"Stóri bróðir! Stóri bróðir!" The tiny voice of a small icelandic boy was heard.
"Hnnn? What is it lillebror?" The sleepy Norwegian, Lukas, mumbled.
"Christmas! Today is Christmas!" The young boy was shaking his older brother, trying to wake him up.
"It's too early to wake up, Emil. Let me sleep a little longer." Lukas rolled away from his little brother. Emil decided to try something different. He climbed onto the bed and crawled across Lukas towards the other person sleeping on the bed. On his way, however, he accidently kneed Lukas in his side.
"Ooof! Emil be careful." Lukas sighed and tried to fall asleep again. Emil ignored him and continued towards his destination. Once reaching the sleeping person, he sat on his stomach, and started shaking them. Though since he was so small, it wasn't doing much.
"Matthias! Matthias! Wake up!" Emil said. Matthias slowly opened his eyes to see the eyes of a small boy staring intently down at him.
"Oh, Icey. What are you doing?" Matthias asked, confused on why he was being woken up by the young child.
"It's Christmas! We have open presents!" Matthias could see Emil's excitement.
"Okay, okay. I'm getting up. Run along, I'll be out there in a minute." Emil hopped off the bed and ran out of the room. Matthias rolled over to the almost-asleep Lukas beside him. "Are you coming?" Matthias asked Lukas.
"Let me sleep a little longer." Lukas mumbled.
"Okay. Would you like me to make you some coffee?"
Lukas smiled, "Yes."
"Alright. Come out soon, we can't keep Emil waiting forever."
"Okay." Matthias kissed Lukas on the forehead before getting up, and going out to Emil. Lukas, meanwhile, fell asleep.
After about fifteen minutes of sleeping, Lukas woke up, with the smell of coffee in his nose. He sat up slowly and headed out to the kitchen.
"Matthias, when is Lukas going to get up?" Lukas heard Emil say.
"I don't know, but if he doesn't get up soon, we'll just have to go tackle him awake!" Lukas could hear Emil giggling at the thought of doing that. Lukas was glad he had woken up now. He walked into the kitchen.
"Ahh there he is!" Matthias said upon Lukas' arrival.
"Bróðir!" Emil hopped off of his seat and ran over to give Lukas a hug. Lukas was startled at first, but then he pat Emil's head.
"A-ah. Hello Emil." Lukas said looking down at his little brother.
"Can we open our presents now?" Emil looked up at Lukas, still hugging him around the middle. Lukas let out a little laugh.
"Not yet, Emil. We have to eat breakfast first."
"Okay!" Emil let go of Lukas and sat back down on his seat at the table.
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Matthias smiled as Lukas walked over to him. Lukas wrapped his arms around Matthias' middle, and rested his head on his shoulder.
"Morning."
"Do you want your coffee, or shall I drink it?"
"Don't you dare drink my coffee." Lukas said looking at Matthias. Matthias laughed.
"Don't worry I won't." Matthias winked. "Go sit down at the table, and I'll bring it over." Lukas released his hold on Matthias and went to go sit down across from Emil. Soon Matthias brought over Lukas' coffee.
"Thank you." Lukas kissed Matthias' lips and took his coffee.
"You're welcome, Lukas." Matthias smiled and tapped Lukas' nose before walking back into the kitchen. "Now. Who is hungry?"
"I am!" Emil exclaimed. Matthias brought over some danishes for everyone, as well as orange juice for Emil, and coffee for himself. The table was small, and had room for four people to sit at it. One person on each side. Lukas and Emil were sitting across from each other, so Matthias sat in between them.
Matthias was holding Lukas' hand. Their hands were resting on the table. Matthias' free hand was also rested on the table, having already finishing his breakfast he didn't need to use it right then.
Emil was watching their hands, while drinking his juice. After deciding that he wanted to join too, he reached out his hand to hold Matthias' other hand. Lukas and Matthias both smiled at Emil's adorable gesture.
Once everyone was finished with their breakfast, the small family made their way into the living room where the Christmas tree was placed.
Matthias and Lukas didn't have a whole lot of money, but they tried hard to make this a good Christmas for Emil.
"Can we open our presents now?" Emil asked looking at Lukas and Matthias. The two sat on the couch before answering.
"Yes you can, Emil." Lukas said. Instead of going to his presents first, like they thought he would, Emil walked behind the Christmas tree, and grabbed a piece of paper, and then he walked over and handed the paper to Lukas.
"Here. I drew this for you and Matthias. Sorry I couldn't wrap it." Lukas looked down at the paper. Emil had drawn (in his best five year old drawing skills), Matthias, Lukas, and him. He added a Christmas tree next to the trio. Above the drawing he had written: Fjölskyldan mín.
Lukas smiled, "Takk lillebror." He gave Emil a hug. He couldn't help it, Emil was just too adorable. "Now go open your presents."
"Wait. You have to open your present first!" Emil said staring into Lukas' eyes.
"Me? Why?" Lukas asked.
"Because I want to watch you open it!"
"I can open it after your open your own."
"But I want to watch you first."
"C'mon Lukas, you can open your present first." Matthias said smiling at Lukas.
"O-okay."
"I'll go get it!" Emil ran over to the tree, and picked up a small package. He ran back over and handed it to Lukas. Lukas took the box from Emil and slowly tore off the wrapping. Under the wrapping was a box. Lukas opened the box and inside there was a cross hair clip. Gold in colour. Matthias and Emil were both smiling at Lukas. Lukas smiled back.
"Thank you." Lukas said.
"Can I put it in your hair, bróðir?" Emil asked.
"Yes." Lukas replied. Emil smiled wider. He climbed onto the couch and sat in Lukas' lap, facing him. He took the clip from Lukas and started putting it in Lukas' hair. He pulled back some of Lukas' bangs on the left side of his head. He bit his tongue in concentration. 'So cute.' Was the thought of both Lukas and Matthias watching Emil. Emil tried putting the hair clip in as best he could. The clip wasn't in his hair very securely, and it wasn't placed very well and it didn't hold his hair back that great, but Lukas left it. He loved it. He gave Emil a long hug before releasing him. Emil raced back over to the tree.
"Now for your present, Matthias!" Emil picked up another small package and handed it to Matthias. He took off the wrapping to reveal a container of hair gel.
"He picked it out himself, you know." Lukas said.
"Thank you, Emil." Matthias chuckled. "Come here." He bent down and gave Emil a hug. "Now you can go open your presents!"
"Okay." Emil walked over to the tree. He picked up a package and opened it revealing the first gift. "It's so soft!" Emil exclaimed picking up the item. It was a stuffed puffin plushie. Emil hugged it. He set it down and picked up the next gift. "Woah! An ax!" Emil said upon seeing the unwrapped gift.
"An ax?" Lukas turned towards Matthias, directing the question at him. "I had no knowledge of this."
"Don't worry. It's plastic. Besides I used to have one when I was a kid." Matthias said.
"But still. You don't give five year olds axes."
"Aww come here." Matthias pulled Lukas closer to him to cuddle. Lukas rested his head on Matthias' side. Matthias had one wrapped around Lukas. The two sat there, cuddling, watching Emil unwrap the last of his gifts. Once Emil was finished, he picked up his puffin and crawled onto the couch. He sat on Matthias' lap and cuddled him.
"Thank you, Matthias. Thank you, Lukas." Emil said.
"You're welcome, Emil." Lukas and Matthias said together.
The three sat there for a while, just enjoying being around each other. Suddenly, Emil hopped up, having thought of an idea.
"Matthias! Lukas! Get up!" Emil grabbed onto one of Matthias' hands and one of Lukas'.
"Uhhh, Emil?" Matthias asked, confused, "Where are we going?"
"Outside! To play in the snow!" Emil was very excited.
"We need to put on our coats and stuff." Lukas told his younger brother.
"Oh yeah! I forgot." Emil said, letting go of their hands. Soon everyone was all bundled up in their multiple layers of clothes, coats, hats, gloves, and boots. They opened the door, and were immediately hit by the biting wind of the winter weather. The three sled down the hill in their backyard, built snowmen, made snow angels, and even a snowball fight. They stayed outside for hours having fun in the snow. Once it started getting dark, and they were all cold and tired from being outside all day, then made their way back to the warmness of the house. Once everyone had changed into dry, warm clothes, Lukas started making hot chocolate for the three of them.
Matthias and Emil were sitting on the couch. Lukas brought over three cups of hot choclate (with marshmallows) over to them. They sat, drinking their hot chocolate, and talking to each other. Matthias started reading a story out loud to Emil and Lukas. In the middle of the story, Emil fell asleep. He was worn out, from all that he did today. Emil was lying across both Matthias' and Lukas' lap. His head was on Matthias' lap. Matthias continued reading, not yet noticing that Emil feel asleep.
"Um, Matthias?" Lukas whispered, "I think Emil is asleep."
Matthias stopped reading and look down. Sure enough Emil was fast asleep. "Should we put him in his bed?" He asked.
"Probably." Lukas answered. Matthias carefully scopped Emil up in his arms, trying not to wake him up. He started walking to Emil's bedroom, with Lukas trailing behind him. Once they were by Emil's bed, Lukas pulled back the covers, and Matthias set the sleeping child down. Lukas placed the covers over Emil, and the two headed back to the couch.
They cuddled on the couch. Lukas was leaning against Matthias, and Matthias had an arm wrapped around Lukas.
"Today has nice." Matthias said.
"Yeah it has."
"There is still one present that has to be opened."
"There is?" Lukas turned his head to look up at Matthias.
"Yes. I'll go get it." Matthias walked over to the Christmas tree. He picked up a small square box that was hidden by the tree. "Here." He handed the box to Lukas.
"What is it?" Lukas asked.
"You'll just have to open it and find out."
Lukas took off the wrapping paper and opened the small box. Inside there was a gold ring. Matthias took the box and got down on one knee.
"Lukas," he started, looking into Lukas' eyes, "Will you marry me?"
Lukas was shocked for at first, it took him a moment to register what Matthias just asked. When he realised what he said, he answered with a simple, "Yes."
Matthias smiled, ecstatic at Lukas' answer. He put the ring on Lukas ring finger, and then he kissed him. He sat back down on the couch and hugged Lukas tightly.
"Jeg elsker dig, Lukas." The continued their cuddling, and after a while, Lukas fell asleep, a slight smile on his lips.
Matthias picked Lukas up bridle style. He did the same thing he did to Emil, he took him to his room and placed him on the bed. He pulled the covers over Lukas' body and kissed his forehead, before crawling in bed himself, lying next to his new fiancé.
"Merry Christmas, Lukas." Matthias whispered before he too fell asleep.
A/N: Below I have listed the translations (btw I used google translate so these probably won't be very accurate. Please correct me if they're wrong!):
Stóri bróðir: Big brother (Icelandic)
lillebror: little brother (Norwegian)
Fjölskyldan mín: My family (Icelandic)
Takk: Thank you (Norwegian)
Jeg elsker dig: I love you (Danish)
I wrote this Christmas of 2015, but it was late in being published on this website.