Disclaimer: Here's a random fact: The state of Maryland grades using the system of A-B-C-D-E. Here's another random fact: I own no one but Atobe's maid, Marui Akio, Marui Kenji, Yukimura Shizuka, Muromachi Taichi, and the Muromachi father. I guess that means I actually own a number of characters here, so let me try another disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and its base characters are not mine. I am fully supporting Konomi-sensei. This work is fan-produced and not-for-profit. Better? :]
Rated T for light shounen-ai, implied sex, some teen themes, and some language.
Pairings: (in order of appearance) minorly implied Atobe/Jiroh and Atobe/Female; minorly implied Kirihara/Yukimura, Akio/Shizuka, and Yanagi/Marui; blatant Yanagi/Marui; Tezuka/Fuji; Kamio/An; implied Yagyuu/Niou; Oshitari/Gakuto.
A/N: Here's my not-so-great gift to all of you guys, Christmas-ers or not! (Or perhaps Christmas-ers who it is no longer Christmas for.) Please drop a review on your way out, and have a happy holiday! (And the title is 'politically correct' only because most Japanese don't celebrate Christmas in the first place. :P)
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. --Hamilton Wright Mabie
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Atobe Keigo sighed, looking at the three ties on the back of the chair. One he knew Jiroh had picked out – it was obviously festive in tones – and so that was out no matter how much he would have liked pleasing the other boy; the second was gray and the third was a deep teal. He looked the two more professional ones over before choosing the teal – while this was an occasion of business-related matters this one would bring the flecks of teal (exactly the same shade) in his eyes out, and his father would be very pleased that he was making an effort to entertain the female population of these occasions, even if it was only an act.
"Keigo-bocchama," the female voice floated from outside the door as the maid knocked.
"Coming," he replied, reminding himself not to snap. He smoothed his hair once more, taking one last look in the mirror as he quickly did up the tie. He made sure it was absolutely straight before heading out the door and down the stairs, business shoes clicking quietly with the sound of sure authority. Downstairs he heard the maids ushering people in, the strong voices of familiar businessmen and the quiet giggles and suave superiority from aristocratic teenagers like himself.
Taking one last breath and composing himself, Atobe Keigo stepped around the corner. It was going to be a long night.
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Kirihara Akaya opened the door, festive hat atop his head. Marui Akio blinked before he and his younger brother were pulled inside.
"So glad you could join us!" Yukimura called, also sporting a festive red hat as he emerged from the kitchen, a tray of cocoa and cookies (that, while not Marui-brand, smelled good nonetheless) in hand. Akio nodded sheepishly, feeling a tad bit awkward around the two older teens without his older brother to make small talk, but Shizuka appeared in a few moments, half-tackling him in a hug, and Kenji giggled enough to break the awkward moment and smooth them into a comfortable evening discussion.
"Aniki apologizes for not being here," Akio said, feeling much more mellow now that he was seated comfortably next to Shizuka. "He and Yanagi-nii-san had something to do or something."
"I'm sure Bunta and Renji are enjoying their night alone," Yukimura commented lightly, knowing that it was yet another normal day – and, unfortunately, night before they had to take off because of the impeding Winter Break, which meant both parents were working much later than normal, even. Akaya sniggered while Akio turned red but shrugged in a non-committal way nonetheless.
"He sends this thanks for 'taking us'-" The freshman in junior high used air quotes for these two words "-as well so they could 'have some time'."
Nobody could contain their laughter.
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"Tou-san!" Muromachi Taichi whooped, glee spreading across his face as his eyes lit up in excitement. The fourteen year old ran over and father and son hugged tightly for a moment. Muromachi followed up behind his brother at a slower, unenthusiastic pace, hands shoved in his pockets. He gave a half smile.
"You two have grown," their father reminisced, looking from one to the other. "How about we go get something to eat? That sound like a good idea?"
Taichi jumped up and down eagerly and Muromachi followed, not far behind but a safe enough distance as they left the apartment complex and headed out into the winter weather, looking for somewhere to stop. His brother and father chatted happily about life and everything that had happened since their last visitation months ago, but Muromachi tuned them out.
The sooner this was over with, the better.
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Yanagi leaned over and kissed him. Marui smiled into the taller boy's lips, hands stilling from where they were working homemade pasta dough so he could kiss back.
"You know that if you keep doing this dinner's never going to be made, right?" Marui questioned, and though he raised an eyebrow as he went back to his pasta there was an amused smirk on his face. Yanagi shrugged, getting up. Marui assumed it was to get a glass of water until a hand trailed down his spine, making him still and shiver.
"Renji," he started, about to tell the other teen off when the hand repeated the action, this time under his shirt, and another actually went so far as to thread up the front of Marui's flour-covered T-shirt. He ran his fingers over muscles toned from years of tennis training, the other hand carefully feeing in between each vertebrate on Marui's back and making the tensai shiver in reaction.
"I'm fine without dinner," Yanagi said, voice low in his throat and half a growl. Marui was about to smack him and respond that it didn't matter but then there were teeth biting down on the back of his earlobe and then on his neck and then his shirt was entirely gone-
And then dinner didn't matter, because the last coherent thought Marui got out was that there would be no way any of this pasta dough would be usable after this.
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The phone vibrated loudly against the hardwood of the end table and Fuji's eyes snapped open, reaching for it. Tezuka held him close, not allowing him to move.
"You can get it later," the older boy murmured into honey-brown locks. Fuji relaxed a bit, not realizing he had tensed, but did not move his arm back.
"It might be Yuuta," the tensai said, hope clearly audible in his voice. Tezuka paused, knowing the slim chance of this and not wanting the elder Fuji brother's heart to break yet again that night when it turned out to be Eiji. Eventually, though, he loosened his grip and allowed the tensai to get it.
"It's Yuuta!" Fuji half-squealed as he saw the name on the text message. Tezuka watched him flip it open, eyes bright, but the further he got in it the more his face fell. "He said he won't be able to make it home until Sunday because his RA is keeping him and making him clean halls at 'Mizuki-senpai's request'." The tensai tossed the phone across the room, not caring when it bounced off of the closet door, and crawled back across the bed to where Tezuka was still lying. He curled up against the older boy, removing Tezuka's glasses and carefully placing them aside before snuggling in close.
"It's not fair," the younger boy muttered. "It's just not fair."
Tezuka petted his hair and kissed the top of his head gently to try to calm the now crying boy as best as possible. "I know, Syusuke," he murmured. "I know."
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"Ahem."
No make to move.
Tachibana coughed again, this time making it even more overtly loud and blatantly fake. The occupants of the couch still did not sit up.
"Dinner is ready," he said firmly, and this time there was a bit of rustling before An's head popped up. Her hair was a bit strewn around and she was flushed, but Tachibana kept his mouth shut; he had given them his blessing, after all.
A few moments later Kamio's head popped up as well, and though he was as scarlet as his hair he did not seem all together displeased. Tachibana rolled his eyes as the boy went and impossibly deeper shade of red, but turned his back before he could embarrass them more.
Tachibana turned his back and walked back into the kitchen, allowing the two a few moments to redress before his mother came out and began looking for the two.
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"You can come in," Yagyuu said into the phone, watching the door where Niou Masaharu was standing from his bedroom window. "Just ring. I'll answer it anyway."
"But your parents hate me," Niou said, now aware that Yagyuu was watching him. He turned towards the window, flipping the older boy off, before sighing. "And you know it."
"I've said it once and I'll say it again," Yagyuu corrected, "they don't know you. I've invited you, they said I could invite someone, and they will respect you as my guest." Niou wanted to say he doubted this, but thinking about it he didn't – the Yagyuu family policy was that guests were to be treated with respect while there, and so there was no real doubt in Niou's mind that they would treat him with respect, though they would probably give Yagyuu hell for it later.
"If you don't ring soon I'm going to come down there and pull you in." This time Yagyuu's voice held a tint of amusement, and Niou smiled from where he was standing in the freezing weather. He nodded, knowing that for once despite the fact that they were talking on the phone Yagyuu could see him.
"All right. Gimme a sec. Ja." The phone clicked off and Niou took in a deep breath, pulled down the hem of the nicest sweater he owned, and rang.
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"I hate my family," Mukahi Gakuto groaned as he clambered through the window. It was enough racket to disturb the rest of the house's occupants, but they were fairly used to the temperamental redhead's entrances in this way and so Oshitari knew that if they heard it they would say nothing.
"Did you get in a fight?" the tensai asked, patting the spot on the bed next to him. Gakuto crawled over, curling into Oshitari's side and nodding. "What about?"
"Work. My future. A wife." Gakuto practically spat the last word before murmuring, "they just don't get it."
"I know," Oshitari muttered quietly, wrapping an arm around the acrobat. "Did you try approaching that topic again?" Gakuto sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. You'd think they'd fucking get the hint that I'm not like that, already." Gakuto sighed as he said this, melting against Oshitari's warm embrace. "Can I stay the night?"
"You always can," the tensai responded without looking up from the novel he had returned to. The redhead nodded appreciatively and curled up under the covers. He was half-asleep when Oshitari spoke again.
"And Gakuto?"
"M'hmm?" the acrobat more groaned than said. Oshitari smiled.
"Happy holidays."
"Happy holidays t' you too, Yuushi," Gakuto managed to get out around a yawn. "Now can I go t' bed?"
~~~OWARI~~~