This a Christmas fic I wrote in December but was unable to post until later.
CAN YOU HEAR THE BELLS
Jade had got the game she had wanted, El Toro and Tohru had eaten more Christmasdishes that was necessary, Uncle and Mama Tohru had managed not torip each other's head off and drunk a bit too much mulled wine and everyone else had fun too. Captain Black had proved he could sing Christmas carols and Viper had joined his voice pretty soon.
Jackie didn't have that much fun though.
This very day they had stopped Daolon Wong from stealing Santa Claus' good chi and saved the world from a catastrophe, again. It was also Christmas and everyone else was in a good mood. He should have been too.
Viper wrapped her arms around Jackie and snorted.
"What's the matter? You don't look very happy," she pointed out. Her eyes were a bit softer than usually and Jackie thought she had enjoyed some Christmas drinks as well.
He smiled in slight embarrassment.
"Of course I am. I was just in my thoughts," he said. Viper's arms felt hot around him, but he didn't dare to struggle free. It might have hurt her feelings.
And what would Jade and others think if he started that thief argument again? No, he had to be quiet and behave in order not toruin everyone's fun.
He knew he was being a bit stupid and maybe even selfish, but he thought the whole bright, warm and nice room was very uncomfortable.
"What were you thinking?" Viper asked glancing at Jade and Paco who were playing in peace and for once without an argument.
"Not much," Jackie replied. If he had said his thoughts aloud he would have regretted it for both his friends and himself. It was no use spoiling everything with his own gloomy thoughts.
Especially when they wouldn't understand anyway.
Jackie forced himself to do something and he dived away under Viper's arms.
"It's a bit hot here. I think I'm going out for a while," he said. It was partly true, partly lie, but it didn't matter. He felt he needed some time and fresh air in order to become his own happy self again.
Viper frowned.
"Are you sure everything's all right? Do you want me to come with you?" she asked in worry. Jackie shook his head.
"No thank you, I won't be gone for long. You take care of that Black doesn't drink too much mulled wine. I don't want a repeat of last Christmas," Jackie said.
"Neither do I," Viper said with a soft laugh and walked to Black. Jackie watched as she sat next to the man and whispered something in his ear. They both laughed and Jackie had to turn his gaze away.
He had made Viper leave, there was no use to be jealous.
He took his jacket quickly before anyone else noticed and disappearedthrough the door.
It was already dark outside and huge snowflakes fellto the ground. The air was cold and Jackie stopped at the pavement for a while to stare at the dark sky filled with stars. Then he chose the direction and started to follow the path lit by dim street lights.
He felt somehow very empty. He wanted to think it was because of Viper and Black and how well they got along, but part of him knew the truth was something else.
But he didn't want to say it aloud. Doing that might have made it all more real. It was better this way, now no one knew anything - not even himself.
His shoes let out soft sound in the fresh snow and he kept walking.
Last year he had been in Wood Street in London listening as the bells of St. Giles Cripplegate chimed and declared the Christmas peace. Valmont had never appreciated peace at any time of the year, but listening to the bells was still something that made him feel good. He had stood at Wood Street every year as long as he could remember and now, sitting on a bench in a park in San Francisco, he really missed the sound.
Now he couldn't afford travelling to his home city to celebrate Christmas. Shendu had made sure he had no money left and now that the cursed chi wizard had taken his Enforcers away his opportunities of re-building his empire were very small.
And that is why he sat in a park on Christmas Eve and shivered in the cold when he should have been in London listening to the bells and eating a fantastic meal. Maybe he might have even visited his parents and cousins, you never knew.
Of course he didn't have to sit there. He might not have enough money for a ticket to London, but he had some for a small hotel room for Christmas. It would have been warm and slightly comfortable, but Valmont wasn't in the mood to lock himself up in a pathetic rat hole. It would just remind him of what he had lost and might never get back.
God, how he missed money!
Snowflakes fell on his face and they melted when they touched his warm skin. There was no one else in the park, everybody was at home celebrating Christmas with their family and friends. Valmont wasn't jealous, most of the people in the city weren't rich so he had no reason to be jealous of their lives.
All he wanted was a Christmas in London, the bells of St. Giles Cripplegate and a luxurious room. That was all, was it really too much?
There were no lights in that part of the park and the bench he was sitting on was covered in the shadow of a big old oak. There were no leaves and the branches were twitching under snow, but it still managed to hide him and the whole bench in the dark shadow. It was impossible to see Valmont without getting really close and it was fine with him. It was just better if no one saw him in this condition.
His ears picked the sound of distant crunching of the snow that told him that someone was coming. Valmont didn't react, with good luck that someone would just pass him and go home to celebrate their pathetic Christmas.
The sound came closer and to Valmont's frustration that someone sat on the bench next to him. Apparently the newcomer hadn't seen him in the dim moon light.
"This is my bench. Go and find another one," he stated coldly and glanced at his unwelcome visitor from the corner of his eye. It was too dark to see who he was dealing with, but the man's surprised exclaim was enough to tell the truth.
"Valmont!"
"Chan?"
There was a soft thump when the archaeologist fell on the snowy ground. He sat in the snow and tried to see the man whose voice he had immediately recognised.
"What are you doing here?" he asked on guard. Valmont could not have anything good in his mind.
"I'm enjoying the Christmas spirit, Chan. And you? I don't see any evil chi spirits anywhere," Valmont replied. He noticed that he wasn't annoyed by Jackie's arrival. Quite the contrary. The archaeologist was so ridiculously naive that it was always fun to have a conversation with him.
Valmont didn't see it, but he was sure of that Jackie frowned. The Chinese man stood up and brushed some snow off his clothes.
"Very funny. What are up to? And why on Christmas Eve?" he asked.
"I don't understand what you mean. Do I look threatening to you?" Valmont asked. He knew better than well what Jackie meant, but he didn't really care. If Jackie wanted to have a problem he could as well have one.
"I have known you long enough to know that you don't have to look threatening in order to be dangerous," Jackie replied. He had to admit that Valmont didn't look like he was up to something bad. At the moment, at least. The crime lord just sat on a bench.
Valmont lifted a brow.
"In that case you don't know me very well," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
Jackie sat back on the bench. All of his instincts screamed at him that he should leave and return to Uncle's shop where itwas warm, bright and nice. His friends and relatives were there, those who meant him more than anything else in the world.
But for some reason sitting there in cold and dark felt like a better option. Somehow... interesting.
"Where is your little sidekick?" Valmont asked. It was rare to see Jackie without Jade. It was a pity, that horrible little monster was probably even more annoying than her uncle.
"Jade is at home where all children should be at this time of the night."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she was here."
"Me neither."
They were silent and listened to the un-existing whispers of the snowflakes. It was getting colder, they could both feel the gentle kisses of frost on their skin and they knew the night would be cold.
"You know Chan, this is still my bench," Valmont said then.
"Huh? Since when have you owned this park?" Jackie asked.
"Who said I own the park? I was merely talking about this bench."
"Oh, how funny you are."
Valmont flashed him an ironical smile.
"They say humour warms you more than a good bottle of booze," he said. Jackie frowned.
"I shouldn't be here," he said.
"I agree, you'd better go. I want to continue sitting on my bench," Valmont replied.
"You are sitting on it the very moment."
"Alone, Chan."
"Oh."
"I didn't see you last Christmas," he said suddenly. He couldn't say why the thought entered his mind, but saying it aloud felt surprisingly wise.
Valmont chuckled.
"That is because I was in London with my family last year," he said.
"You have a family?" Jackie asked in surprise.
"If parents and two cousins can be called a family."
"Well... Why aren't you with them this year?"
Jackie expected to hear a simple answer, something like Valmont didn't want to see them or he hadn't got a ticket, but the man merely shrugged.
"What do you think? Look at me Chan, do I look like a man who can afford travelling to the other side of the world?" the crime lord asked and pointed at his worn out jacket, old scarf and gloves. They must have been fine one day and they still would have if they had been washed more often and taken better care of.
Jackie blinked.
"But I thought you were rich," he said.
"I was Chan, I was. Demons are born to waste fortune," Valmont replied and couldn't keep the bitterness and anger away from his voice. Ah, how he hated Shendu! Shendu and his bloody siblings!
"I see," Jackie said and knew how stupid he sounded like.
"Go away now. I don't have time for you."
"But I have nowhere else to go."
"Hmh? How about your family, that blasted kid, your annoying uncle and the traitor? Isn't Christmas supposed to be a family event?"
Jackie didn't reply. He felt bad enough without Valmont throwing it all to his face. He knew he should have been with his family where he belonged. But being there felt so uncomfortable tonight and he was ashamed of it.
"I'm having a vacation," he said after a while. He sat back on the bench and Valmont snorted.
"You should decide where you are going," he said.
"No, I should arrest you," Jackie replied in thought.
"Ready to fight on Christmas Eve?" Valmont asked on guard. Jackie was so responsible that he could as well decide to do something good and get the wanted criminal behind the bars. If he tried it this pretty peaceful atmosphere between them would broke and Valmont would fight just as hard as usually.
Jackie shook his head and smiled.
"I have already fought today," he said and spared a few memories for the day and its events. They had done the right thing, but he had hoped that he wouldn't have to fight when it was Christmas.
"Whatever. I still don't understand why you are here, though," Valmont said. He was starting to get frustrated. Jackie didn't do or say anything that might have revealed what he was thinking and Valmont didn't like it when he couldn't read people.
Jackie sighed.
"I don't know... being here just feels good," he said. Valmont smiled.
"That could make me jump into certain conclusions," he said.
"At the moment I don't really care."
Jackie leaned back on the bench and stared at the stars. He had to admit that he was feeling much better now, but couldn't quite say why. Maybe it was the cold night, the conversation with Valmont or something else... He was even starting to consider returning to Uncle's shop. The others must be worried already.
He glanced at his side and saw Valmont shiver.
"Cold?" he asked.
"Without you I would already be away from here," was the reply.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Jackie said.
"Sorry? You say that even to those who you hate?"
"I... might not hate you. At least not much." Jackie swallowed and locked his eyes with the stars again. Now he felt uncomfortable again.
He was stupid.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Valmont asked. Jackie frowned. Valmont's voice sounded strange. Like... hope? Uncertainty? Lust?
He blushed at the last thought.
"Absolutely nothing." he said.
"Oh. I see," Valmont said.
They sat in the silent for a while. Then Valmont felt how Jackie wrapped his arm around his shoulder.
"It is my fault you are cold. I better do something about it," Jackie said quietly. Valmont smiled to himself. It was a smug smile, as if something that he had foreseen a long time a go had just happened.
"Can you hear the bells Chan?" he asked.
"What bells?"
"The bells of St. Giles Cripplegate."
The End