A/N: This is a gift fic for my buddy Hyorish! Happy 18th birthday!
Disclaimer: I own no Tekken. And don't mind me poking fun at Spaniards because I am part Spanish myself.
It was Christmas Eve and not a creature was stirring in his apartment. Instead, the commotion went on outside. Little kids running and screaming at 10 in the evening with even louder banter coming from their parents as they were making their way through the streets. The coming of Christmas Day was inching by the minute, which meant increasing volumes of unnecessary noise (well, he thought it was) and more pointless celebration.
He used to be part of that group back when he was way younger. Partaking in the boisterous and horrendously tacky activities of running around through the Madrid streets as he and his sister followed the other kids in the stupidity that is loud Spanish holiday cheer. Hell, it wasn't even different from any other day. That's all what Spaniards do. Act loud and tacky. Well, that's what he gathered from his 26 years of living.
That was when it finally dawned on him - he hates kids. Hates them with a passion. Their incessant whining about not getting what they want. Their constant cries for their parents whenever something gets a little tough. God, he hated that the most. It wasn't like he was like that in any way. Why? Because he is so perfect and mature. Well, that's what he kept telling himself.
He took one final glance at the chaotic scene outside and went to the living room, plopping down on the couch with a forced sigh. Even away from the windows he could still hear the little brats screaming their little cabezas off. He tried to close his eyes and block out the noise but the ceaseless laughter just kept ringing through his ears. As the noise began to dissipate, a tap on shoulder broke him from his one second of peace.
"Feliz Navidad." the woman greeted him as she dropped a small box onto his lap. "I was going to wait but I couldn't. So here."
As he shook the box, something small rattled inside. Maybe it was that wine he saw at the store the other day! Or maybe even that high-end bottle of liquor he's been dying to try out but didn't feel like forking over the money to buy one. Cheap bastard, thy name is Caballero Rojo. When he opened up the gift, all he saw what looked like a white wand with a light blue circle in the middle. The room fell even quieter than before, only for her to break it the silence since it was always the woman's job to do so. "So? What do you think?"
"...What's this?" he asked, almost in an innocent manner. Quite ironic for a man who looks like he could deflower any woman by just looking at them.
"...D-don't play dumb. You know what it is." she couldn't even look at him straight in the eye.
He examined the white object in all angles possible, his expression still puzzled to what it was. "It looks like one of those remotes of those Wiis that everyone is raving about. But why would you give me a remote controller?"
"..."
"I'm serious!"
He isn't joking...her blush grew even redder as she tried to find a way to tell the news in the simplest way that even he could understand. She watched as he still tried to figure out what the 'gift' was but impatience got the best of her. She slowly sat down next to him, took a few moments and blurted out those six words that would cause an unmarried man to faint. "You're going to be a father."
At that moment, the Wii remote - I mean, pregnancy test fell straight to the floor. He turned his head to his blushing companion as he tried to make sense of this. Him? A father? Right after his inner fight with his hatred of children? Surely she must jest.
"...How did that happen?!" was the only thing he could ask.
"What do you mean 'how did that happen'?! You know damn well how it happened! Or did you forget about all those nights because you were too drunk to remember?"
"No. I'll have you know I am actually sober during those times. I just...don't have anything else better to say right now."
The room fell silent once again. The woman watched the man bury his face in his hands as he shook his head as if his world came crashing down. She couldn't tell if he was angry, ecstatic or about to cry. It looked like a combination of all three and for the first time she was actually kind of scared of him. And it was usually the other way around.
"Heh, I'll leave if you want me to." she said half jokingly. "Figures. All you men are the same. You have your way with your woman and then you find out she's pregnant, you bail out. Typical."
"No it's not that. It's just..." he began to laugh bitterly, "It's just...you want me, a runaway no-good drunk violent bastard to take care of a kid? Do you know how bad that would be? I mean think-" Before he could say anymore, he thought it through.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Sure, he would have to give up his cravings for bloodlust and alcohol for good but if it's to make her happy he'll do it. Not only will she be happy, he will actually be adding up some more years to his life. And personally, he didn't like hearing the facts of how drinking so many beers can cut off someone's life span by a large margin. But then again-
He had a few months before the brat comes along so he could always have a beer or two. Or even more. The idea actually made him smile. 9 months of binge drinking and fighting and then he will be off of those for good. Just in time for the new addition to the family. She's happy, the kid isn't exposed to bad parenting (yet) and he gets to start a clean slate. Everyone wins!
"You know what?" he started out, "I am happy that we're going to be parents. It teaches us how to sincerely love. How we get to share all our intimate moments together in the near future because of our child. It will bring us together as a true family. And responsibility. Especially the latter. And I am all for that, believe me." And this is the man who ran away from home when he was 15 for no good reason and hated everyone around him.
She smirked at his sudden change of mood. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck as a way to show her happiness his response. He returned the embrace as he closed his eyes and the thoughts of the most wild and crazy nine months playing through his mind as he imagined himself hitting up every bar for a drinking spree. Just before he was completely content with the whole situation, she managed to crush his hopes once more.
"By the way, I threw out all your beers. It turns out you only have six months to learn how to stay sober. Starting tonight. Feliz Navidad once again, caballero."
Feliz Navidad indeed.
