West Block Christmas
By pigeonsimba for marykedoesart
Shion's eyes flew across the page, drinking the words in hungrily. He had been curled up on the bed since he selected the book and blew the dust off the cover. He chose The Christmas Carol because he thought it'd be a quick read while he waited for Nezumi to come home. Now he was rapt.
As his eyes skimmed across the final sentence, Shion's heart felt full: full of wonder, of magic, and a boundless curiosity and yearning for Christmas. Shion closed the book and ran his hand over the threadbare cover. Why don't we have this holiday anymore?
No. 6 had no holidays except Holy Day—if a mandatory gathering around the Moondrop in praise of No. 6 could be considered a holiday. Christmas was different. It was a true celebration of humanity's generosity and kinship. He could only imagine how beautiful it must have been: family and friends gathered around a feast, snow blanketing the world outside the window and a fire roaring on the hearth.
It made him feel proud to be human.
The handle of the door rattled and the specter of Marley's ghost flitted through Shion's mind for a heartbeat. Then Nezumi stepped into the room and the fear fell away in a rush.
"Nezumi!"
He hadn't meant to shout, but the excitement burst out of him the moment he saw Nezumi. Nezumi paused in the doorway, eyes wide and expression caught between confusion and alarm.
"Sorry," Shion said at a normal volume. "I just finished a good book."
Nezumi grunted in a knowing way and locked the door behind him.
"What's the date?" Shion asked.
Nezumi crossed the room and Shion shifted to allow him a seat on the end of the bed. "December 10th."
Shion grinned and scooted down beside him. "What do you know about Christmas?"
"Christmas?" Nezumi's gaze dropped to the book between them. "Ah. Reading cautionary tales now?" he chuckled. "Christmas is a Christian gimmick." He plucked the book from Shion's hands and unceremoniously tossed it onto the floor. Shion's heart plummeted. "Christians overwrote the winter solstice with a celebration of their own god to make turning pagans over to Christianity easier. It's a holiday based on selfishness and forced compliance."
"What? No it's not!" Shion slid off the bed and rescued The Christmas Carol from the faded green carpet.
Nezumi leaned back on the wall and surveyed him from beneath hooded eyes. "There's a pattern lately where you ask me to tell you about something, and then you get all indignant when tell you, and claim to know more than me. It's very annoying."
Shion shook his head. "You can't be right. This book isn't about that at all—it's about being selfless! It's about being generous and kind."
"Yes, well, that book was written by a Christian. It would present its side in a generous and kind light."
Tendrils of frustration writhed in Shion's stomach. The excitement he experienced until a moment ago was real and pure. Whatever Christmas was truly, he knew what it was to him, and that was valid. He wouldn't let Nezumi ruin it.
Shion raised his chin. "I want to celebrate it."
Nezumi rolled his eyes and lolled his head to the side. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Go ahead then. Don't let me get in your way."
Shion tightened his grip on the book. "I want to celebrate it with you."
Nezumi's head snapped up. His gaze sharpened with feline menace and Shion reminded himself that he had resolved not to let Nezumi ruin his plans, no matter how cold and terrifying his glares became.
"Shion," Nezumi said, sitting up. "Maybe you didn't notice, but the people in West Block are dirt poor. We don't have cash to burn on ourselves, let alone on gifts for other people."
"But that's the whole point! Christmas is a time to remember that all of us are human, that we're all equal and deserving of joy, no matter how rich or poor. It's a time for giving. No one needs to buy anything if they can't; spending time together is a gift in of itself."
"Geez…" Nezumi rested his head in his hands. "Listen, that sappy crap would never fly in West Block—and not in No. 6 either, for that matter. Can you imagine if everyone started getting ideas that they're all equal?"
"I'm not asking everyone to celebrate it. I'm asking you. And Inukashi and Rikiga, too! It doesn't have to be anything fancy."
Nezumi lifted his head. "No way. But by all means try Inukashi and Rikiga. I'm sure they'll be thrilled."
"Nezumi… Please?" Nezumi just shook his head. Annoyance flickered in Shion's chest. "Don't be a Scrooge, Nezumi."
A sardonic smile twisted Nezumi's lips. "Bah humbug."
"Look," Shion started. He slotted The Christmas Carol onto the nearest shelf and sat down on the bed next to Nezumi. "I'll take care of everything, okay? I'll use the wage I get from washing dogs for what I need, I won't ask you for anything. All you have to do is show up. Okay?"
Nezumi leered sidelong at him. His lips parted in the beginnings of a reply. It looked like a no. A small brown savior streaked into the room at that very moment and Shion seized upon him.
"Hamlet!"
Hamlet paused in the middle of the floor and twitched his nose. He seemed to be taking the temperature of the room. Hamlet turned towards the bookcases and chirruped. Tsukiyo and Cravat poked their heads out and Shion lowered his hands in invitation. He could have cried when all three mice leapt into his palms.
"Hey, guys." Shion brought them up to face level. "Do you want to celebrate Christmas with me?"
The mice looked at each other. Then Hamlet squeaked and bobbed his head.
"Thank you! Now, can you please convince this rat," he turned them toward Nezumi, "to agree to join too?"
Nezumi's brow furrowed. "I don't know what you're playing at," he began, but the mice broke out into a squeaking fit, crawling over each other and waving their little paws. Nezumi's frown deepened. "What have you done to my mice?"
"This is a coup, Nezumi," Shion announced. "You are overruled." He brought the raucous mice closer to Nezumi's face. "Say you'll celebrate Christmas."
The corners of Nezumi's mouth tightened as the mice cheeped and Shion stared him down, but at last the tension in his face wasn't from disapproval or irritation. Nezumi snorted and Shion's heart sped up.
"Alright," Nezumi said. The mice went quiet and Nezumi gently pushed Shion's hands and the mice away from his face. "If it so pleases Your Majesty, I will deign to join in your Christmas festivities. But good luck getting the mutt and the old man to agree."
Inukashi and Rikiga didn't look ecstatic to be occupying the same room, but they had obeyed Shion's summons nonetheless.
They were seated when they entered, and Nezumi went straight for one of the remaining chairs. This small room Inukashi used as an office and bedroom had probably never expected to house so many at once.
Shion didn't sit. He was too restless.
A single candle burned on the small, round table, filling everyone's eyes with a flickering warmth.
Shion clasped his hands behind his back. "Thank you all for coming."
"What gives, Shion? Why're we here?" Inukashi's small dark eyes scanned the persons in the room. "This is a suspicious group..." Their eyes flashed and snapped back to Shion. "Do you have a job? Is that what this is?"
Nezumi chuckled. "Shion have a job? Please."
"Eve's right," Rikiga said, clucking his tongue. "Shion's too good a kid to be caught up in the shady stuff you deal in, mutt."
"And that you deal in," Nezumi quipped drily.
"Like you're a saint!" the older man growled back.
Shion cleared his throat. The group settled again and gave him their attention. "I would like to invite you all to Christmas."
The candle flame danced manically for a moment as the draft grew stronger. The silence stretched even after it died down. Nezumi smirked and Shion wanted to punch him.
"Christmas?" Rikiga said at last. He scratched the stubble on his chin. It looked like the word resonated with him, but he couldn't quite reach the meaning.
Inukashi frowned. "What the hell is Christmas?"
Shion perked up. "It's a holiday that people used to celebrate on the 25th of December. Everyone gathers in one place and eats together, and you exchange gifts, and the book I read says a long time ago people also held balls where they got dressed up and danced."
"Danced?" Inukashi wrinkled their nose. Their eyes darted to Nezumi. "You encouraged this?"
"Of course not. But you know Shion. Once it gets into his head…" Nezumi shrugged a shoulder.
Shion cast a beleaguered look around the room. His hopes grew smaller and smaller as each face revealed less and less enthusiasm. "I know it's not what you're used to. I know you all think I'm crazy or naïve to want to do this. But is it really so crazy? To want to spend time with the people I care about?" Shion hung his head and sighed. "All I'm asking is for one night. A few hours where we can try to enjoy what we have, instead of being cynical about what we don't."
Rikiga's eyes shone in the aftermath of Shion's plea. Nezumi's face remained carefully impassive.
"So…" Inukashi wriggled in their seat. "You want to do this Christmas thing…because you care about us?"
Shion raised his head. "Yes. You're my friends."
Inukashi didn't know what to do with that answer, so they pulled the puppy playing by their chair into their lap and pressed their face into his fur to think.
"Oh, Shion," Rikiga crooned. He pushed out of his chair and crushed Shion against his chest. "You're such a good kid. A selfless angel, just like your mother."
Shion patted Rikiga once on the back and extricated himself from the bear hug. "Does that mean you'll do it, Mr. Rikiga?"
"Of course I'll do it. Anything for you."
Shion beamed. "Thank you. I was really hoping you'd agree, because I want to have the party at your house."
The rosy cheer faded from Rikiga's cheeks. "My house?"
"You have that big back room and a fireplace, and the best food. Of course, Nezumi and I will bring some things too, but your house is the perfect place to celebrate. I couldn't imagine having it anywhere else."
"Oh." Rikiga cleared his throat. "I don't know, Shion… My place isn't really suited for kids."
"Come now," Nezumi drawled. "It's your precious Shion's Christmas wish. You aren't going to crush the kid's dream, are you, old man?"
Rikiga's brow clouded. "Well… I…"
Shion stretched his smile even broader. "Thank you so much, Mr. Rikiga!" He threw his arms around the older man and squeezed. "This means a lot to me, and I know that if my mom were here, she would be so proud and grateful to you."
Rikiga sputtered, utterly defeated. Shion's gaze met Nezumi's and Nezumi mouthed, Nice. The corner of Shion's mouth quirked. He let Rikiga go and focused on the last holdout.
Inukashi shrunk under Shion's eager gaze. "Nezumi agreed to do this?"
"He did."
"I was overruled, apparently."
With no other avenue for refusal, Inukashi had no choice but to agree. They lowered the wriggling puppy to the floor. "What do we have to do again? Bring food and stuff?"
"You don't have to bring food if you don't want to. But I was thinking… Well, part of Christmas is about giving gifts to the people you appreciate, and I know it'd be difficult for everyone to get a present for everyone, so I was thinking we'd each only get a gift for one person." Shion reached into his pocket and pulled out four crumpled scraps of paper. "It's like a lottery."
"I don't know, Shion," Nezumi said. "I read The Lottery and it didn't work out too well for the person who got picked."
"Hush," Shion chided.
"What's a lottery?" Inukashi said, eyeing the papers with trepidation.
"It's simple. We each take a piece of paper and you get a gift for the person written on it." Shion dumped the papers on the table. "Everyone take one. Don't give away who you have, though, even if you don't like what you draw. We want it to be a surprise for Christmas day! I'll go first."
Shion grabbed the paper nearest to him and shielded it in his palms as he read. He nodded. "Alright, who's next?"
The other three exchanged a look, but one by one they chose a paper. Inukashi and Rikiga made faces as they read their selections, but Nezumi just glanced at his and stuffed it into his pocket.
"No one got their own name? Great! You have until the 25th to get a present, and then we open them at the party. It doesn't have to be a big gift, but try to put some thought into it."
Inukashi and Rikiga grumbled.
Shion woke with the sunrise Christmas day. Nezumi was nowhere to be seen. His side of the bed was cool when Shion placed a hand on it.
He should have guessed. Nezumi had been avoiding him as Christmas grew nearer, claiming that the holiday was silly and that Shion's childlike glee irked him. Maybe Nezumi did truly think those things, but Shion suspected there was more to his evasions than what he said aloud. Nezumi was hiding something, he just didn't know what or from whom.
But I'll learn tonight.
For the nth time Shion felt a pleasant jolt race through his veins. Today was Christmas! He couldn't wait to see what everyone prepared.
The mice were curled fast asleep on the pillow, and Shion did his best to slip out and into the shower without disturbing them. As he dried his hair, Shion mused on how long he had until the party. A little less than ten hours.
Shion peered under the bed at his present. The object was wrapped tightly in several layers of newspaper. Shion had collected the pages on his walks home and borrowed tape from Rikiga to stick them all together.
He brushed the corner of the package where Cravat had gnawed a small hole. "Ten hours…"
Shion did whatever chores he could think of to pass the morning. He organized the room, did laundry, washed their mugs, and fetched new water from the stream. Anything to keep his mind occupied. But even then he could barely contain his excitement when he met Inukashi later for dog washing.
Between the dog kisses and soapsuds Shion gushed about all the things he had read about Christmas in the last few weeks: about children waiting up for Santa Claus, about caroling, and decorating, and Christmas trees, and snowball fights. Inukashi asked question after question and scoffed more than once at the things Shion told them, but by the time they'd finished, Inukashi seemed to be looking forward to the party that night.
When Nezumi finally turned up at the underground room that evening Shion was near to bursting.
"Geez," Nezumi muttered when he noticed Shion sitting rapt on the bed. "The aura around you right now… It's making me nauseated. I might have to stay home."
"You are coming and that's that. Did you bring the food?"
Nezumi held up a bag. "Bread, meat, and booze, as Your Majesty requested. You should have seen the looks I got shelling out coin for this. If I had been anyone else, I would have been jumped on the way home and taken for all I'm worth. This better be a damn good party."
"It will be. Thank you, Nezumi."
Nezumi grunted. "Let's just go already."
Shion pawed his present out from under the bed. Nezumi arched an eyebrow as Shion hefted it up against his chest.
"Ready!" Shion grinned over the top of the newspaper. "Where's your present?"
"That's for me to know and you to see." Nezumi threw open the door and disappeared into the hall.
Rikiga squinted at Nezumi when he opened the door. He looked as though he didn't understand why two teenagers showed up.
"Mr. Rikiga?"
Rikiga's eyes slid from Nezumi to Shion and at last a sliver of recognition seeped into his face. "Shion! That's right. Is it the 25th already?"
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Rikiga."
"Somebody pregamed," Nezumi muttered.
Shion didn't know what that meant, but Nezumi's tone and the scent of alcohol emanating from Rikiga's person gave him a clue.
Nezumi crossed his arms and sneered. "Did you leave anything for the party? Good thing we brought our own wine," he said sidewise to Shion.
Rikiga wrinkled his nose. "Show me some respect, Eve. It's my house." He yanked the door open.
Shion gazed around while they waited for Rikiga to reveal the hidden room. The living room was in chaos. Papers littered the floor, and empty bottles lined the coffee table. Shion had thought maybe the disarray he'd seen the first day they met Rikiga had been a result of the fight with his ex, but it seemed this was Rikiga's regular state of living.
At least on the surface.
Rikiga laid his hand on the wall behind the mangy textile sofa and the partition in the wall slid open, revealing the decadent room inside. A fire blazed on the hearth, shimmering against the red and gold fibers in the carpet. The leather chairs and couch in front of the fireplace were in impeccable condition and sang with warm invitation.
Shion placed his gift down on the couch and approached the table. A plate of cheese and grapes sat in the middle, and, despite the fact that Rikiga smelled like a liquor cabinet, two unopened bottles of wine sat at the edge of the table.
Shion's mouth watered. He hadn't seen such a luxurious meal in a while, and coupled with the things Nezumi brought, this would be a feast none of them would soon forget.
"This looks amazing!"
Rikiga preened. "Yes, well, it is Christmas. I had to make sure everything was just right. There's pie and coffee for dessert, too."
Nezumi harrumphed and unloaded their foodstuff onto the table. A knock sounded from the other room as he finished. "And there's the mutt." Nezumi looked into Shion's smiling face. "Let the party begin."
Inukashi ate like a ravenous animal and even displayed some food aggression. This irked everyone but Shion, who was too much in the Christmas spirit to be offended. Now was a time to enjoy to the utmost. Shion gave Inukashi his portion of bread, which made them pause and realize the intensity of their behavior. Inukashi calmed down after that and the table devolved into verbal sparring and backhanded comments up until dessert.
Happiness bloomed white hot in Shion's chest as he cradled his coffee in his hands. Everything was just as he imagined it would be—no, better. The only thing that could make this moment more perfect would be…
Mom and Safu.
The stuffy feeling in his chest crawled up into his throat and choked until his vision blurred. Shion dropped his head and tried to discreetly wipe his eyes. He didn't want to be sad, not now, when this was the happiest he'd ever been.
Nezumi was watching him when he recovered. Heat climbed up the back of Shion's neck. He avoided Nezumi's gaze and sipped at his mug.
Tsukiyo poked his head out of the superfiber wrapped around Nezumi's shoulders and squeaked. Nezumi glanced sharply down at him and dropped his silverware onto his plate, creating enough noise to claim the table's attention. "Let's open presents now."
"We're not done eating," Inukashi protested, forking another piece of pecan pie. "And how come you can bring your pets, but I can't bring mine?"
"The food isn't going anywhere. I, however, will be very soon. So up you go." Nezumi pushed back from the table and draped himself over the leather armchair nearest the fire. "Shion, you're the MC of this shindig, why don't you go first?"
Shion scrambled out of his chair, scooped his gift off the couch, and plopped down in its place. "Everyone, grab your gift! Let's sit by the fire."
Inukashi claimed the cushion beside Shion, and Rikiga lowered himself into the remaining armchair.
"So? Who'd you get?" Inukashi eyed the large package in Shion's arms.
"I got…Mr. Rikiga!"
Rikiga perked up as Shion deposited the gift in his lap. He peeled back the newspaper to reveal the gift inside: a silver typewriter. The base was slightly banged up and the keys faded, but it was usable and legible. Shion made sure of that before purchasing it for more than it was probably worth monetarily. But he thought it would be worth its weight in memories.
"You said you were a reporter before. That's how you met my mom. So I thought you might like this, to write with, or maybe just as a reminder."
"You do know that when Rikiga was a reporter, he used a computer, right?" Nezumi drawled. "The old man's not that old."
Everyone in the room glared. Nezumi made a face and lounged deeper into the armchair.
"It's beautiful, Shion. I'll treasure it," Rikiga said, smiling. "Guess it's me now?" Rikiga fished around in his suit pocket and pulled out a small paper-wrapped parcel. "This is for you, kid." He held it out to Inukashi.
Inukashi's nose twitched and there was no mistaking the look on their face for anything but rapt excitement as they tore open the package. Inukashi stared down at it when it was fully unwrapped. They stared until the fire began to feel too hot.
Inukashi raised their head and leered at Rikiga. "Soap? Are you fucking serious?"
"What?" Rikiga sputtered. "It's something you need, right? What else was I supposed to get you? Dogs? You already have every dog in West Block!"
"Then get me dog stuff!"
"Use the soap for the dogs, then!"
"You're the worst! I at least put thought into my gift!" Inukashi jumped up, grabbed their present from the table, and flung it at Nezumi's chest. "Here's your stupid Christmas gift, Nezumi."
Nezumi held the package up by the corner with two fingers. "Did your dogs help you wrap this?"
"Shut up, you filthy ingrate."
Nezumi smiled and tore the paper. His eyebrows shot up. Shion rose and peered into his lap. Within the shreds of wrapping lay a small bag filled with coal. Shion frowned. He had read about children who received coal as punishment for bad behavior.
"That's not very nice, Inukashi…" he said.
"What? What's wrong with it?" Inukashi looked between him and Nezumi and Shion suddenly felt unsure. "He can put it in your heater, or whatever. That's a valuable resource! Far better than that rat deserves."
"Yeah, Shion," Nezumi said. "Don't be such a snob."
Shion mumbled an apology.
Nezumi rubbed his blackened fingers on his pant leg. "This was more than I expected, Inukashi. You're surprisingly thoughtful."
"Of course I'm thoughtful," they spat. "I gather intelligence for a living. So, is that it?" Inukashi wrinkled their nose at the soap.
Shion stopped hanging his head as he realized he was the only one left. "That means…" His eyes lit up. "Nezumi, you must have me!"
"He got the easy one," Inukashi grumbled. "Damn rat probably rigged it."
Nezumi unfurled from the armchair and stood. Shion's heart pounded as Nezumi reached into his pocket and extended a closed fist. He held his heat-slickened palm out to receive what he offered.
Nezumi dropped a pair of D batteries into his hand. Shion frowned.
"Batteries?" Inukashi cackled. "God, Nezumi, you're an even worse gift giver than Mr. Alcoholic over here."
Rikiga shook his head and sighed. "Honestly... At least the kid can use my gift."
Nezumi turned a bored look on them. "Obviously, this is only part one. Some assembly is required for my gift. Part two," Nezumi plucked the batteries back out of Shion's palm and took him by the hand, "is outside. It's been fun, but we'll be going now."
Nezumi collected their coats from the table and crammed the bag of coal and batteries into the open pockets. Inukashi gaped as Nezumi glided by them.
"Wait, what? Where are you going? Don't leave me alone with him!"
"Merry Christmas!" Nezumi called over his shoulder as he dragged Shion out the front door and into the street.
"Nezumi? What's going on?"
"Like I said. Part two." Nezumi waited for him to don his coat before tugging him on.
Shion's brow furrowed at the ambiguity and rough handling, but then he noticed that Nezumi had taken up his hand again.
"Oh! Is this part two?"
"Hm?"
Shion nodded at their clasped hands.
"This? No way. I'm not a cheapskate. How does that even make sense with the batteries?"
Shion didn't think holding hands as a Christmas present was a cheap gift at all, especially from someone as emotionally jagged as Nezumi. But he and Nezumi differed much on what they considered worthy of their energy.
"But sure," Nezumi said after a moment. "Consider it a bonus if it's really that amazing. Weirdo." He blew out a breath. Shion smiled as he watched its frosty tendrils twist skyward.
Nezumi took them on the path back to the underground room, and Shion tried to guess what part two was. He voiced his ideas aloud at first, but Nezumi only said, "Hm," and "Maybe" in response, so Shion gave up after a few tries and focused on the warmth between his and Nezumi's palms.
They reached the fork where normally they'd go left towards home, but Nezumi led him right, up towards the top of the hill. Tsukiyo popped his head out of Nezumi's superfiber and twitched his nose at Shion. He turned and squeaked softly in Nezumi's ear.
"Perfect timing," Nezumi muttered. He stopped walking and looked to a batch of trees a little ways off.
Shion's mouth popped open. A tree in the distance burst into multicolored lights. Green, blue, red, and orange blurs speckled the sparse branches and curled around the trunk. Shion drew towards it, and soon it was he who was dragging Nezumi by the arm.
"This is…!"
"A Christmas tree, yes."
"Yes! Nezumi, it's amazing!"
Shion let Nezumi's hand go and circled the tree. He felt light from the wonder. The blubs shone brilliantly on the branches, like stars hung in a barren universe. Shion followed the length of the string down the trunk. Battery packs nestled amongst the roots.
"The lights were stashed away in one of the underground rooms," Nezumi explained, anticipating the question. "There's all sorts of junk in there. Whoever stocked the place was a serious hoarder."
"It's perfect." Shion touched a blue light and held the small warmth in his fingers. A brighter, tighter warmth built in his chest. Shion moved back to Nezumi's side.
Nezumi held his gaze. The lights danced off his eyes and made the fine strands of his hair gleam.
"I love it, Nezumi." Shion slid his hand into Nezumi's and squeezed. "Thank you."
Nezumi's jaw shifted. He turned his face away and stared up at the tree. "Merry Christmas, Shion." He said it quietly, calmly, with the same cool indifference he had displayed time again.
But the grip on Shion's hand tightened, and as the minutes ticked by, he didn't let go.