Alright, I won't clutter the top with too much stuff, but for anyone who read Her Fairy Prince, there is going to be a note at the bottom.
This short takes place December of Kyoko's 18th birthday. Should only be two chapters. Also, while I don't believe in excuses, for anyone who feels like there are tons of errors and wants an explanation, my beta has a life and is busy with family and Christmas, so I'm running this one solo. Sorry.
It was just barely December and Christmas celebrations were once again in full swing at LME. The year had been busy and full of all kinds of fun and trouble, but the festive spirit seemed to encourage people. Of course, the president had overdone things, as usual. But only the newest employees felt the insecurity that prompted complaints.
Well, and then there was the LoveMe section. But their reasons for complaint had little to do with the president or his eccentricity in particular and everything to do with the season.
"Mo, if I get one more offer for some stupid, cutesy, 'take your significant other out on a date' commercial, I swear I will kill someone," Kanae complained as the three girls sat sorting some papers in the LoveMe room.
"Isn't Christmas some sort of Christian holiday?" Chiori asked, adding her whining to the conversation. "How did it turn into some sort of crazy lovey-dovey, stupid couples day? Isn't one day a year like that enough?"
"More like one too many," Kyoko growled, her own memories from Valentine's Day (and the proceeding White Day) taunting her mercilessly. Her companions voiced an avid agreement.
"Hello my darlings!" Takarada Lory burst suddenly into the room, dressed happily as Santa once again, this year without the reindeer. Apparently there had been a number of injuries the year before, and Lory was not so eccentric as to allow his talents to come to too much danger at his hands.
"President," Kyoko greeted him respectfully while her friends looked at each other in horror.
The relationship between Chiori and Kanae had blossomed in the past months. With Kyoko busy helping Ren with her "Dangerous Mission," the other two girls had spent much time together, and had realized a similarity in their ways of thinking. Now, they would sometimes respond in stereo or look up when something they found funny was stated to share a knowing glance. Their fear and distaste for the crazy president was also shared. And since neither had been told what Kyoko's secrets task had been, they currently carried a grudge against the man as well.
Kyoko was a precious person, a skilled actress, and a very innocent girl. Whatever the dangerous mission had been, they resented being kept from protecting her from it in any any appearance from this man meant another crazy task was on the way. They could only imagine the terror this one would bring.
"And how are my lovely messengers of love in this wonderful season?" he asked with a giant grin on his face. "You don't seem to happy."
"Work has been a little slow," Kyoko explained, "for all of us. We're helping with paperwork, but I think we all wish we had more acting jobs."
"Bah, what does work have to do with Christmas? Aren't you excited?"
"I think we're focused in the moment, sir," Kanae replied with as much calm as she could.
"Focused in the moment? The moment is the Christmas season! A time of love and happiness and family and friends!"
"And lovers," came the bitter and caustic reply from all three of the girls. Lory paused and stroked his chin.
"In your honest opinion," he asked, "what is Christmas?"
"A stupid event for even more stupid people to make themselves look good, pretending to cry and miss their family," Chiori growled.
"An obligation to see your family," Kanae added with a growl. "To speak to them!"
"Waste of money, and time. Girls buys presents for guys they like and get dejected and feel alone!" Kyoko added with a burning resentment.
All three girls froze as they felt the room drop to arctic temperatures. Glancing nervously at their president they realized that they really needed to learn how to control their unruly tongues.
"I see. In short, you have learn nothing, absolutely nothing, that I tried to teach you earlier this year. You were given experiences, extensive and carefully planned, especially you Mogami-san, and these in order to help you understand a basic principle, tiny portion, of love. And you, all of you, failed to learn it. I have never been more disappointed in my life."
This was a lie, but since his greater disappointment had been his inability to make a certain fickle digital dating sim hero fall in love, Lory chose to go for greater impact with a touch of dishonesty.
He was a little hurt by the stricken look that came to Kyoko's face right away. Unlike her companions, she had had very few complaints about her assignment once she had gotten into it, had done very well in it, and had earned heartfelt praise and gratitude both from her respected senpai and from the president. That in some way she had failed in spite of all of this clearly broke her heart.
"What did you expect?" Kanae snapped. "You gave us jobs that we hated more than anything. Sure, we worked through them, but that doesn't mean we have to like them. I thought that was the point. Learning to do things that are hard. We haven't whined in front of anyone else, or spoiled anyone else's fun. Why can't we complain a bit?"
"Because you are ruining each other," Lory told her frankly. "You have become excellent friends and that is a very good thing. But you're letting your bitterness hold each other back instead of encouraging one another. That is not acceptable."
"Gee, thanks," Kanae grumbled. But all three of them grudgingly admitted to his being right. With so many shared opinions on the things that they hated, it hardly made them more generous towards the world to spend time together.
"So you're against Christmas season because of its loving nature?"
"Well, it seems really commercialized," Kyoko said logically. "And really couple focused. Even more than not having family, it seems like they're making fun of people who are going to be alone… with out a date."
"No kidding," Kanae interpolated.
"Because heaven forbid that we don't drape ourselves over a man all year round," Chiori added. All three girls grumbled agreements at this.
"What's wrong with men?" Lory asked, a queer gleam in his eyes. The girls, sagging in their seats and slouched over the table missed it.
"They're arrogant," Kanae provided.
"They only like stupid girls," was Chiori's bitter reply.
"There are no gentlemen left in the world," came an extremely jaded response from Kyoko. Lory's mouth quirked up in an evil grin, but he kept his voice patronizing.
"They can't all be that bad." The glares he got from the girls were excessively disheartening. He sighed and pointed at Chiori. "Name for me the first man that comes into your head that you don't hate, and think might have a fraction of a brain at least."
She took a moment before listing a boy in her last drama who had not thrown himself at the feet of their ditzy costar. In fact, he had criticized the girl, sincerely, to Chiori and had told the LoveMe girl that he wished Chiori was the star so that they could actually get this done, since it was obvious who was more professional and skilled.
Lory's finger traveled to Kanae.
"Now you."
"I don't know any men like that," she growled.
"Male," Lory conceded.
"Uesugi Hio," she admitted. Lory smiled and his finger slid over to Kyoko and he nodded at her.
"A man you don't hate."
"Tsuruga-san." No hesitation.
"Excellent. I have a new assignment for the three of you." The girls blanched at this. "You are, each of you, to contrive to spend Christmas with the man- male, that you specified. You may tell any lie, or even admit to the truth, that I forced you to do this. But you are to reserve them for the entirety of the day, or at least as much of it as their parents will allow," he mentioned, glancing at Kanae.
"What if they're busy, or have other plans?" Chiori asked. Kyoko, who had frozen in to a statue at the president's ultimatum thawed a little at this.
"If they have a girlfriend, or work that they can't bring you to, I will accept it as an excuse. But if you cannot manage to convince them, you fail the assignment as if you hadn't even tried."
"But-" Kyoko's voice cracked and she tried again. "But what if they really, really, really don't want to spend Christmas with us? If they would hate it more than anything? Wouldn't it be bad to make them angry? That isn't loving at all."
All three of the people in the room gave her a look that bypassed the understanding portion of her brain, but stated clearly to the rest of the world that this was not an issue for her. Lory, knowing that nothing he would say could actually convince her, simply sighed and waved his hand back and forth in a dismissive gesture.
"If you can't convince one man to spend a day with you, I have lost faith in you as an actress. Surely you can think of something that will appeal to his gentlemanly nature? You were supposed to chose a person you had some small scrap of faith in, who wouldn't act like all the men that you described."
"But… intruding on his time-"
"No more excuses," Lory cut her off. "The only one of you who might have trouble is Amamiya-san. Ren is already fully aware of the rules of the LoveMe section. Explain to him that a failure to complete this assignment will result in me personally giving you several minus 100 stamps and you will have his professional help at the very least, if he is so disobliging as to tell you he is busy or has other plans, which is a lie."
"He doesn't have work?"
"Yashiro demanded the days off. I made Ren clear his schedule from Christmas Eve for four days. So he has no excuses and neither do you."
"Can I say that you told him to do it?"
"No. But if he actually gives you that much trouble, you come straight to me." The look of ferocity on his face chilled every girl in the room, but he quickly smiled and they breathed a sigh of relief. "Any questions?"
"Do we have to?" Kyoko mumbled, not really asking, but hoping to avoid the presumptuous situation she was about to find herself in.
"Absolutely you have to! And no delays! Oh look, you're in luck. Good afternoon, Ren!"
"President," he nodded as he paused in the doorway. "Did you need me for something?"
"Mogami-san does. No delaying," he told the girl as he slipped around the tall actor towards the hall, gesturing for the other two girls. "I'll have someone come down and collect these to take back to their departments. You two head out and start making plans. You have no other work until this is set up. You too, Mogami-san." And then he was gone, leaving Kanae and Chiori to exit with pitying looks directed at their friend.
"New LoveMe assignment?" Yashiro asked, stepping up from behind Ren and smiling at the girl.
"Yes." Her cheeks were touched with the lightest pink. "The president… is not happy with our feelings towards Christmas. So he gave us all a special assignment to spend all of Christmas with someone."
It was a good thing that she was looking down because she missed the look of pure ecstasy that appeared on Yashiro's face. He couldn't have been more excited if he had been the one in love with Kyoko.
"Is that right?" Ren asked, a calm, but slightly chilled smile on his face. "And have you picked someone to spend your time with?"
"Actually… I was wondering if you were free on Christmas, Tsuruga-san?" Noticing the slightly cool nature of his smile she instantly froze up herself. "T-that is, if you don't m-mind, or anything! The president said that you didn't have work, but if you really don't want to-" Her nervousness became depression in a heartbeat. "I can just tell the president I wasn't able to do the assignment. You aren't responsible for me."
"What happens if you don't do it?" Ren asked, worried by the idea of her not completing one of Lory's special tasks. The consequences could not be light.
"Oh, nothing unusual," she told him, waving the question away and making him instantly suspicious.
"She loses several hundred points from our crazy Santa," Kanae stated as she came back into the room to grab her purse, then slipped out the door again giving Ren a significant glare.
"Several hundred… Mogami-san, that is not normal," Ren scolded as he turned back to his kohai. "That's blackmail."
"Yes… but so is telling you that so that you'll feel like you have to help me. You don't have to help, really. If it's too much trouble-"
"I never said that it was troublesome," Ren interrupted. "In fact, you never gave me a chance to answer you at all. Thank you very much for your concern, but I don't have any plans for Christmas and would be happy to spend the day with you."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"I'm sorry to trouble you!" Kyoko said, bowing deeply. Ren shook his head, but did not bother to correct her. Clearly she did not believe him and he did not feel like fighting it out.
"Did you have anything in particular that you wanted to do?" he asked.
"No. The president just said that we had to spend the day together. Maria is having a party on the twenty-fourth again, this time as a sort of super celebration of both our birthdays and Christmas. She decided that since we were celebrating my birthday, it would be safe." It was clear that Kyoko was embarrassed about the attention, but pleased that she was being considered. "It's going to be a much smaller party this year, but we'll be sending out the invitations soon, and both you and Yashiro-san will be invited. Since you don't have work, you'll be able to come, right?"
"I wouldn't miss it. And it makes things convenient, I would imagine. It will be late at night again, between the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth?"
"Yes."
"Then I can just take you home when it is over, and we can call that the start of the day."
"Oh. Well yes, but we should probably sleep at least some."
"I'll think of something," Ren told her as he tried to ignore his giddy manager.
"Alright. Oh, Yashiro-san, the president said that you would be on break. Will you be able to make it to the party?"
"I wouldn't miss it," he reassured the girl. Ren was fairly certain that this had everything to do with the fact that his manager wanted to torment Ren and little to do with actually enjoying a party, but he chatted amiably with Kyoko for a few more minutes before excusing himself and heading off to work.
"So, Christmas with Kyoko-chan," he manager smiled as they slipped into the car.
"I'm just sorry to have taken the pleasure from you," Ren retorted as they drove off. "Clearly you were much more enthusiastic about her spending the day with someone. Cherishing small hopes?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Honestly, I'm surprised at you, Ren. You become more childish about your crush every day. Especially since the whole Cain and Setsu affair. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"Of course not. That's why your mocking me like a five year old instead of ignoring me." Ren rolled his eyes but relaxed a bit.
"It just isn't helpful. If she doesn't choose to spend time with me, we still get along, but it's meaningless. I know both you and the president mean well, but this is getting ridiculous."
"Well, that is disappointing. But at least this way she isn't spending Christmas with some other guy." Ren grumbled in agreement, but did not get any more excited about the upcoming holiday. He eventually put on a good face so that he would not worry Kyoko every time that she saw him, but he avoided making spectacular plans. His heart would not be in it.
"Mogami-san."
"Yes?"
"Do you have a minute?"
"Yes."
"I probably won't see you again before the party at the end of the week, but I wanted to check with you on the plans for Christmas."
"Oh, I didn't have anything special planned. Did you?"
"Nothing big. I have some ideas, though."
"Then we'll go with that. I'm sure you have good ideas."
"Well, I'm not sure about good ideas, but anyway… Are grocery stores open on Christmas?"
"Usually, but they close early. Did you want me to cook?"
"If you don't mind."
"We should have time in the afternoon to pick up some stuff. But what about the party and sleep?"
"Just bring a bag with everything you would need for an overnight stay to the party. The president will have somewhere you can keep it and I'll take care of everything after that."
"Alright…" She sounded skeptical, but Ren had to go. He bid her a quick farewell and was off.
Christmas Eve found a small smattering of people at the Takarada estate. Maria had exercised every effort over her grandfather and had kept him out of most of the planning, so not only was the group small, but they were not overwhelmed by a huge greeting as they had been the year before. In fact, the only one in the entryway when Ren and Yashiro arrived together (Yashiro did not, after all, have car of his own) was Kyoko.
She smiled at the two men and gave them a formal bow and greeting. They returned her salutation and paused when she stepped in Yashiro's way. About to ask what was the problem both men were stunned to silence when she quickly stepped forward and placed a small kiss on Yashiro's cheek.
Stunned did not actually cover the feeling of absolute loathing that jumped up in Ren at that moment. Without turning around, Yashiro sensed the danger began to pray fervently for his life.
"Kyoko-chan, what-" He was cut off by her finger pointing straight up to an offending bit of green and white hanging in the doorway.
"The president insisted on it," she told him apologetically. "He was angry with Moko-san, and Amamiya-san and I for our complaints about Christmas being turned into a couples' holiday when its origins are supposed to be religious. So he decided to show us all the couples traditions from western culture. Maria and I have been switching off greeting guests, and since she's helping, he told us just to give people a kiss on the cheek. I'm sorry."
She did look sorry, or at the very least heartily embarrassed. Ren could not be angry at her or Yashiro for an event that was clearly beyond the power of either to prevent.
"Sounds like the president is causing you even more trouble," Ren told her, giving her all of his sympathy. She relaxed. For some reason, she had thought he might be very angry at her. She was glad he was not.
"Oh, it's just silly. I really wish I didn't have to, but no one seems to take it badly once it's explained."
"Well, the president is a force to be reckoned with," Yashiro noted, glancing at the offender who was dressed merrily as what had to be the Ghost of Christmas Present. Yashiro was not overly familiar with the story, but enough Christmas' around the president were an education for any man.
"I'm just glad Maria kept him in check this year," Kyoko admitted. "For the most part," she amended with a despairing look at the mistletoe overhead.
The men smiled, apologized, and went to join the guests. A short while later Kyoko joined the crowd when her landlords, the last guests, finally arrived.
It was a nice party. In spite of the awkward beginning to the evening, things went well. Maria's birthday was celebrated until midnight when a sudden blackout told everyone that Lory had lied horribly and taken things into his own hands for Kyoko's portion of the party. With the return of the lights came a drastic change in theme, from quiet formal Christmas party to a magical winter wonderland. How he had managed to deck all the walls and the ceiling with glittering false snow and icicles in less than five minutes, no one could quite figure out. But Kyoko was given a pretty white dress to change into and a small crown, and named the winter queen with Maria designated as her princess.
Kyoko allowed herself to be spoiled for a while, but was firm in her refusal to open presents before everyone else. It would be more fun to exchange Christmas gifts now, and so everyone did.
"Merry Christmas, Mogami-san," Ren told her as he handed her a small box tied with a bright red bow.
"Merry Christmas, Tsuruga-san. I'm sorry I didn't get you anything nicer."
"Ridiculous," he responded as he opened his own box. The inside was a small booklet that appeared to be hand made. It was titled, If You Have No Other Choice. Inside was a series of meals that were not space food that could be eaten quickly, while driving, and were not too junky. They also listed appropriate prepackaged food in stores that had some nutritional value.
"I can't force you to eat better foods, but I tried to make it pocket sized so that you can take it with you. I also listed all the places the food is kept in the store so that it would be easy to find."
"This… is very thoughtful," he told her, unsure how to exactly tell her how much he appreciated the gesture. "And it doubles as a present for Yashiro, since he eats whatever I do. I'm very impressed. Was it hard to make?"
"Only printing it. It got too hard to write everything out by hand, so I had to borrow a computer at work in my free time. You really like it?"
"Yes, I really do like it. Thank you very much. Now, are you going to open your present?"
"Oh, yes."
She pulled the bow apart and lifted the lid on the box carefully, freezing when she saw what was inside.
"Tsuruga-san… you shouldn't have!" Coming from anyone else, that would merely have been a vocalization of gratitude, but from his kohai, Ren knew that it was sincere, especially with its accompanying look. He was not upset. He had predicted it.
"You don't like them? Do they not match?"
"They do match, but really-"
"It was hard for the jeweler to copy the design exactly, but he eventually got it. I have to say I'm glad that you've been wearing Princess Rosa as Natsu. It made getting a picture for reference very easy."
"But matching earrings-"
"They're a little smaller actually, which was why he had some trouble. Resizing can be tricky."
"But it must have cost-"
"Mogami-san, weren't you taught not to evaluate the cost of a gift? It's rude, because then you might start comparing between people's gifts and look greedy."
"Oh I didn't mean that! But Tsuruga-san!"
"I bought them especially for you. Are you really unhappy with that?"
"No, no, no, no, no! Not unhappy! I… I really like them." Her voice softened as her finger traced the thin metal and small gems. "But I really shouldn't-"
Thankfully she was interrupted by Kanae at this point who had had enough of Tsuruga Ren hogging her best friend. A gleeful exchange was made over their gifts and Kyoko was distracted enough the rest of the night that she did not try and dissuade him again. He was a little worried because he had also gotten her a birthday present, separately, and he imagined she would try and reject both presents once he brought gifts up again. But he would convince her, somehow.
The party wore to a close and once all the other guests had left Ren approached Kyoko.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes. Let me go grab my stuff."
Lory approached him as he was waiting.
"You're on your best behavior?"
"President-"
"I know you probably hate my guts right now-"
"Yes."
"And you hate it when I make plans without your permission," Lory continued, ignoring the interruption. "But this is as much for her sake as it is for yours. Apparently her landlords are keeping the store open this year and hosting a special party, but they won't let her work because she won't tell them how much work she has with us and they want her to rest. She doesn't have other family to take care of her all day and everyone else she knows has their own family. I know Maria would be happy to have her, but…"
"You think your son might stop in?"
"Maybe. And even if he doesn't, I try and give Maria all my time at Christmas, since I'm busy the rest of the year."
"So it's for you too?"
"Maybe a little," Lory admitted with a smile. "Just have fun Ren. I don't really expect anything. I meant for it to feel like a punishment when I handed it out, just to keep them in line, but I do want them all to have a good Christmas, with or without romance."
"Hating the holidays hits a sore spot for you?"
Lory smiled in acknowledgment and waved to Kyoko as she scampered back into the room, dressed in the outfit she had come in.
"I left the dress where I got it. Thank you so much, President. It was wonderful."
Lory smiled and waved to two off, not mentioning he was having the dress sent to her home as her gift from him. Like Ren, he knew what her reaction would be, and he did not feel like spoiling the mood.
Chapter one. Good grief, I need to write shorter fics...
A NOTE FOR HFP READERS: I know when I first wrote the story I planned it as a one-shot and when my readers begged for a second chapter I relented and it grew rather large. Now many of you have asked me why the heck I stopped the story before a real proposal and her meeting his parents and all that jazz. Since I don't have time to respond to all of you individually, some of you I can't, and since I like making myself clear, here is my reasoning. I didn't want to. Sorry, but just not in this fic. There are only so many ways that Ren can propose that are reasonable, so many ways for her to meet his parents, and so many ways for them to announce it to the world. Okay, there are lots of ways, but only a few that I am fond of. And I will be writing fics that spell out clearly all the way to their wedding, and maybe even the wedding itself (though I am incredibly unromantic when it comes to weddings so...). But it isn't going to happen in this one. I tried to make it clear where everything was going and that there was a happily ever after, but for me, the story was more about them meeting again and how it changed their path, not their destination.
Alright, my rambling aside, hope that you liked this chapter of this story. Chapter two will hopefully be out tomorrow. Apologies again to everyone who noticed my sad lack of beta. Hope you're having fun, Will.