Merry Christmas, everyone!
"Happy Christmas!" everyone cheered out on a wonderful Christmas day. Rin and Yukio had traveled back to the monastery for the holidays, and Shiemi came on Christmas day to see them. Kyodo and Maruta were relieved to find out that Rin actually had a friend!
"This is where you lived?" Shiemi asked with immense curiosity.
"Yep!" Rin exclaimed proudly.
"It's so big!" Shiemi smiled.
"Well, that's mainly because of all the services. Dad would give one in the morning on Sunday, the afternoon, and then every Wednesday night," Rin said.
"Rin fell asleep during them," Yukio commented.
"He attended all of them?" Shiemi asked. Yukio nodded.
"We would help Father come up with what to lecture about during the service, and he would always say what we said. Even the ridiculous ones Rin came up with," Yukio told. Shiemi gave a light laugh. The blonde girl stared at a picture of Rin and Yukio as children with Father Fujimoto for a long moment.
"It's Father Fujimoto," she commented with a smile.
"Yeah, how'd ya know?" Rin asked.
"I met him once when I was thirteen," Shiemi admitted.
"You met my old man when you were thirteen?!" Rin exclaimed.
"That's when I met Yukio as well," Shiemi said.
"Where was I when this was happening?!" Rin shouted towards Yukio.
"You were at home eating ice cream out of a bowl while you cried over my manga," Yukio said.
"Dude, I'm surprised you remember that far back," Rin said. The three laughed a bit. Shiemi looked through the pictures that Kyodo and Maruta were prepared to show.
"That was Rin and Yukio on their first day of grade school with Father Fujimoto," Kyodo said.
"Aw!" Shiemi exclaimed. "They're so cute! I could just eat them!" the blonde girl smiled brightly at the teens who were much smaller with matching uniforms. Maruta couldn't help but crack a joke.
"Leave some of him, he's cooking dinner tonight," Maruta said, pointing to Rin. Rin glared, but his moment of anger was quickly flooded with embarrassment when Kyodo asked him a question.
"Hey, Rin, you gonna wear your Santa suit tonight?" the raven haired teen's face quickly turned to a shade of red.
"W-What are you talking about?! I'm too old to wear a Santa suit!" Rin exclaimed.
"What are you talking about, Rin, you wore one last year?" Yukio intervened. Rin's glare turned to his twin brother.
"Shut up, moley four eyes," there was a moment of silence. "Besides, we'll be sixteen in two days. I can't wear a Santa suit," Rin exaggerated.
"Rin, Father Fujimoto and us wore Santa suits ever Christmas. Though, it wasn't until you two were born that it really became a special thing," Kyodo said. Maruta nodded in agreement.
"If you stop pestering me, I'll wear the damn thing!" Rin exclaimed.
"Always with the swear words," Maruta tsked.
"Such a hot head," Kyodo smirked.
"Pestering, what a big word for you," Yukio said, though quietly to himself.
"I heard that!" Rin shouted out.
"Good, then you know you should study more," Yukio said.
"Yeah, I heard that you were the cram school teacher, Yukio. Bet you shocked Rin!" Kyodo and Maruta laughed.
"He just about demanded that I explain to him what was going on," Yukio said.
"Well, maybe if you had told me you were an exorcist, I wouldn't have been so shocked!" Rin glared.
"I wasn't permitted to give out that information," Yukio said calmly.
"Excuses, excuses," Rin said, or more like mumbled.
"Brother, you don't even know the definition of an excuse," Yukio sighed softly. There was a pause.
"Shut up!" Rin exclaimed. "I'm not that dumb!" Laughs erupted form the others. Shiemi smiled softly at the twins, not that there were many times when she wasn't smiling.
"Mr. Kyodo, what was Rin and Yuki like when they were younger?" Shiemi asked.
"Yukio's always been good with academics and athletics. But Rin was always falling behind and getting into trouble," Kyodo explained.
"Hey! I did find for half of third grade!" Rin defended.
"That's because that was before Yukio had become an exorcist, and would always help you with your homework," Maruta laughed. It wasn't much longer until Suguro, Shima, and Konekomaru arrived.
"This is where you live? Damn, I always thought you were some rich kid who payed his way into the academy," Suguro said.
"Yukio got in on a scholarship, thank you very much," Rin defended his brother.
"And you?" Suguro asked. Maruta, Kyodo, Yukio, and Rin all looked to each other for a brief moment.
"I got in with..special permissions from the principal," Rin said slowly, repeating what he had once heard a teacher say.
"Special permissions?" Suguro asked. Rin nodded, but didn't explain further. There was silence before a timer went off.
"Oh crap, I almost forgot!" Rin exclaimed. He ran into the kitchen and Maruta, Kyodo, and Yukio began to laugh.
"What?" Suguro asked.
"Rin's so diligent about his cooking," Kyodo said.
"If only he were that diligent with his studies," Yukio commented.
"Rin would make an excellent housewife," Maruta said. "Besides, Yukio, if he were as diligent about his studies as he was about his cooking, he would be as smart as you!" he added.
"Yes, I'm sure. I only wish he got good grades on his tests," Yukio chuckled. He pushed his glasses upwards with a finger before he was called out to.
"Yukio! Set the table!" Rin shouted from the kitchen. The raven haired teen had already told his twin to set the table, which had yet to be set. "I told you half an hour ago!"
"Alright, alright," the younger of the twins chuckled. He walked to the table, beginning to set it. "Be nice to me, it's almost my birthday," he joked around.
"Yeah, yeah, don't pull that crap. You know it's almost my birthday too," Rin laughed. The others of the cram school had never seen the two Okumura brothers act like this.
Yukio had always been the calm brother that had collected his feelings. He was smart, accomplished, always studying hard and working his ass off to get good things, and was even a teacher at fifteen years old.
Rin was a slacker. He was lazy, hated to do school work, and didn't know what he would do with his life. Sure, he had wanted to become Paladin, but that was just a dream that would be accomplished a long way later. He was always skipping school, and wanted to grow up instead of wasting time in school.
"I know, I know," Yukio chuckled. He set the table and Rin served the food. Soon enough, everyone was eating in content.
"It's time," Kyodo and Maruta said simultaneously Rin and Yukio flashed smirks at each other, seeming to have some sort of a plan. Everyone watched as the twins and the two clergymen dashed out of the room.
"What do you think is going on?" Shima asked Suguro. The two thought for a moment before the brunette shrugged.
Everyone sat wide eyed when the clergymen returned in Santa suits. Their jaws dropped when they saw the twins return in Santa suits.
"What do you think you're wearing?!" Suguro exclaimed as he watched the two.
"It's a family tradition! I didn't really want to wear it with you guys here, but Yukio managed to get me in it," Rin said with a grin.
"Since when does wearing Santa suits on Christmas become a family tradition?" Shima asked with a raised brow.
"Since our Father dressed us in matching Santa suits on our first Christmas," Yukio said. "Since our birthday is on the twenty-seventh, we've always been dressed this way for Christmas,"
"Present time!" Rin exclaimed quickly. Everyone had bought presents for everyone else, so everyone had something under the large Christmas tree.
Everyone laughed at Rin's eagerness, though none were surprised. Rin was always clueless and happy. They all began to open presents.
Suguro had gotten a new case for his cell phone. Shima got new hair dye for his roots that had started to grow back to their original hair color. (Because in the manga, Shima's hair was dyed.)
Konekomaru had gotten a new book for his classes, which would make it a bit easier to study. Yukio had gotten special gun cleaner and a new spare pair of glasses. Rin had gotten a guitar hero game, with the instruments for the game.
"Woah! Check this out!" Rin exclaimed. He smiled brightly at the case that the game had come in. He showed everyone, who all gave sighs.
"We know, Rin, we watched you open it," Yukio chuckled.
"Let's play!" Rin smiled brightly.
"Rin, we don't have to," Yukio said, trying to talk his twin out of it.
"Come on, do it for your Ani!" Rin gave a pout. Yukio put his finger on Rin's lips.
"Alright, alright," he sighed. And with that, everyone began to hook up the game and play it.
"You suck at this game," Suguro commented as he played against Rin. The older teen was on the expert level, while Rin was on easy, and failing.
"Shut up! Do you already have this game, or something?" Rin asked.
"No," Suguro laughed.
Everyone was having a wonderful time on such a Christmas. Rin brought out a cake later on after baking it and letting it sit for a little while. He brought it out, serving it to everyone. The clergymen got everyone to sing happy birthday to the twins before Rin and Yukio blew out the candles together.
It was a very special Christmas. The first Christmas the twins spent, celebrating with their friends and wishing their Father was there with them.
"Hey, Yukio?" Rin asked quietly.
"What is it?" Yukio asked back. The others had all passed out in the living room, Yukio and Rin cuddling together on the sofa.
"Do you think Dad would be happy? You know, with how everything happened?" Rin asked.
"Well, Rin..you've been using your flames less and less, which I've been happy about. The way you've decided to go to the cram school, and work harder, I think Father would have been proud," Yukio told.
"I have to show him," Rin sighed.
Show him that there was a reason I lived.
And have a happy New Year!