao-kun might be blushing.
So he smiles and picks up a glove and slides it unto his left hand, giving the other to Xiao.
“You wear that one.”
“But...” Xiao seems almost crestfallen at his rejected offer but he does. As soon as he does, though, Fai takes his left hand with his right and he beams, snuggling.
“Better like this, ne?”
Now he's sure Xiao is blushing, 'cause he's making the same face his dad makes when his mom snuggles up close.
*
“Who'd see you smiling like that,” Presea mutters, arms crossed as she leans against the door. Her voice is warm and just a little bit teasing, but Clef freezes up anyway, half in the way of putting two huge chocolate bars down Xiao and Syaoran's boots.
“Well,” Clef says, trying to regain what little dignity being a kindergarten teache here has left him. “It's Christmas. Or almost.”
“I won't say a thing,” Presea says, her smile still warm and teasing and perhaps something else before she starts picking up the toys.
*
“Told you they wouldn't last,” Zagato mutters against her hair.
Emeraude smiles and she looks down, Ferio completely sprawled over the sleeping bag, his hand almost smacking Lantis head, Lantis curled over his side.
She shrugs a little before she looks towards her fiancé. “It was still worth it a shot.”
Zagato's kiss is soft and tender, his hand on her face warm. Emeraude snuggles back, her head against Zagato's shoulder as they watch the rest of the movie, knowing that she wouldn't change anything at all in her life.
*
Himawari-chan smiles, pigtails bouncing and held back with the hair-ribbons he gifted her as she steps on and Kimihiro is sure that there is no one more wonderful in the entire world ever. Totally worth it how much neesan teased him and how expensive is going to be paying her back the favor.
“Did you like your cookies?” She asks then, and Kimihiro knows better than to say that he is so not gonna open them, that he's going to keep them for as long as he possibly can.
“They were good,” and there goes Doumeki interrupting again.
“SHE ASKED ME, YOU MORON!”
Himawari-chan giggles. “It's okay, it's okay! I bought the cookies at the same place, after all.”
“A-aah! I'm sure Himawari-chan's taste in cookies is BETTER than just 'good'! Amazing! Incredible! The best e-veAAAAAH!”
“Idiot,” Doumeki calls as he holds his arm and stops him from falling down when he slips with ice he failed to notice because the idiot had distracted him.
Kihimiro bristles and he's ready to lash out when there's a painfully familiar whistle and, when they look up, he winces at seeing Yuuko-neesan leaning from outside a window. Kimihiro really, really does feel for Zagato-sensei and he makes the mental note to put extra chocolate in his gift.
“Oiiii, Kimihiro! Remember, no public-displays of affection until you're sixteen! Oooor I'll tell~ ”
“NEESAN IS NOT LIKE THAT!” Kimihiro bristles again and he shakes his arms; Doumeki's eyes open a fraction more as that unbalances them and Himawari-chan gasps, trying to keep them standing up but Kimihiro knows it's a lost cause long before they hit the snow-covered ground.
Himawari-chan is giggling to his right and Doumeki is muttering thingsunder his breath and above him he can see Yuuko-neesan cracking up about his misfortune.
Why can't he have a normal oneesan?!
*
So the play-dance of course it isn't perfect, but at least it's very fun and mixed up, from Ashura and Nakuru's like dancing interlude to the kindergarten version of the Nutcracker play, Ascot saying his lines and doing his best to actually look towards Umi-chan, who looked like an cute little angel in her white tutu danced.
And of course, Hikaru-chan and Sakura-chan the cute mice was so totally an immediate success, and the choir did a lovely job and Caldina sees Nakuru jumping over Yue's back and telling him to go to the cafeteria for some desserts, and the kindergarten students running to their parents and Ascot talking with Umi-chan and all's good.
So Caldina gives a happy sigh before she pulls Lafarga underneath some mistletoe for having been a good boyfriend.
*
“It was lots of fun!” Umi smiles and Ascot nods a little, his cheeks a little pink. Then, Umi smiles at him and Ascot has to remind himself to breath. “Thanks to you too, Ascot-kun. I liked it.”
“U-um. It was. Ah. I. I'm glad,” he manages to say, looking a litlte down so that he sees the ruffles over Umi's skirt and her shoes.
Umi giggles then before she leans and kisses his cheek.
“Merry Christmas!” Umi wishes for him, running towards her mom and dad. “See you next year, Ascot!”
Ascot would love to say anything but he's too busy trying not to self-combust as the thought that Umi had just kissed his cheek keeps running through his mind.
*
As they're walking to the car and she keeps on yawning, cuddling as close as she can to her dad, Sakura still hears her mother gasp.
“A falling star!”
So she opens one eye and she wishes really hard for it before she goes back to snuggling against her dad, letting the star do its job.