Happy holidays everyone!
Well, this oneshot is something that I had wanted to write for a long time. Thankfully, it was actually finished on Christmas :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. However, I am excited for Code Lyoko: Reloaded...
Enjoy!
Christmas K i s s e s
"I found the presents!" Odd yelled cheerfully, his hands filled with brightly wrapped boxes.
"About time," Yumi called, walking into the room. "Took you long enough to find them."
Odd shrugged. "I've got a lot of stuff around the house. It's hard to find things that I've hidden."
(December 25th, Christmas Day.)
It had been five years since Xana was defeated, and the Lyoko gang had long graduated from Kadic Academy. It was with the glorious arrival of snow and the promise of holidays forever that brought them together again, spending a Christmas at Odd's apartment.
It had been a long time since they did anything together too. When they had graduated, each Lyoko member had spun off to study in different colleges. Through emails and letters though, their friendship stayed strong despite the distance.
But it still wasn't the same.
Ulrich had gone the farthest, choosing to go to a college in Germany. He and Yumi had long been in a relationship, but the distance made it hard to do much together.
Sighing to herself, Yumi moved slowly across the room, touching the pine needles covering the top of the fireplace. "Do you know if Ulrich's going to be here soon?" she inquired, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I'm getting worried."
Odd waved one hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry," he said with a grin as he set all the presents on the floor. "He should be here by the time Aelita and Jeremie get back from picking up the Christmas cakes I ordered. He just flew in from Germany this morning and left the airport like an hour ago. He'll be here soon."
The black haired girl pursed her lips delicately, unhappy with the uncertainty she was still feeling.
"He'd better get here soon," she muttered finally, unfolding herself from the floor and returning to the small kitchenette to finish mixing the cookie batter she had started. Odd had a pineapple glazed ham baking in the oven, and there was a dish of gruyere potatoes and green beans sitting on the counter. A warm stew lay simmering on the stove, next to a crock pot containing a roast. Ulrich had called an hour or so ago, saying he was bringing a sweet potato casserole and a surprise.
What a Christmas, Yumi thought to herself, staring dreamily out the window. With one hand, she opened the frosted pane slightly, feeling the crisp air wash over her face.
Drawing in a deep breath, her lungs filled with the sweet, wintry smell of the season. She stirred the cookie mixture slowly as she watched the swirling flakes dancing in the wind.
Two years Ulrich…I miss you so much…
In her head, Yumi thought of the day that Ulrich had left for Germany. It had been snowing, just like today. Everyone had already exchanged their teary good-byes. However, Yumi saved hers for last. She could still remember the moment, as if it had just happened yesterday.
"Do you really have to go?" Yumi asked, tugging forlornly at her jeans. They were outside of the airport terminal, watching the snow fall around them in tiny, sparkling bits.
Ulrich sighed, passing a hand through his tousled brown hair. "Yeah. My parents really want me to go to this college. They think this is the only place I can go that will 'broaden my education'," he said, quoting his father.
"I'll see you soon though, right? If not, I'm flying over to Germany myself," Yumi said, raising one finger threateningly.
Ulrich smiled sadly, hugging her. He didn't want to admit that it would probably be two years until the next time they met again. He swallowed hard so she wouldn't hear his choked up voice. "I'll try to visit as often as I can. Though, you have to promise that our relationship won't change." He held her cold hands in his, feeling the delicate shape of her fingers.
Yumi laughed at the sheer impossibility of the idea. "It won't silly. Don't worry about that. I'll make sure to call you so much that you won't have time to do any of your college work."
Ulrich smiled, kissing her forehead. "Good. Though, before I leave, I want to give you something. Now, I know you're not fond of sappy, sentimental things, but take this and don't complain, ok?"
Yumi smiled at his teasing, and nodded once.
Ulrich fished into his pocket, then took out a simple, golden necklace. The chain was thin, holding a heart shaped pendant on it. Engraved in the gold, tiny letters spelled out 'Yumi'.
Yumi took the necklace with shaking fingers. "Ulrich, I…"
She couldn't say anything. So, smiling, she put the necklace around her neck, the heart pendant glimmering against the bare skin of her neck.
"It looks beautiful on you," Ulrich said gently, touching the pendant once.
"Flight 467, please be ready to board the plane. Flight 467."
A raucous voice announced the news over a large intercom, letting it echo throughout the still, winter air.
Ulrich sighed once. "That's me. I have to go."
Yumi nodded, biting her lip so she wouldn't cry. A single tear fought through her defense, sliding down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily, lowering her head so he wouldn't see.
Ulrich lifted her chin up with a gentle hand and forced her to look him in the eyes.
"You don't have to be strong all the time you know. It's ok to cry."
Yumi shook her head defiantly, but threw her arms around his neck anyway.
Ulrich hugged her, lifting her chin up and kissing her.
"Final call for flight 467. Final call."
Ulrich's lips stopped, almost reluctantly, and he pulled away from Yumi's embrace.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," Yumi whispered, still a little dazed from the kiss. With a sigh, Ulrich then turned and sped off, waving to Yumi as he left.
Yumi watched him disappear into the crowd of people who were lining up at the plane entrance. Her hand went to the pendant at her neck, feeling the cold metal in between her fingers.
Looking down at the trinket, she suddenly realized that it was more than just a necklace. It was actually a locket. She pressed the small catch, opening the heart.
There was nothing inside.
But now, she was too late to ask Ulrich to put something in it.
Yumi sighed. Tugging down the neck of her shirt, she pulled out the golden locket, fingering the smooth metal. She had not taken it off since then. She opened the little catch, as if expecting a picture of him to suddenly appear there. Of course, it stayed empty, a golden mirror reflecting her sad eyes. She patted the locket back under her shirt, mixing the cookie dough with a wistful expression.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rung shrilly, piercing through Yumi's subconscious stirring. Hurriedly, she closed the window pane tightly, her cheeks pink from the brief exposure.
"Yumi? Could you go and get that?" Odd yelled from the living room. "My hands are full!"
Smiling, Yumi set the unfinished batter on the counter again, rushing to the door.
Jeremie and Aelita stepped inside the warm room, shaking melted snow from their hair. They both had plastic bags, each one containing a sweet Christmas cake.
"Wow," Jeremie sighed with a flourish, putting his plastic bag on the ground. "The temperature is dropping really fast outside." He wiped his fogged up glasses, undoing the scarf around his neck and plopping on the couch. "All the roads and even the sidewalks are covered in ice."
"Not to mention the snow is getting deep," Aelita commented, rubbing her pink nose. "Hey Odd, where do you want to put these cakes?"
"Over in the kitchen please!" he shouted, appearing into the room with an armful of fizzing Christmas lights. Jeremie shook his head and went over to help him, calling out, "Did you forget to reset the electricity balance of the lighting system?" Yumi grabbed one of the cakes and headed into the kitchen with Aelita.
Through the frost covered window, Yumi could see that the sky outside had transformed into a white blur. She bit her lip worriedly, unable to see past the swirling white flakes.
"Thinking about Ulrich, aren't you?" Aelita asked, coming in behind her. Yumi nodded, absently, grabbing the bowl of abandoned cookie dough and placing chunks of it onto a sheet of tin foil. Aelita grinned thoughtfully.
"I hope the snow doesn't hold him back," Yumi said with concern.
"It won't," Aelita said with a confident voice. "Not while you're here waiting for him." She grinned cockily, taking the cookie dough covered spoon and licking it.
Yumi blushed and elbowed her pink-haired friend playfully. Giggling, the two girls finished up the Christmas cooking.
Only half an hour later, all the food was done and Yumi and Aelita had retreated to the living room to help Odd and Jeremie with the decorations. The room was warmly lit and the decorations were perfect, obviously made with Odd's artistic touch.
The doorbell suddenly rung, stunning them all into silence.
"Ulrich," Yumi whispered, her eyes frozen toward the direction of the door. The string of bells she was holding fell to the ground with a semi-musical jingle.
"Ulrich!" she shrieked, now fully aware of what was happening. Her heart leapt out of her chest in that one golden second, and she was rushing to the door before it could return to her.
It was ridiculous how hard a simple bolt was to open. Wrenching the silver chain from the lock, Yumi flung the door open, explicitly anxious.
He was finally here.
And how she had missed him. Ulrich had grown taller and leaner over the years, his brown hair slightly longer and more tawny than it was before. His cheekbones were more prominent on his face, his lips curved into a bright smile. His eyes were the only thing that hadn't changed. They were the same shade of brown, shy, sweet and brave, staring down at her in a way that had always made her feel weak at the knees.
Yumi couldn't move. She mouthed his name once, reaching toward him. Ulrich gently grasped her hand, catching her fingers.
It was suddenly too much. Yumi's legs gave way, but Ulrich caught her in his strong hands. She looked up blissfully into his eyes, throwing her arms around his neck and breathing in his musky, sweet scent.
Ulrich froze for a second in surprise, then returned the embrace, the smile on his face now so big that it might have split his face open.
"I-I missed you so much," Yumi whispered, her throat choked off with emotion, trying to kiss every inch of him she could reach.
Ulrich laughed quietly, the sound low and resonant in his chest.
"So did I," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. He squirmed a little under her tight hold. "But could I take off my coat first so I don't suffocate to death?"
Yumi scowled playfully, releasing her hold and collapsing onto the couch. Once Ulrich had taken his jacket and scarf off though, the whole rest of the gang, who had come into the room silently, pounced on him.
"Hey Ulrich, haven't seen you in forever buddy!" Odd said heartily, mussing with his hair and getting little silver sparkles in it.
Aelita hugged him. "So glad to see you again!" she said, and rushed to put his hat and coat on the coat rack near the door.
Jeremie smiled genuinely, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "I finally get to see you in person after so long. Talking on the phone just doesn't do it justice."
Yumi pouted. "Hey, where's my love?" she teased, coming over to the rest of them.
Ulrich smiled, holding out his arms. Yumi rushed into them, hugging him tightly. Her eyes started to tear with the excitement. She buried her face into his chest, wiping the silly tears away.
"Two years is just too long," he whispered to her, cradling her body in his arms. His brown eyes were warm as they stared down at her face, hungrily drinking in the features he had missed so much.
"I couldn't agree more," she said, voice muffled by his sweater. She looked up at Ulrich, her eyes blurring up again with hot tears. They spilled down her cheeks, and Ulrich kissed them away, stroking her hair.
"Yumi…" Ulrich whispered her name with a sort of reverence. He bent down, his lips brushing her forehead, her cheeks, and then finally her lips.
Yumi kissed him back eagerly, pressing herself to him. Her tear-wet cheeks flushed with pleasure as he slid his arms down to the small of her back, steadying her. With one free hand, Ulrich cupped Yumi's face, memorizing the smooth curve and tracing her delicate features. They both started to feel the lack of air, but did not part, as if afraid to let go.
Jeremie cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. Ulrich and Yumi broke away reluctantly, then suddenly noticed that their friends were still watching with various expressions; Odd looked a little miffed, Jeremie looked apologetic, and Aelita had a cross between tenderness and embarrassment written all over her face.
"Okay, I know you guys missed each other, but seriously, get a room," Odd huffed, sending the pair a wink. Almost in unison, both Ulrich and Yumi flushed crimson, yelling out, "ODD!"
The svelte blonde laughed, tossing a string of tinsel at Yumi and a box of decorations into Ulrich's hands before making his way out of the room. "All right, all right – glad to know you're both still in there. Now come on you guys! Let's get working! This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"
All laughing as if they were teenagers again, the five friends smiled in agreement and followed Odd to resume their decorating.
It was a perfect day; there wasn't quite another way to put it. After pinning the final ribbon on a garland of pine needles, Odd deemed the apartment space festive enough and ushered everyone to the dining room to eat. Their laughter and talk echoed through the apartment, combined with the occasional clinking of silverware and the sweet smells when another dish was brought to the table. Odd's eyes had popped out of his head when Ulrich brought out his "surprise", which was a huge box of peppermint bark, hand-crafted with swirling bits of chocolate and mint. Odd polished off half the box in no time, save for the extra pieces his friends had retrieved before they were all gone.
After dinner came the presents. With soft music playing in the background and hot chocolate in their hands as they sat next to the warm fireplace, the long-time friends exchanged gifts, one brightly wrapped present after another. It was decided that, since they were all going to stay at Odd's for a week, that every day, one person would give out their gifts, so that "Christmas would seem longer!" as quoted from Odd. Yumi's Japanese tradition of gift-opening was set aside in favor of seeing the receiver's face when they had ripped open their boxes. It was Odd's turn today, and, keeping up with his self-made custom, he had gotten everyone artistically strange objects; Jeremie receiving an un-openable plastic cube with a model of a computer inside, Aelita with a clock that displayed pictures instead of numbers, Yumi with a glow-in-the-dark, asymmetrical vase, and Ulrich with a camera that turned every picture it took into a pixilated masterpiece. Everyone delighted in their gifts, thanking Odd until he had become red with praise and boasting.
Only when the sky outside had turned dark with the night and the snow stopped falling, the five friends reluctantly retired for bed. Like a group of teenagers again, they all brought sleeping bags and slept in Odd's living room, next to the large, sparkling Christmas tree.
Later on in the night, when the moon had finally reached the highest point in the velvet dark sky, Yumi felt someone gently shaking her shoulder.
Groggily, her eyes fluttered open. At first, she couldn't quite process the person crouching in front of her. She blinked once, then sat up quickly when she noticed it was Ulrich.
"Sorry for waking you," he whispered, careful not to disrupt their sleeping friends. He held out his hand. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?"
Yumi eagerly took his hand, her heart thudding audibly in the dark silence.
He led her outside and into the large field behind Odd's apartment building. The moon was the only thing in the sky, a silver coin shining in the darkness. It lit up the snow that lay like a white blanket across the large expanse of the field.
They held hands, walking silently through the snow, their boots making muffled sounds as they broke through the soft powder.
"I really missed doing this, just you and me," Ulrich whispered after a few moments of pathless wandering.
Yumi nodded. "Do you really have to go back after Christmas is over?" she asked, almost timidly, afraid of the answer.
Ulrich shrugged once, his expression sad. "Yeah, I don't really have a choice. This time though, I plan to come back more often. The last two years, it was hard, catching up on things and going to all these activities…" he trailed off, looking down at the ground.
"It's ok Ulrich. If it's really hard for you, you don't need to come. We can just keep writing letters and sending phone calls like we have been doing." Yumi shrugged offhandedly, trying to keep the reluctant edge out of her voice.
Ulrich shook his head. "No, I really want to come back more than anything else. I miss Jeremie, Aelita, Odd…and especially you," he whispered, staring into her eyes, sprinkled with the light from the moon.
Yumi took off one of her gloves, putting a hand on his cheek. "Ulrich, I really…"
He silenced her with his lips. A cool wind blew through the clearing, and Yumi shivered, breaking the kiss. She leaned her head on Ulrich's chest, sighing in contentment.
"Yumi, do you still have the locket I gave you?" Ulrich asked quietly after a few moments.
"Of course I do," she said, a little startled and pleased at the same time. She took out the locket, holding the gold heart in her hands.
"Open it," he said softly.
Yumi obeyed, confused at what he was trying to get at. She tugged the little catch open, and gasped.
Inside the once empty heart now lay a picture of both of them, smiling at each other from the little windows.
A little piece of paper fluttered out, landing in the snow. Yumi picked it up, unrolling it with shaking fingers.
Wherever I may be, my heart is always with you.
"Ulrich…you…" Yumi didn't finish, staring at the little quote with tears in her eyes.
Ulrich shrugged. "I put the pictures in when you were sleeping. Consider it one of the early Christmas presents I'm giving you. And now…"
He took the locket, still chained around Yumi's neck, closing the heart with the paper inside. "My heart is always with you."
The raven-haired girl blinked feverishly, the tears now running in glistening tracks down her pink cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing him. Ulrich smiled, running his tongue gently across her bottom lip, deepening the kiss.
They broke apart after a while, in need for air. Yumi leaned against Ulrich, and he wrapped his arms around her. He laughed a little, and Yumi looked up questioningly.
"You've become more…sentimental since the last time I saw you," he whispered in her ear. "You know, I think I might actually like it."
Yumi punched him playfully on the shoulder, laughing. Ulrich smiled, rubbing his arm a bit ruefully.
"Ah, that's my girl."
They laughed together now, and walked slowly back toward the apartment, hand in hand.
Tucked away under Yumi's jacket, the locket smiled.
Consider this a little holiday gift to all you faithful UlrichxYumi fans out there. :)
All I want for the holidays are reviews. Review, review...
Merry Christmas!
Kisses,
WingsofRain