(no subject)
Title: A Weiss Christmas
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Pairing: Aya/Ken
Genre: Romance. And, um. Fluff. ^^;
Word count: 3,954
Notes: For woodstock_21, Christmas 2003. Disgustingly sappy, I am vaguely ashamed. <<
Summary: Just what it sounds like-- a Weiss Kreuz Aya/Ken christmas fic. ^^;
The meeting about Christmas arrangements had been going on for an hour, and Ken had managed to successfully block out almost all of it in a half-sleep. He suspected that if Aya didn’t find out he may live to regret this later, as it was full of important information such as Christmas decorations and opening and closing dates for the shop. Either way, it was too late now. Besides, it wasn’t his fault it was so boring. Still, one matter remained rather pressing, and Ken opened his mouth to ask before thinking through the intelligence of this.
“Um… guys, who’s working shifts on Christmas?”
There was an awkward silence, Omi trying not to smile, Youji stifling laughter and Aya giving him the patented death glare.
“We’re closed on Christmas,” Aya told him icily.
Ken wilted slightly under the frosty stare. “And Christmas Eve?” he asked nervously.
Aya didn’t even bother to respond to that, just notched the temperature of his glare down several more degrees to sub-zero.
“You,” Youji said helpfully. Ken looked so dejected that Youji decided to take pity on him.
“We’re closed on Christmas Eve too, Kenken. And Boxing Day, before you ask.”
Ken looked up hopefully, eyes almost sparkling with seasonal delight. “Really?” The joyful look turned to a slightly suspicious, wary one. Being an assassin made anyone cynical. “What about my birthday? No one is going to combine presents, are they? Because I really hate that. And who’s working?”
Omi shook his head, grinning. “We’re closed on the 23rd too, Ken-kun. And we won’t combine your birthday with Christmas, promise!”
Ken’s face lit up, and Aya rolled his eyes. “Omi,” he said flatly, “go tell Ken what he missed.”
The unspoken words were ‘in as much boring detail as he missed the first time, as punishment’.
“Sure thing!” Omi agreed, jumping up and grabbing Ken’s wrist. “Let’s go, Ken-kun!” he cried, dragging Ken out of the room.
“Hey, wait! My chair!” Ken protested as he stumbled across to the door, chair clattering to the floor behind him. Youji sniggered, but Aya just looked supremely disinterested.
~
“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me,” Ken sang lightly as he strung fairy lights across the Christmas tree. It had been a good birthday, so far. Omi had baked him a cake, Youji had sang him happy birthday and given him a new set of clothes, and even Aya had been nice (for Aya, anyway). Ken could almost swear that the glare had been softer than usual.
“Ken-kun… it’s nice of you to help, but it is your birthday. You’re not on the roster to help with the decorating, you know,” Omi said cautiously.
Ken paused and tried to conceal the guilty look of ‘Roster? What roster?’ that flashed across his face. “Hey, I don’t mind. I like decorating.”
Youji laughed. “Sure thing, Kenken. You forgot about the roster, didn’t you?”
Ken grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Caught me out. Really, though, I like decorating. I can help.”
Omi pouted at him. “Don’t you dare, Ken-kun! It’s your birthday, you aren’t supposed to be working!”
“But-” Ken protested futilely.
“No buts!”
“Why don’t I take you out for ice-cream, Ken?” Youji suggested.
“But it’s snowing, Youji!”
“So?” Youji asked carelessly. “Ice-cream is good at any time of year. So let’s go.”
Omi glared at him. “You are on the roster, in case you’ve forgotten. You’re supposed to be helping.”
Charming smile. “Omittchi, I’ll help tonight-”
“No,” Omi told him.
“But what about Ken?”
Ken shook his head. “I’m fine, Omi. Don’t let Youji trick you into letting him slack off.”
Youji affected a wounded look, and Omi bit his lip. “But Ken-kun, you can’t spend your birthday alone…”
Ken was about to reply that it was fine when he was cut off unexpectedly.
“I’ll take him out for ice-cream,” Aya said flatly from the doorway, and they all turned to stare at him in shock.
“Would you really? That’d be perfect!” Omi exclaimed, the first to recover.
Ken tried to quash the excitement, but it was hard. Aya was volunteering to spend time with him? That more than anything made his birthday special. “Wow, really?”
Aya just nodded, and started walking towards the door. Eyes lighting up, Ken grabbed his coat and ran outside into the swirling snow.
Omi stared after them thoughtfully, tinsel held forgotten in his hand. “That was nice of Aya.” Unspoken words: how unusual.
Youji shot him a sly sideways glance. “What are you planning, kiddo?”
Omi treated him to a wide-eyed look of pure innocence. “What are you talking about, Youji?”
Youji rolled his eyes. “Less on the innocence,” he said in amusement. “No one is that free of guilt. Besides, I know you too well.”
Omi had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed. Youji laughed.
“I’ll hang the mistletoe, shall I?”
~
Ken was studying the menu at the ice-cream parlour indecisively. He was pretty sure he wanted the large strawberry and vanilla sundae, but with the flower shop temporarily closed and having done no jobs for quite some time, he was a bit short on cash.
“Have you decided?” Aya asked, tone quiet and bored.
“No,” Ken lied. “Still looking. How about you?”
Aya shrugged slightly, which Ken took to be a yes. Sighing, he reached for his wallet, figuring that he could probably afford a small vanilla cone and still have enough for Christmas presents.
“What are you doing?” Aya said, finally.
Ken blinked. “Getting my wallet, why?”
Aya grabbed his wrist. “Don’t.”
Ken was incredibly confused, and rather surprised by Aya’s hold on his arm. Aya didn’t exactly touch other people on a regular basis. “What?”
“Don’t get your wallet,” Aya told him calmly.
Aya never elaborated on anything- every answer he gave just created another question. “Why not?”
“It’s your birthday,” Aya pointed out.
“And?” Ken said, utterly mystified.
“I’m paying.”
Well, that was unexpected. Maybe it was his birthday present? Ken hadn’t exactly expected to get one, but… maybe the Christmas season was affecting Aya too.
“Oh,” he said dazedly as Aya let him go. “Thanks.”
“Have you decided?” Aya repeated.
“What? Oh! Yes,” Ken said. Would Aya mind if he ordered the sundae? It was one of the more expensive things on the list.
“Well?” Aya was glaring at him. Some things didn’t change, even on his birthday or near Christmas.
If Aya didn’t want to pay that much, he could always say so, Ken decided. “Strawberry and vanilla sundae.”
Aya walked over to the counter to order, and Ken wondered what he was getting for himself. The mystery was solved when Aya returned with only one bowl.
“Hey, Aya, aren’t you getting one?”
Aya shook his head slightly. “No.”
Ken stared at him in shock. “What, no ice-cream? But…”
Aya sat down opposite him again and shoved the bowl across the table. “Eat.”
Ken lifted the spoon to his mouth before hesitating. Licking it clean, he scooped up some of the vanilla and proffered it to Aya. “Go on, try it.”
Aya stared at him and then the spoon uncertainly, as if suspicious it would bite. Ken seemed nonchalant, and continued holding it out towards him. Aya couldn’t help but recall the fact that it had just been in Ken’s mouth, which concerned him somewhat. Partially for reasons of hygiene, definitely, but there was something about it that made him feel like blushing. Aya did not blush, damn it.
Impatient of Aya’s hesitation, Ken pushed the spoon into the swordsman’s mouth when he opened it to speak. Aya looked mildly stunned, and reached up automatically to grab the spoon as he swallowed his ice-cream.
Ken realised he was probably going to die now, and wondered if it had been worth it. Christmas was only two days away, and he was too young to die. He hadn’t got the others presents yet, either, he reflected mournfully. Still, if he had the chance he’d do it again, if only to see that expression on Aya’s face a second time.
Pulling the spoon out of his mouth, Aya merely blinked before handing it back to Ken. Trying not to squeak, he accepted it and busied himself with his bowl of dessert. Ken was unaware of the fact, but he was now feeling rather a lot like Aya had just minutes earlier.
“You eat a lot,” Aya commented in the ensuing silence.
Ken couldn’t figure out if this was meant to be an insult or just a statement of fact, and decided he didn’t care either way. “You don’t eat enough.”
Aya didn’t bother to respond, just gave him a sceptical look. Ken laughed as he finished his sundae. “Hey, what can I say? I’m a growing boy!”
Aya raised his eyebrow, which said it all.
“I live an active lifestyle,” he added lamely.
“So do I,” Aya said dryly, standing and walking towards the door without looking to see if Ken was following.
Licking the spoon clean hurriedly, Ken grabbed his jacket and ran out onto the street after Aya. All in all, it had so far been a good birthday.
~
“Christmas Eve!” Ken sang excitedly, shaking snow off and dropping his soccer ball on the ground. “I hope it’s a white Christmas!”
“Ken, how can you play soccer in the snow?” Youji asked incredulously.
“Soccer is good anytime,” Ken explained patiently. “Like ice-cream, except more so.”
Youji rolled his eyes and mouthed ‘crazy’ to Omi, who giggled. Ken didn’t notice, as he was hanging up his jacket at the time.
“So,” he said cheerfully, pulling his soccer boots off and padding towards the lounge. “Everything is all organised, right? Tree, decorations and stuff?”
“Ken-kun!” Omi cried out, dismayed. “You’re tracking snow into the carpet!"
Ken blinked. “Oops.”
“If you make a mess, you clean it up,” Aya informed him from the couch.
Startled, Ken turned to face the couch. “Oh, hey, Aya!”
“Hn.”
Maybe his good mood had worn out.
“It’s Christmas Eve, Aya~n,” Youji teased. “Lighten up.”
Aya stared at him flatly. “Why?”
I guess being nice on my birthday was as much as Aya could handle, Ken thought with a rueful smile. “Do you mind if I sit on the couch?”
Aya shrugged, so Ken took that to be assent as per usual and flopped down on the other end of the sofa, sinking into the cushions fluidly. Yawning loudly, Ken curled up slightly and reflected with surprise that he hadn’t realised quite how tired he was.
The fire was warm, the couch was soft and the silent company was comfortable, so Ken was asleep very shortly after. Aya looked at him uncertainly, not sure what reaction he should take.
Omi returned from the kitchen and smiled at him. Aya glared back.
“What are you looking at?” he demanded.
Omi gave Aya the wide-eyed look, and it didn’t work much better on him than it had on Youji. It had a 100% success rate with people who didn’t know him well, but it never tended to work on the other assassins. Although Ken sometimes let him get away with it, thinking about it.
“Well?”
“Oh, nothing,” Omi said sweetly, and escaped back to the kitchen before Aya could question him again.
“Well?” Youji asked, an unconscious echo of Aya. Waiting, he stuck a finger in the bowl Omi had used to mix the pudding and licked it clean.
“Don’t do that,” Omi scolded absently. “And everything looks to be fine.”
“So?”
“As planned,” Omi replied gleefully. “We need to get them both out of the house briefly tomorrow to hang the mistletoe before the evening.”
Youji nodded thoughtfully. “Right,” he said. “And if Aya tries to kill us, just remember this was all your idea.”
“Hey!” Omi objected. “Stage two is all your plan, and Aya is more likely to be mad about that than the mistletoe!”
Now it was Youji who contrived to look innocent, which he failed at miserably. You didn’t need to see his tattoo to know he was heavily steeped in sin, and proud of it, too. “Point taken.”
~
“Merry Christmas!” Ken squealed, pouncing on Youji’s bed.
Unearthing his head from the pillows, Youji treated him to a blurry scowl. “Ken,” he rasped, “what the fuck are you doing up at 7 am? And more to the point, why are you trying to wake me up at 7 am?”
“It’s Christmas!” Ken argued. “You have to wake up!”
In many ways, Youji thought, Ken was so like an excited child, taking joy in such things. In some things, he was more of a child than Omi at times. Not that he’d ever mention it- if he did, Ken would probably make an effort to stop, which would just go against his personality.
“Why didn’t you wake up Omi?” Youji complained.
“I’m already awake,” Omi called sleepily, voice emanating from somewhere out in the hallway.
“… Aya?”
Ken grinned sheepishly. “I was afraid he’d kill me.”
Youji groaned. “Might’ve figured. Fine, you sadist, I’ll get up. Leave and let me change, yeah?”
“Why?” Ken asked. “Omi and I are in our pyjamas.”
True.
“Okay, I’m moving,” Youji sighed. “If only Aya was suffering too.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Youji!” Omi exclaimed.
“It’s the morning. I don’t do nice in the morning, kiddo.”
“But it’s Christmas!” Ken protested.
Youji gave him a strange look. “Someone seems to have a fixation. What’s for breakfast?”
“Waffles,” Omi told him, “but only if you get out of bed and promise to help clean up the kitchen when I’m done.”
“Fine,” Youji muttered, crawling out of bed and grabbing for his hairbrush.
Omi and Ken wisely refrained from comment, and clattered back down the stairs to cook breakfast and check out the Christmas tree respectively.
“Oh, wow!” Ken said. “The presents are all there! Look’s like Santa has been.”
If anyone had been watching, they would probably have been amused by the great skill with which the assassins had avoided each other in the wee hours of Christmas Eve trying to get the presents out.
Omi blinked at him. “Ken-kun… you do know that Santa doesn’t exist, don’t you?”
Ken looked vaguely insulted before laughing. “Yeah, I know. I never really believed in Santa, even as a kid. Just a figure of speech, y’know?”
Omi nodded, keeping an eye on the pan. “Ah. I understand.”
“Holy shit!” Ken exclaimed several minutes later.
“What is it?” Omi asked, just a little alarmed.
“Aya’s gotten presents for us!”
Stunned silence.
“Ken, stop peeking at the presents,” Omi said weakly. “No opening until the others come down.”
“Merry Christmas,” Aya said quietly as he came down the stairs, and Ken almost had a heart attack.
“Aya!” Omi said happily. “Merry Christmas!”
“You’re in a good mood,” Ken commented.
Aya gave him a blank look. “It’s Christmas,” he said eventually.
“Finally!” Ken whooped. “Someone agrees with my logic!”
Aya looked at him oddly, but didn’t respond, instead making himself a cup of tea and sitting down at the kitchen table.
“Waffles for breakfast,” Omi supplied helpfully.
“Thank you,” Aya said, tone only a bit stiff.
Ken wondered how many more shocks he could take from Aya in one day, and whether death by Aya on Christmas was a good way or a bad way to go. He’d always thought that if Aya killed him it would be through use of katana, not by being unusually friendly. Friendly for Aya, anyway, he amended hastily.
“So, did you miss me?” Youji drawled, sauntering down the stairs just when Omi was serving up waffles.
“Were you gone?” Ken asked in mock surprise.
Youji scowled, and Omi giggled. “We should have known your nose would lead you here just when the waffles were ready!”
Youji shrugged. “Ah, what can I say? I like waffles.”
Christmas was off to a good start, Ken thought.
~
“Omi, can’t we open the presents yet?” Ken whined.
“No,” Omi said firmly. “Not until after dinner.”
“But dinner’s almost ready,” Ken wheedled.
Youji sniggered as Ken pouted. “Relax, it’s not that long to wait. I’m sure it’ll be more special if you do.”
Aya rolled his eyes exasperatedly at Ken’s childish antics. “Wait,” he said flatly.
Ken grumbled, but caved under the requests from all three teammates. “Fine, fine. When’s dinner ready, then?”
“Now,” Omi said cheerfully. “Roast turkey. Would you mind clearing the table, Ken-kun?”
“Mm! Mmm mm!” Ken argued.
“Ken…” Omi started suspiciously. “Did you steal a slice of turkey?”
Ken had the good grace to look guilty as he swallowed it. “Um. Maybe.”
“Oh well. Are you going to clean the table?”
“I already did.”
“So that’s what you were trying to say,” Omi realised. “Thanks, Ken-kun.”
Dinner was wonderful, even though Aya refused to pull a cracker. The turkey was absolutely delicious, and they all told Omi so at least once. Ken suspected he may have said it several times, but it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t remember if he’d said it already.
“Aya, Ken, would you mind going out to buy us some wine?” Omi asked hopefully as they cleaned the dishes off the table.
Ken turned from the sink to look at him quizzically. “What, we don’t have any? Doesn’t Youji have a secret stash?”
“Nope, totally depleted,” Youji tossed back carelessly.
“Really?” Ken replied, amazed that Youji was completely alcohol-free.
“Really,” Youji informed him solemnly. “And it would be unheard of for Youji Kudou to be stone-cold sober on Christmas, so get going.”
Ken was still not entirely convinced. “Why does Aya need to come?”
“So you can carry all the bottles, idiot,” Youji lied seamlessly.
“Right. Why can’t you go?”
Youji snorted. “Oh, come on. You know how lazy I am! Besides, I have stuff to do.”
Youji is a much better liar than I am, Omi thought.
“Like?”
“Like catch up on my beauty sleep,” Youji said artfully. “Someone, who shall remain nameless, woke me up at a godawful hour this morning.”
“Oh, fine,” Ken muttered. “You can tell Aya, though.”
“Aya, would you mind going to the store with Ken?” Omi called into the lounge.
“…Fine.”
Youji shot Ken a smug look as if to say ‘see, some people don’t complain as much as you do’. Ken glared at him. “All right, rub it in. I’m going already.”
Ken grabbed his coat on the way out the door, and Aya followed behind.
“Well,” Omi said. “Get going with the mistletoe, Youji-kun.”
~
After a brief argument over which wine to get where Ken did most of the arguing and Aya basically ignored him, they finally agreed on a few bottles of shiraz and returned back to the Koneko no Sumu Ie to find Omi and Youji in the lounge with a lit fireplace.
“Cool!” Ken cried, dumping his bottles on the table and rushing over to jump on the couch. Just as planned, Omi and Youji thought evilly.
“Hey, Kenken,” Youji purred. “Do you know where you’re sitting?”
Ken blinked. “Uh, on the couch?”
“Yes,” Youji agreed, “but you’re also sitting under the mistletoe.”
Ken’s expression was blank until the meaning of this hit him suddenly. Eyes widening, he looked upwards to find that there was indeed a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Red flooded his cheeks. “Hey, but…”
“Means you have to forfeit a kiss, Ken-kun!” Omi chirped.
Before Ken could make a protest more than a squeak, Youji pounced on him and kissed him. Mission accomplished, Omi thought smugly, seeing Aya’s death glare at Youji. If looks could kill, Youji wouldn’t even be a puddle on the floor.
“Y-youji,” Ken stuttered when he was finally released. “You… you…”
“Hn,” Aya muttered, and curled up in the armchair. Youji winked at Omi, who grinned.
“Present time, guys!” Omi said.
“Yay! Finally!” Ken cheered.
Omi crawled over to the Christmas tree and started hunting. “Okay: first, a present to Youji from Ken.”
“He’s just a regular little Santa’s helper,” Youji teased as Omi handed him the parcel. “Thanks, kid.” Unwrapping it revealed a new clubbing shirt, and Youji’s face lit up. “Hey, cool! Thanks, Kenken!”
“You’re welcome,” Ken mumbled, still blushing over the mistletoe incident.
“Next one: from Aya to- oh, me! Wow!” Omi exclaimed, and put the present to one side. “I’ll open mine when I’ve finished handing them out. Aya, here’s your present from Ken.”
Ken watched anxiously as Aya opened the present, taking an agonizingly long time as he made sure not to rip the paper. Figured- Aya could be very anally retentive, sometimes. When it was revealed to be an expensive brand of sword-polish that Aya liked to use but couldn’t often afford, he blinked in surprise. How had Ken known he’d want that?
“Thank you,” he said softly and hesitantly, and Ken could almost have sworn there was a barely perceptible smile on his face.
“You’re welcome,” Ken said happily, practically bouncing in his seat.
“From Aya to Youji,” Omi read, and handed the present over.
“Pocket-knife!” Youji noted. “Thanks Aya!”
You hear more ‘thank-you’s on Christmas than at any other time of the year, Omi reflected. “Aya to Ken.”
Youji was grinning slyly, figuring that Omi had rigged the order of the presents. Excellent.
“Oh my god,” Ken breathed reverently, tracing his fingers gently along the cover of the hardback book Aya had given him. “The History Of J-League! I didn’t even know a book had come out!”
“It’s only just been published,” Aya told him quietly.
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Ken squealed. Eyes shining, he placed the book carefully on the couch next to him and without thinking ran over to hug Aya, who was still curled up in his armchair. Toppling over when he lost his balance, Ken fell on top of him. Aya’s eyes widened in shock.
Ken’s brain caught up with him about then. ‘Oh shit, I’m gonna die.’ Still, like with the ice cream, he’d do it again given the opportunity. Maybe he had a secret masochistic streak?
“Um, guys?” Omi said sweetly. “Look up.”
With a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, Ken did as he was told. More mistletoe. Suspiciously, he turned to glare at Omi and Youji. It hadn’t been here before dinner, he was pretty sure. It was a bit too conveniently placed, too.
“And we all know what that means,” Youji drawled. “A kiss under the mistletoe, oh ye fearless assassins.”
Ken was positive that Aya would refuse. It would be un-Aya-like to give into something like a piece of foliage, after all. Thinking this gave him a feeling of mixed relief and regret.
Aya, on the other hand, was still fuming over Youji’s earlier kiss, which was the whole point. So he was possessive, and occasionally predictable. This didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
“Fine,” Aya said, apparently his new favourite word, and Ken felt a moment of excited panic before he was kissed for the second time that evening.
“Let’s go,” Omi whispered, grabbing Youji and dragging him out of the room.
“But I wanted to watch!” Youji objected, laughing when Omi looked disturbed. “Kidding, kidding.”
Meanwhile, Ken had found himself lying across Aya’s lap staring dizzily up at the ceiling. “Aaaaah,” was all he managed to say.
“We’re still under the mistletoe,” Aya commented.
“Yes,” Ken agreed faintly. “Yes, we are. Let’s not move.”
“Hn.” Another kiss.
“Aya?” Ken said vaguely when they broke apart again.
“Mine,” was all Aya responded.
“Oh.” Ken thought about this, and decided he rather liked the idea. “Good. Merry Christmas, Aya.”
Aya just smiled, but that was enough. With him, actions spoke louder than words ever would.
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Pairing: Aya/Ken
Genre: Romance. And, um. Fluff. ^^;
Word count: 3,954
Notes: For woodstock_21, Christmas 2003. Disgustingly sappy, I am vaguely ashamed. <<
Summary: Just what it sounds like-- a Weiss Kreuz Aya/Ken christmas fic. ^^;
The meeting about Christmas arrangements had been going on for an hour, and Ken had managed to successfully block out almost all of it in a half-sleep. He suspected that if Aya didn’t find out he may live to regret this later, as it was full of important information such as Christmas decorations and opening and closing dates for the shop. Either way, it was too late now. Besides, it wasn’t his fault it was so boring. Still, one matter remained rather pressing, and Ken opened his mouth to ask before thinking through the intelligence of this.
“Um… guys, who’s working shifts on Christmas?”
There was an awkward silence, Omi trying not to smile, Youji stifling laughter and Aya giving him the patented death glare.
“We’re closed on Christmas,” Aya told him icily.
Ken wilted slightly under the frosty stare. “And Christmas Eve?” he asked nervously.
Aya didn’t even bother to respond to that, just notched the temperature of his glare down several more degrees to sub-zero.
“You,” Youji said helpfully. Ken looked so dejected that Youji decided to take pity on him.
“We’re closed on Christmas Eve too, Kenken. And Boxing Day, before you ask.”
Ken looked up hopefully, eyes almost sparkling with seasonal delight. “Really?” The joyful look turned to a slightly suspicious, wary one. Being an assassin made anyone cynical. “What about my birthday? No one is going to combine presents, are they? Because I really hate that. And who’s working?”
Omi shook his head, grinning. “We’re closed on the 23rd too, Ken-kun. And we won’t combine your birthday with Christmas, promise!”
Ken’s face lit up, and Aya rolled his eyes. “Omi,” he said flatly, “go tell Ken what he missed.”
The unspoken words were ‘in as much boring detail as he missed the first time, as punishment’.
“Sure thing!” Omi agreed, jumping up and grabbing Ken’s wrist. “Let’s go, Ken-kun!” he cried, dragging Ken out of the room.
“Hey, wait! My chair!” Ken protested as he stumbled across to the door, chair clattering to the floor behind him. Youji sniggered, but Aya just looked supremely disinterested.
~
“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me,” Ken sang lightly as he strung fairy lights across the Christmas tree. It had been a good birthday, so far. Omi had baked him a cake, Youji had sang him happy birthday and given him a new set of clothes, and even Aya had been nice (for Aya, anyway). Ken could almost swear that the glare had been softer than usual.
“Ken-kun… it’s nice of you to help, but it is your birthday. You’re not on the roster to help with the decorating, you know,” Omi said cautiously.
Ken paused and tried to conceal the guilty look of ‘Roster? What roster?’ that flashed across his face. “Hey, I don’t mind. I like decorating.”
Youji laughed. “Sure thing, Kenken. You forgot about the roster, didn’t you?”
Ken grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Caught me out. Really, though, I like decorating. I can help.”
Omi pouted at him. “Don’t you dare, Ken-kun! It’s your birthday, you aren’t supposed to be working!”
“But-” Ken protested futilely.
“No buts!”
“Why don’t I take you out for ice-cream, Ken?” Youji suggested.
“But it’s snowing, Youji!”
“So?” Youji asked carelessly. “Ice-cream is good at any time of year. So let’s go.”
Omi glared at him. “You are on the roster, in case you’ve forgotten. You’re supposed to be helping.”
Charming smile. “Omittchi, I’ll help tonight-”
“No,” Omi told him.
“But what about Ken?”
Ken shook his head. “I’m fine, Omi. Don’t let Youji trick you into letting him slack off.”
Youji affected a wounded look, and Omi bit his lip. “But Ken-kun, you can’t spend your birthday alone…”
Ken was about to reply that it was fine when he was cut off unexpectedly.
“I’ll take him out for ice-cream,” Aya said flatly from the doorway, and they all turned to stare at him in shock.
“Would you really? That’d be perfect!” Omi exclaimed, the first to recover.
Ken tried to quash the excitement, but it was hard. Aya was volunteering to spend time with him? That more than anything made his birthday special. “Wow, really?”
Aya just nodded, and started walking towards the door. Eyes lighting up, Ken grabbed his coat and ran outside into the swirling snow.
Omi stared after them thoughtfully, tinsel held forgotten in his hand. “That was nice of Aya.” Unspoken words: how unusual.
Youji shot him a sly sideways glance. “What are you planning, kiddo?”
Omi treated him to a wide-eyed look of pure innocence. “What are you talking about, Youji?”
Youji rolled his eyes. “Less on the innocence,” he said in amusement. “No one is that free of guilt. Besides, I know you too well.”
Omi had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed. Youji laughed.
“I’ll hang the mistletoe, shall I?”
~
Ken was studying the menu at the ice-cream parlour indecisively. He was pretty sure he wanted the large strawberry and vanilla sundae, but with the flower shop temporarily closed and having done no jobs for quite some time, he was a bit short on cash.
“Have you decided?” Aya asked, tone quiet and bored.
“No,” Ken lied. “Still looking. How about you?”
Aya shrugged slightly, which Ken took to be a yes. Sighing, he reached for his wallet, figuring that he could probably afford a small vanilla cone and still have enough for Christmas presents.
“What are you doing?” Aya said, finally.
Ken blinked. “Getting my wallet, why?”
Aya grabbed his wrist. “Don’t.”
Ken was incredibly confused, and rather surprised by Aya’s hold on his arm. Aya didn’t exactly touch other people on a regular basis. “What?”
“Don’t get your wallet,” Aya told him calmly.
Aya never elaborated on anything- every answer he gave just created another question. “Why not?”
“It’s your birthday,” Aya pointed out.
“And?” Ken said, utterly mystified.
“I’m paying.”
Well, that was unexpected. Maybe it was his birthday present? Ken hadn’t exactly expected to get one, but… maybe the Christmas season was affecting Aya too.
“Oh,” he said dazedly as Aya let him go. “Thanks.”
“Have you decided?” Aya repeated.
“What? Oh! Yes,” Ken said. Would Aya mind if he ordered the sundae? It was one of the more expensive things on the list.
“Well?” Aya was glaring at him. Some things didn’t change, even on his birthday or near Christmas.
If Aya didn’t want to pay that much, he could always say so, Ken decided. “Strawberry and vanilla sundae.”
Aya walked over to the counter to order, and Ken wondered what he was getting for himself. The mystery was solved when Aya returned with only one bowl.
“Hey, Aya, aren’t you getting one?”
Aya shook his head slightly. “No.”
Ken stared at him in shock. “What, no ice-cream? But…”
Aya sat down opposite him again and shoved the bowl across the table. “Eat.”
Ken lifted the spoon to his mouth before hesitating. Licking it clean, he scooped up some of the vanilla and proffered it to Aya. “Go on, try it.”
Aya stared at him and then the spoon uncertainly, as if suspicious it would bite. Ken seemed nonchalant, and continued holding it out towards him. Aya couldn’t help but recall the fact that it had just been in Ken’s mouth, which concerned him somewhat. Partially for reasons of hygiene, definitely, but there was something about it that made him feel like blushing. Aya did not blush, damn it.
Impatient of Aya’s hesitation, Ken pushed the spoon into the swordsman’s mouth when he opened it to speak. Aya looked mildly stunned, and reached up automatically to grab the spoon as he swallowed his ice-cream.
Ken realised he was probably going to die now, and wondered if it had been worth it. Christmas was only two days away, and he was too young to die. He hadn’t got the others presents yet, either, he reflected mournfully. Still, if he had the chance he’d do it again, if only to see that expression on Aya’s face a second time.
Pulling the spoon out of his mouth, Aya merely blinked before handing it back to Ken. Trying not to squeak, he accepted it and busied himself with his bowl of dessert. Ken was unaware of the fact, but he was now feeling rather a lot like Aya had just minutes earlier.
“You eat a lot,” Aya commented in the ensuing silence.
Ken couldn’t figure out if this was meant to be an insult or just a statement of fact, and decided he didn’t care either way. “You don’t eat enough.”
Aya didn’t bother to respond, just gave him a sceptical look. Ken laughed as he finished his sundae. “Hey, what can I say? I’m a growing boy!”
Aya raised his eyebrow, which said it all.
“I live an active lifestyle,” he added lamely.
“So do I,” Aya said dryly, standing and walking towards the door without looking to see if Ken was following.
Licking the spoon clean hurriedly, Ken grabbed his jacket and ran out onto the street after Aya. All in all, it had so far been a good birthday.
~
“Christmas Eve!” Ken sang excitedly, shaking snow off and dropping his soccer ball on the ground. “I hope it’s a white Christmas!”
“Ken, how can you play soccer in the snow?” Youji asked incredulously.
“Soccer is good anytime,” Ken explained patiently. “Like ice-cream, except more so.”
Youji rolled his eyes and mouthed ‘crazy’ to Omi, who giggled. Ken didn’t notice, as he was hanging up his jacket at the time.
“So,” he said cheerfully, pulling his soccer boots off and padding towards the lounge. “Everything is all organised, right? Tree, decorations and stuff?”
“Ken-kun!” Omi cried out, dismayed. “You’re tracking snow into the carpet!"
Ken blinked. “Oops.”
“If you make a mess, you clean it up,” Aya informed him from the couch.
Startled, Ken turned to face the couch. “Oh, hey, Aya!”
“Hn.”
Maybe his good mood had worn out.
“It’s Christmas Eve, Aya~n,” Youji teased. “Lighten up.”
Aya stared at him flatly. “Why?”
I guess being nice on my birthday was as much as Aya could handle, Ken thought with a rueful smile. “Do you mind if I sit on the couch?”
Aya shrugged, so Ken took that to be assent as per usual and flopped down on the other end of the sofa, sinking into the cushions fluidly. Yawning loudly, Ken curled up slightly and reflected with surprise that he hadn’t realised quite how tired he was.
The fire was warm, the couch was soft and the silent company was comfortable, so Ken was asleep very shortly after. Aya looked at him uncertainly, not sure what reaction he should take.
Omi returned from the kitchen and smiled at him. Aya glared back.
“What are you looking at?” he demanded.
Omi gave Aya the wide-eyed look, and it didn’t work much better on him than it had on Youji. It had a 100% success rate with people who didn’t know him well, but it never tended to work on the other assassins. Although Ken sometimes let him get away with it, thinking about it.
“Well?”
“Oh, nothing,” Omi said sweetly, and escaped back to the kitchen before Aya could question him again.
“Well?” Youji asked, an unconscious echo of Aya. Waiting, he stuck a finger in the bowl Omi had used to mix the pudding and licked it clean.
“Don’t do that,” Omi scolded absently. “And everything looks to be fine.”
“So?”
“As planned,” Omi replied gleefully. “We need to get them both out of the house briefly tomorrow to hang the mistletoe before the evening.”
Youji nodded thoughtfully. “Right,” he said. “And if Aya tries to kill us, just remember this was all your idea.”
“Hey!” Omi objected. “Stage two is all your plan, and Aya is more likely to be mad about that than the mistletoe!”
Now it was Youji who contrived to look innocent, which he failed at miserably. You didn’t need to see his tattoo to know he was heavily steeped in sin, and proud of it, too. “Point taken.”
~
“Merry Christmas!” Ken squealed, pouncing on Youji’s bed.
Unearthing his head from the pillows, Youji treated him to a blurry scowl. “Ken,” he rasped, “what the fuck are you doing up at 7 am? And more to the point, why are you trying to wake me up at 7 am?”
“It’s Christmas!” Ken argued. “You have to wake up!”
In many ways, Youji thought, Ken was so like an excited child, taking joy in such things. In some things, he was more of a child than Omi at times. Not that he’d ever mention it- if he did, Ken would probably make an effort to stop, which would just go against his personality.
“Why didn’t you wake up Omi?” Youji complained.
“I’m already awake,” Omi called sleepily, voice emanating from somewhere out in the hallway.
“… Aya?”
Ken grinned sheepishly. “I was afraid he’d kill me.”
Youji groaned. “Might’ve figured. Fine, you sadist, I’ll get up. Leave and let me change, yeah?”
“Why?” Ken asked. “Omi and I are in our pyjamas.”
True.
“Okay, I’m moving,” Youji sighed. “If only Aya was suffering too.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Youji!” Omi exclaimed.
“It’s the morning. I don’t do nice in the morning, kiddo.”
“But it’s Christmas!” Ken protested.
Youji gave him a strange look. “Someone seems to have a fixation. What’s for breakfast?”
“Waffles,” Omi told him, “but only if you get out of bed and promise to help clean up the kitchen when I’m done.”
“Fine,” Youji muttered, crawling out of bed and grabbing for his hairbrush.
Omi and Ken wisely refrained from comment, and clattered back down the stairs to cook breakfast and check out the Christmas tree respectively.
“Oh, wow!” Ken said. “The presents are all there! Look’s like Santa has been.”
If anyone had been watching, they would probably have been amused by the great skill with which the assassins had avoided each other in the wee hours of Christmas Eve trying to get the presents out.
Omi blinked at him. “Ken-kun… you do know that Santa doesn’t exist, don’t you?”
Ken looked vaguely insulted before laughing. “Yeah, I know. I never really believed in Santa, even as a kid. Just a figure of speech, y’know?”
Omi nodded, keeping an eye on the pan. “Ah. I understand.”
“Holy shit!” Ken exclaimed several minutes later.
“What is it?” Omi asked, just a little alarmed.
“Aya’s gotten presents for us!”
Stunned silence.
“Ken, stop peeking at the presents,” Omi said weakly. “No opening until the others come down.”
“Merry Christmas,” Aya said quietly as he came down the stairs, and Ken almost had a heart attack.
“Aya!” Omi said happily. “Merry Christmas!”
“You’re in a good mood,” Ken commented.
Aya gave him a blank look. “It’s Christmas,” he said eventually.
“Finally!” Ken whooped. “Someone agrees with my logic!”
Aya looked at him oddly, but didn’t respond, instead making himself a cup of tea and sitting down at the kitchen table.
“Waffles for breakfast,” Omi supplied helpfully.
“Thank you,” Aya said, tone only a bit stiff.
Ken wondered how many more shocks he could take from Aya in one day, and whether death by Aya on Christmas was a good way or a bad way to go. He’d always thought that if Aya killed him it would be through use of katana, not by being unusually friendly. Friendly for Aya, anyway, he amended hastily.
“So, did you miss me?” Youji drawled, sauntering down the stairs just when Omi was serving up waffles.
“Were you gone?” Ken asked in mock surprise.
Youji scowled, and Omi giggled. “We should have known your nose would lead you here just when the waffles were ready!”
Youji shrugged. “Ah, what can I say? I like waffles.”
Christmas was off to a good start, Ken thought.
~
“Omi, can’t we open the presents yet?” Ken whined.
“No,” Omi said firmly. “Not until after dinner.”
“But dinner’s almost ready,” Ken wheedled.
Youji sniggered as Ken pouted. “Relax, it’s not that long to wait. I’m sure it’ll be more special if you do.”
Aya rolled his eyes exasperatedly at Ken’s childish antics. “Wait,” he said flatly.
Ken grumbled, but caved under the requests from all three teammates. “Fine, fine. When’s dinner ready, then?”
“Now,” Omi said cheerfully. “Roast turkey. Would you mind clearing the table, Ken-kun?”
“Mm! Mmm mm!” Ken argued.
“Ken…” Omi started suspiciously. “Did you steal a slice of turkey?”
Ken had the good grace to look guilty as he swallowed it. “Um. Maybe.”
“Oh well. Are you going to clean the table?”
“I already did.”
“So that’s what you were trying to say,” Omi realised. “Thanks, Ken-kun.”
Dinner was wonderful, even though Aya refused to pull a cracker. The turkey was absolutely delicious, and they all told Omi so at least once. Ken suspected he may have said it several times, but it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t remember if he’d said it already.
“Aya, Ken, would you mind going out to buy us some wine?” Omi asked hopefully as they cleaned the dishes off the table.
Ken turned from the sink to look at him quizzically. “What, we don’t have any? Doesn’t Youji have a secret stash?”
“Nope, totally depleted,” Youji tossed back carelessly.
“Really?” Ken replied, amazed that Youji was completely alcohol-free.
“Really,” Youji informed him solemnly. “And it would be unheard of for Youji Kudou to be stone-cold sober on Christmas, so get going.”
Ken was still not entirely convinced. “Why does Aya need to come?”
“So you can carry all the bottles, idiot,” Youji lied seamlessly.
“Right. Why can’t you go?”
Youji snorted. “Oh, come on. You know how lazy I am! Besides, I have stuff to do.”
Youji is a much better liar than I am, Omi thought.
“Like?”
“Like catch up on my beauty sleep,” Youji said artfully. “Someone, who shall remain nameless, woke me up at a godawful hour this morning.”
“Oh, fine,” Ken muttered. “You can tell Aya, though.”
“Aya, would you mind going to the store with Ken?” Omi called into the lounge.
“…Fine.”
Youji shot Ken a smug look as if to say ‘see, some people don’t complain as much as you do’. Ken glared at him. “All right, rub it in. I’m going already.”
Ken grabbed his coat on the way out the door, and Aya followed behind.
“Well,” Omi said. “Get going with the mistletoe, Youji-kun.”
~
After a brief argument over which wine to get where Ken did most of the arguing and Aya basically ignored him, they finally agreed on a few bottles of shiraz and returned back to the Koneko no Sumu Ie to find Omi and Youji in the lounge with a lit fireplace.
“Cool!” Ken cried, dumping his bottles on the table and rushing over to jump on the couch. Just as planned, Omi and Youji thought evilly.
“Hey, Kenken,” Youji purred. “Do you know where you’re sitting?”
Ken blinked. “Uh, on the couch?”
“Yes,” Youji agreed, “but you’re also sitting under the mistletoe.”
Ken’s expression was blank until the meaning of this hit him suddenly. Eyes widening, he looked upwards to find that there was indeed a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Red flooded his cheeks. “Hey, but…”
“Means you have to forfeit a kiss, Ken-kun!” Omi chirped.
Before Ken could make a protest more than a squeak, Youji pounced on him and kissed him. Mission accomplished, Omi thought smugly, seeing Aya’s death glare at Youji. If looks could kill, Youji wouldn’t even be a puddle on the floor.
“Y-youji,” Ken stuttered when he was finally released. “You… you…”
“Hn,” Aya muttered, and curled up in the armchair. Youji winked at Omi, who grinned.
“Present time, guys!” Omi said.
“Yay! Finally!” Ken cheered.
Omi crawled over to the Christmas tree and started hunting. “Okay: first, a present to Youji from Ken.”
“He’s just a regular little Santa’s helper,” Youji teased as Omi handed him the parcel. “Thanks, kid.” Unwrapping it revealed a new clubbing shirt, and Youji’s face lit up. “Hey, cool! Thanks, Kenken!”
“You’re welcome,” Ken mumbled, still blushing over the mistletoe incident.
“Next one: from Aya to- oh, me! Wow!” Omi exclaimed, and put the present to one side. “I’ll open mine when I’ve finished handing them out. Aya, here’s your present from Ken.”
Ken watched anxiously as Aya opened the present, taking an agonizingly long time as he made sure not to rip the paper. Figured- Aya could be very anally retentive, sometimes. When it was revealed to be an expensive brand of sword-polish that Aya liked to use but couldn’t often afford, he blinked in surprise. How had Ken known he’d want that?
“Thank you,” he said softly and hesitantly, and Ken could almost have sworn there was a barely perceptible smile on his face.
“You’re welcome,” Ken said happily, practically bouncing in his seat.
“From Aya to Youji,” Omi read, and handed the present over.
“Pocket-knife!” Youji noted. “Thanks Aya!”
You hear more ‘thank-you’s on Christmas than at any other time of the year, Omi reflected. “Aya to Ken.”
Youji was grinning slyly, figuring that Omi had rigged the order of the presents. Excellent.
“Oh my god,” Ken breathed reverently, tracing his fingers gently along the cover of the hardback book Aya had given him. “The History Of J-League! I didn’t even know a book had come out!”
“It’s only just been published,” Aya told him quietly.
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Ken squealed. Eyes shining, he placed the book carefully on the couch next to him and without thinking ran over to hug Aya, who was still curled up in his armchair. Toppling over when he lost his balance, Ken fell on top of him. Aya’s eyes widened in shock.
Ken’s brain caught up with him about then. ‘Oh shit, I’m gonna die.’ Still, like with the ice cream, he’d do it again given the opportunity. Maybe he had a secret masochistic streak?
“Um, guys?” Omi said sweetly. “Look up.”
With a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, Ken did as he was told. More mistletoe. Suspiciously, he turned to glare at Omi and Youji. It hadn’t been here before dinner, he was pretty sure. It was a bit too conveniently placed, too.
“And we all know what that means,” Youji drawled. “A kiss under the mistletoe, oh ye fearless assassins.”
Ken was positive that Aya would refuse. It would be un-Aya-like to give into something like a piece of foliage, after all. Thinking this gave him a feeling of mixed relief and regret.
Aya, on the other hand, was still fuming over Youji’s earlier kiss, which was the whole point. So he was possessive, and occasionally predictable. This didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
“Fine,” Aya said, apparently his new favourite word, and Ken felt a moment of excited panic before he was kissed for the second time that evening.
“Let’s go,” Omi whispered, grabbing Youji and dragging him out of the room.
“But I wanted to watch!” Youji objected, laughing when Omi looked disturbed. “Kidding, kidding.”
Meanwhile, Ken had found himself lying across Aya’s lap staring dizzily up at the ceiling. “Aaaaah,” was all he managed to say.
“We’re still under the mistletoe,” Aya commented.
“Yes,” Ken agreed faintly. “Yes, we are. Let’s not move.”
“Hn.” Another kiss.
“Aya?” Ken said vaguely when they broke apart again.
“Mine,” was all Aya responded.
“Oh.” Ken thought about this, and decided he rather liked the idea. “Good. Merry Christmas, Aya.”
Aya just smiled, but that was enough. With him, actions spoke louder than words ever would.