I love the holidays... SO I'm writing a collection of FLAT4xOjamajo fluffy oneshots! YAY~
Happy holidays, I guess. Whoo!
First up is AkaDore... Really no surprise. NO PAIRING PROTESTS! If you want a KotaDore story, write one yourself! SHEESH. So I'm a total sucker for Aka-chan... Shoot me.
Disclaimer: IF I owned Ojamajo Doremi, these would be episodes, there would be more characters, Doremi would have confessed her love to Akatsuki, etc. As you can see, I DON'T OWN IT.
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Tradition
It was a chilly day in Misora. School was out, it was snowing, and best of all...
Christmas was just a day away.
It was normal for people to roam the streets, looking up and down the stores for a gift for their loved ones.
Harukaze Doremi had another idea of how to celebrate it.
Japan wasn't like America where Christmas seemed to just be a family holiday. If she wanted, it could be romantic as well.
This was probably why she clinged so hard to the hand of the handsome boy beside her. If she played her cards right, she could get him unsuspectingly under a mistletoe...
Pucker up.
Doremi lightly giggled, delighted with her plan as she swung their connected hands a bit.
"Come on Akatsuki-kun!!"
Akatsuki looked about at all the strange additions to the streets. Wreaths hung on doors, bells jingling as they were suspended along the wall, people shouting 'Happy Holidays' and 'Have a Merry Christmas' to just about everyone. No doubt there was some special occasion going on... Holiday, perhaps?
The young prince looked down at the red head with her cherry-colored hair in loose buns, her own cheeks flushed from the cold as her hand wove around his, surprising him a bit from how cold and frostbitten it felt.
"So... What exactly is so important that you had to come to the Mahoutsukaikai and drag me over here?" he asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"You'll see, you'll see," the pink witch giggled, her mind still conjuring up all sorts of images of her and Akatsuki on the soon-to-be romantic Christmas as she liked to think of it.
Akatsuki made a "huh" sound and they continued. The wizard observed the sights as they walked; little kids laughing and playing in the snow, sledding and flailing their arms about in the white substance; Akatsuki felt a twinge of envy at the lighthearted sight. Back at the Mahoutsukai, it barely rained, and never snowed.
What he wouldn't give to have a simple childhood instead of one filled with responsibilities and difficulties, being heir to the throne and all... It got really boring really fast...
Doremi perked up, turning her bright magenta eyes to the boy beside her.
"Akatsuki-kun?" her cheery-lit voice asked, her hand grasping his even tighter. "Akatsuki-kun, is something wrong?"
He gave her a reassuring smile and shook his head. "It's nothing, Doremi-chan." he replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze in response. The flush in Doremi's cheeks became more obvious and she beamed.
"Um... Great! That's great that you're not upset... It's really great!" Doremi leaned her body against his, letting out a satisfied sigh. Akatsuki casually ruffled the ruby red locks.
"You're really kind, Doremi-chan."
Doremi's face flushed even more, firmly outdoing the color of her hair. "You really mean it?"
"Of course." Akatsuki laughed a bit at the old memory where all he had to do was charm her to get what he wanted. Even then though, she really was a kind and sweet person, not to mention undoubtably cute.
The pink witch stood on her toes, swifting pecking his cool cheek.
"So... Don't they celebrate Christmas in the Mahoutsukaikai?" she asked, changing the subject. Akatsuki shrugged.
"Nope... First time I've ever seen it..."
"Oh..." Doremi breathed. That much easier to get him under a mistletoe. Her heart and lips were set on it. "It's a special holiday... America celebrates it, too... But it's a little... different here in Japan."
Different in the fact that it was a romantic holiday as much as a family one. But she wasn't going to tell him that, not just yet.
"Oh really?" His interest was perked as he shoved a hand in his coat pocket. "The human world sure is fascinating..."
Doremi giggled and looked about at some of the stares they'd receive. Without a doubt, the two of them looked like a couple.
And soon, they would be. Akatsuki-kun just didn't know it yet.
Maybe they would even be as lovey-dovey as Igarashi and Maki seemed to be... Of course, Akatsuki would have to drop the "chan" from her name first... Not to mention the very thought of Akatsuki's smooth voice wrapped around just "Doremi" like a caress was enough to get her heart pounding.
Doremi gulped at the thought of the prince saying her name in such an intimate way... If she called him just "Akatsuki" without the "kun", no doubt she'd stutter way to much to finish...
She wondered vaguely of how Kotake managed to call him by name, along with the nagging thought that Kotake was a boy, not to mention in his case, calling Akatsuki by name was anything but intimate. She quickly shoved the thought away. Come on, girl! It's all about you and AKATSUKI-KUN right now! Forget about stupid ol' Kotake!
She darted her gaze to Akatsuki, and he stared back, with a polite smile on his inviting lips and confusion lit up in his violet eyes.
Dang, he was cute.
She quickly looked away, the blush returning. Akatsuki would have probably assumed it was from the cold.
"No Christmas memories, whatsoever?" she revived their conversation, just so Akatsuki wouldn't have to ask her anything.
"None."
His tone was usually casual, but this troubled her a bit, her mind drawing up all sorts of disturbing images.
Sure she was putting him way out of character... But still...
"Alright, I'll teach you!" she exclaimed cheerfully, swinging their hands. Akatsuki's expression was fascinated, and the pink witch's laugh turned nervous.
"...What are friends for?" Friends. Why did that sting?
He nodded.
"Thank you, Doremi-chan."
Looks like her mistletoe plan was going to be put on hold. Oh, well. There were plenty of romantic things to do on Christmas Eve.
Doremi looked around frantically. How was she supposed to explain it? Japan wasn't like America... Christmas wasn't really that important... Not like New Year's Day.
"You see... Christmas was when..."
Urgh, where should she start? With Santa Claus? Or with what she knew? Confusing, confusing.
Time went on as the red head continued her story, full of stutters and pauses every so often as she tried so hard to remember her pointless lesson.
Akatsuki merely blinked and laughed when Doremi flustered for the tenth time and patted her head, telling her she could stop now.
For the red head, she was half-dazed, half-humiliated. Finally, she just groaned.
Pathetic.
"So... If there's nothing special about it... Why do you bother celebrating it?" Akatsuki asked, looking at the pink with a confused expression.
Doremi's eyes popped open wide.
"...I don't really know."
The prince tilted his head to the side, his face shifting to suspicious. "Just to give you humans a reason to be happy." It was a statement, not a question.
Doremi frowned. "Momo-chan once said... It's a time for family and friends... America always seemed a bit more festive."
Her counterpart shrugged.
"Seems that way."
The pink witch smiled a bit before she brightened, finally beind struck with an idea.
"You know, one thing I love about Christmas is the cakes!"
"The cakes?"
Akatsuki blinked while he watched Doremi drool a bit at the thought of the delicious Christmas cakes that she always devoured happily and healthily as a child. Sure, it wasn't nearly as good as steak... But it was still something sweet... Even if Poppu had a habit of always taking the last piece.
The pink witch groaned at the memory but took the boy's hand again and dragged him across the street, explaining as she went.
"See, cakes are usually half-priced on Christmas Day... But since I'll be stuck with my family..." she rambled on. Akatsuki only half listened, eyes on a particular tree that was covered in twinkling decoration.
"Hey Doremi-chan, what's that?"
"Huh?"
The pink witch looked at the tree and she smiled a bit. "Just a Christmas tree... Every year tons of them are decorated..."
"Why?"
"Who knows? Maybe to make everyone feel better..." Doremi laughed at the memories of how early she used to wake up, always rushing straight to the tree to see what Santa Claus had left for her and Poppu... Her little sister was barely a baby then.
She and the other girls STILL decorated one every year... Not to mention how crazy Hana-chan would go, tossing ornaments here and there, occasionally breaking a few. Majorika always scolded her for that...
Good times, good times.
Doremi gripped Akatsuki's hand tighter.
"You know... This was always the time that okaa-san got us Christmas cakes... And she'd always get my favorite... sponge cake with whipped cream icing and strawberries on top! We always had some after dinner on Christmas Day... and never before have we not finished them..." She sighed happily at the memory.
The prince sighed, smiling a bit. "So why are we getting some so early?"
"Um..." the pink witch flushed a light pink. "I was thinking... We could share it... and you... could take the rest home to the king... I bet he'd love it... I bet Fujio-kun, Leon-kun, and Tooru-kun would love it, too!"
Akatsuki made an "oh" sound and they continued. Doremi looked about, leading him into the first bakery she saw.
Quickly checking her pockets, the pink witch scampered to the desk, where an elderly woman seemed to be working the counter.
"Would you happen to have... a sponge Christmas cake with whipped cream icing and strawberries?" she asked hopefully, shuffling as she came up with the money necessary for such.
The shopkeeper grinned.
"Getting something for your boyfriend?"
Doremi flushed and nodded, pleased. "H-He's not... Not yet, I mean. Uh..."
A rectangular box was plopped in front of her, wrapped in a shiny red ribbon and in a plastic bag. The red head stared in confusion before nodding.
"Thanks."
Gulping, she placed down her money, twirling her fingers around the bag's handles, and skipped over back to Akatsuki, who in his traditional polite and gentlemanly fashion, held the door open for her.
Doremi smiled bashfully, stumbling a bit past him...
...Only to hear a whistle from behind.
The pink witch looked back quizzically. The shopkeeper snickered, pointing to something above them.
"You two missed that, on your way in."
Akatsuki, clearly confused, looked up.
"Oh hey, it's some plant."
Some PLANT?!
Now in full-panic, Doremi quickly looked up. Sure enough.
Mistletoe.
The red head flushed. There went her plan.
"Oh... Oh no... Not now... Not NOW." she moaned, her hands trembling with the cake behind her. "I'm not ready... I'm so not ready!!"
"Not ready? For what?" Now her counterpart was a bit startled. "Doremi-chan, what happens with that plant?"
Doremi instantly broke into a stutter. "W-Well... Um..."
How to explain... How to explain... she thought with another rush of panic, now shivering a bit.
"Actually Akatsuki-kun... That plant is called a mistletoe... and... Um... People are supposed to kiss under it... So, yeah. Pucker up."
Better keep it light.
"Doremi-chan?" Akatsuki furrowed his brow, lifting up her chin to see into her eyes. "What's going on?"
Might as well get it over with.Doremi huffed, dropping the cake which miraculously didn't spill.
"Doremi-" The pink witch quickly crushed her mouth to his, an electric shock running through their lips.
Akatsuki's eyes widened, and she pulled back before he could react. Breathing heavier than usual, Doremi quickly picked her cake bag back up, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson.
"Another Christmas tradition." she groaned, taking his hand as she leaded him outside, hoping he wouldn't say anything about it.
She didn't know what to think when he stayed silent, but was too scared to look over and see his expression.
Keep it light... she thought mockingly to herself. You could of just pecked his cheek! How harmless would that have been?! But no... You go for a full smack on the lips... And without working up to it!! Urgh...
Doremi's eyes popped open wide when she heard Akatsuki chuckling.
"The Human World sure is interesting... I never would of thought you people would have thought of something like that..."
Doremi looked over her shoulder hesitantly at his amused expression.
"You aren't mad?" she asked in a small voice.
"Mad? Why? Just tradition, right?" Akatsuki shrugged, as if it was nothing.
Doremi blinked in disbelief and she groaned.
"No! You don't get it... The whole reason why... I really wanted to see you... I really wanted a kiss-" she stopped, gasping in shock. Finally, her shoulders just drooped.
"That... That wasn't done right... But I really wanted it."
It was what she hoped for. Despite his shock, his lips were soft... Despite the cold, his lips were warm... And despite herself, they molded perfectly against her own.
Akatsuki frowned. "...I don't really understand. So the whole reason why you suddenly wanted to be with me... That was just to steal a kiss, right?"
He wasn't far off.
"I-I... I just wanted to see you. Period." she stuttered a bit. "I'm sorry, Akatsuki-kun... But I got caught up... You... You have no idea what you've been missing."
The prince smiled at her, lightly bending down to press his lips to hers. Doremi's breath came out in a gasp, and she quickly returned it, her eyes shut tightly.
"...Apparently." he answered as he pulled back, sighing. "Breathe, Doremi-chan."
Doremi nearly choked. "Uh..."
The prince's hand wove around hers. "The cake..."
The pink witch blinked, and finally smiled. "R-Right... Er... Thank you, Akatsuki-kun."
He kissed her forehead in response. He glanced over at some more kids playing in the snow, and he sighed.
Doremi noticed this time, and giggled, tightening her hand around his.
"Hey Akatsuki-kun... After we eat this cake..."
"Hm?"
He looked at her then, a bit confused.
"Yes, Doremi-chan?"
She beamed, shuffling the hand that held the cake behind her back.
"Let's have a snowball fight."
Even in at a frivolous time like this...
There was no denying that it always helped to have someone beside you.