Hey. So, here's my little Christmas present to all of you, a one shot depicting the first Christmas Carrie (An Oc of mine), Leo, and Elliot will spend together. Also, as a note, this takes place between 'Straight for the Heart' and 'Crying in the Rain.
Summary: Leo is stressing over a Christmas gift, Elliot doesn't want to be woken up, and Carrie is trying to make everything wonderful for her two friends. What else would you expect from these three on Christmas Day? One shot
Feel free to leave a reveiw, and Merry Christmas!
I do not own Pandora Hearts, it belongs to Jun Mochizuki.
First Christmas
Leo looked out at the snow falling down outside in the chilly air of the winter night from his position in the window seat of the room he shared with Elliot. It had been a while since he last saw snow, well, technically 200 years, but by his time, only a few (Having spent the majority in the House of Fianna since he was 12. Even after being taken in by Elliot, he didn't see snow much because he spent most of his time surrounded by books). Ever since the time skip upon escaping from the Abyss after his death, this was his first time seeing snow in the new era that he, Elliot, and Carrie (Leo's girlfriend) lived in. It felt good to see that pure whiteness after so long.
His eyes nearly drifted shut, but the noirette managed to keep them open. He thought back to the book at his side, then to the hidden gift under his bed. Unbeknownst to Elliot and Carrie, over the last month, Leo had spent any free time he could manage to secretly make gifts for the both of them (He wanted to get something for Sasha, but he and Carrie already got her something). He really couldn't do it at night ether. For one, he couldn't see well at night, and second, there would always be the risk of Elliot finding out.
Looking back to the book beside him, Leo thought of how he was going to manage to finish Carrie's gift. After all, tomorrow was Christmas Day, and the only thing he was worried about besides finishing his friends gifts, is how Carrie would like her's. The noirette wanted to give her a great gift and he wanted her to like it.
"Leo...? Are you still up?" Leo instantly recognized Elliot's voice in the dark and turned his head to the now waking Nightray.
"Yes, Elliot." Leo replied. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Knowing you, I'm used to it. But, ah..." Elliot's sleepy eyes fell upon the book next to Leo. "Really? You shouldn't be reading so late at night. You'll ruin your eyesight."
Leo place a hand over the book and tried to move it off to the side. "I'm perfectly alright. With this moonlight pouring in through the window, I can see just fine."
This much was true, as moonlight from a cloudless sky shined down on him, and shining through onto Elliot as well. To Elliot though, he had noticed a recurring pattern with his servant. For the past few days, Leo had stayed up late reading until at least midnight (as far as he knew). It usually resulted in the noirette sleeping well until noon the next day.
For a while now, Elliot couldn't help but wonder what Leo was so interested in that it kept him up late at night.
"Hey, Leo, what are you reading?" He asked his servant, adjusting into a sitting position.
"None of your business, really." Leo tried moving the book out of sight again. "Since when do you care about what I'm reading?"
"Come on, I just want to know what it is."
"No, Elliot."
Elliot frowned at the noirette and pushed the sheets back, getting up from bed and walking over to Leo. "Let me see that book."
"Elliot, please," The noirette started, knowing there was nowhere to go on the window seat. "It's really-"
"Give it to me." Leo tried pulling the book closer to his petite form, but Elliot grabbed it, trying to get it away from the other.
"No." He said softly.
"Give me that book." The Nightray growled, trying to keep the volume of his voice down, knowing Carrie was asleep not too far down the hall.
"No!"
With enough force, the book slipped from Leo's hands and Elliot, smirking, took a look at the cover under the moonlight shining down on them, illuminating it.
'What the-?' He really couldn't find words to throw back at the other. 'Hearts Of Love? What kind of stupid book is this?'
"So, you've been staying up late reading romance novels, eh?" Elliot questioned with a smirk, which was met with Leo snatching the book away from him.
"S-so? What if I have? It's i-interesting." Leo stammered in response. For a moment, Elliot thought he was still asleep, because he could of sworn he saw Leo blush in the moonlight.
A random idea suddenly struck him. "Wait...are you just looking for pointers on love?"
Bingo. Hit the nail on the head. Again, the noirette blushed, much deeper this time.
"Leo, you've got Carrie. Why in the world would you be looking for tips?"
"I'm-!" Leo paused, then getting up from his seat at the window. "No, it's nothing."
"Are you worried about something?" Elliot could tell when something was bothering Leo, because the other would act slightly out of character in turn. "You know you can tell me about it."
"I'm good." Leo assured him. However, the Nightray wasn't being fooled.
"You are worried about something." The extra emphasis on one word made Leo stop in his tracks, who had been walking back to his bed. Elliot didn't know it, but the noirette's eyes were downcast behind that curtain of hair.
"Elliot, I've never had a girlfriend, so I'm not really sure of what I'm doing." Leo explained, trying to hide his blush. "Back then, when I woke up and saw her face, I would always get the strangest feeling, like there were butterflies fluttering inside me, and as that month went by, my feelings for her developed immensely. Even after two months, I'm not really used to these emotions, much less how to deal with them. So, yes, what if I have been reading romance novels to help me? I certainly wasn't going to ask you for advice."
"Doesn't matter." Elliot moved closer to the noirette and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I don't see what you're so worked up over. You know she's yours, and the same is with her."
"Will you just shut up about it already? I'm fine."
He could feel the other's form trembling underneath his hand. "Apparently not if you're so nervous that you're shaking."
"I'm not nervous." His voice was becoming a bit more tense.
"Sit down, Leo." Elliot took his servant and guided him over to his bed, sitting him down on it. After that, Elliot sat on his bed across from Leo "Now, tell me what's got you like this."
Leo was quiet for a moment, but then spoke. "I...made Carrie a gift."
"Okay, so what's the big deal?"
"I'm concerned as to how she'll like it." He continued. "When I think about it and when I'm working to get it done, I can feel anxiety bubbling up inside my stomach. It makes me uneasy, and I...I don't want her to think poorly of me."
Elliot sighed. "Geez, you're just stressed out is all. Have more confidence in yourself!"
"Well, tomorrow is Christmas Day, and I just wanted to make her something special. It's my first Christmas not only in this era, but the first with her."
"Leo, just stop worrying and relax. Whatever this gift is, I'm sure she'll like it."
Hearing this from his master, Leo turned his eyes up from the floor. "Huh? You really think that?"
"Of course I do." Elliot smiled and laid back down in his bed. "Now go to sleep, it's quite late."
"Are you sure she'll like her gift?" Boy, he sure didn't sound convinced.
"I'm sure of it, Leo, believe me."
"Hmm. Okay..."
"Elliot, wake up." His peaceful sleep had been interrupted by this voice, and he knew right away who it was.
"Leave me be, Leo." He grumbled, turning over on his side.
"Oh, so you can hear me, just as I thought."
"Get away from me."
"Would you rather me to douse you with water, or perhaps have Carrie play some Christmas songs in your ear?"
There was a mischievous and underlining treat in the noirette's voice, which was starting to get on the Nightray's nerves. He might not mind the water but to hear those stupid and annoying songs, that would just drive him into absolute insanity. Needless to say, Carrie would definitely assist her boyfriend if Elliot didn't show some sign that he was listening to the other and not ignoring him and trying to go back to sleep.
Opening his eyes he turned over on his back, then tilting his head slightly so that he could see Leo. The servant was wearing a gray turtle-neck that looked like it was made of wool, and atop his head was a red hat with white fluff around the edges. Back in their time, they did celebrate this day, but even then, Leo hadn't seemed very happy. Well, he did look happy then, but perhaps those smiles were part of his unconscious facade that hid his lonely self. From this point of view, there were traces of real happiness on his face.
'Well, he's cheerier than he was last night.' He silently remarked.
"At last, it wakes." Leo said plainly. "You do know what today is, right?"
"I'm very well aware, especially with that hat on your head." Elliot remarked.
"Now, Elliot, come on and get up." He replied, ignoring the other's comment about the hat.
"Can't you see that I'm still tiered?" The Nightray did feel a little groggy, maybe because Leo had woken him up in the middle of the night.
"That's no excuse. You'll miss breakfast if you sleep in, and then you'll just be miserable all day."
"I don't care," He turned away from Leo again and pulled the covers over his head. "Just let me sleep for a little bit more. Is that too much too ask?"
The noirette frowned in response. "Please, Elliot. You can't just-"
"Leo, I'll come down...soon..." The servant didn't say anymore after that, knowing his master had probably drifted off to sleep.
"..." His eyes turned downcast. "I'm tiered too, but you shouldn't go back to sleep. It's no fun without you..."
Leo really didn't want Elliot to try and sleep in, he just wanted his master to join them downstairs for breakfast, then opening their presents and such. Speaking of which, the one for his own girlfriend wasn't even done yet, only Elliot's was finished. Now was not the time to think about though, he'd cross that bridge when he got there.
Looking down at Elliot sleeping, Leo took this opportunity to removed the sheets from the other's head and letting them rest at his neck. Only then, as he continued to gaze at Elliot, did an idea pop into his head.
'Oh! Maybe...maybe that would work!' The idea in his brain was now evolving into a plan that might be rather fun.
With a light smirk on dancing on his lips, he went over to his bed and got Elliot's present out from under it. Taking only a moment to readjust his glasses, he stood up and walked out of the room, thinking about his plan and knowing that he'd have to call on some help for this task.
Leo glanced over the railing as he walked to the stairs, and he spotted Carrie below. Oh, how lovely she looked in those clothes, a fine fleece sweater and a pair of lounge pants. That feeling of butterflies came back to him again, just like every time before when she was so near to him, and it made him slightly giddy to know that he would require her help in his plan.
She would surely assist him getting Elliot out of bed, and maybe wide awake at that, hopefully.
The beige haired girl spotted him as he walked down to the lower floor and smiled up at him. "Hey, Leo. Is he awake?"
"If you call that being awake for a minute, then yes." Leo replied.
"Ah, so he's still sleepy?"
"Apparently, or so he says."
Carrie sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "Aw, geez! How much longer do you think he'll stay like that?"
"I'm not sure." He said, walking past her and over to the tree placing Elliot's present under it and then turning back to her. "But, listen, I've got an idea!"
"Really?" The smile across her face only got wider. "Don't keep me waiting, Leo. Tell me!"
"Well, I'll tell you, but I can't do it alone." He walked back to her and softly smiled. "Will you help me?"
Carrie stepped closer in response, noticing the lights from the Christmas tree shined off his glasses. "Oh, you know I will, my sweet."
"As expected of a girl like you."
. . .
Both Leo and Carrie had grins on their faces as they pulled the covers of the bed away from Elliot, who was still asleep.
"Man, he must be out cold." Carrie remarked, gazing at the Nightray's sleeping form.
"Which is perfect for us." Leo added. "Now, you take one of his arms and I'll take the other."
"Got it."
At this point, upon grabbing the other's arms, Leo's plan was in full swing. With each arm around their shoulders, unbeknownst to the still asleep Elliot, he was now being dragged out of bed. It was probably a good thing the both of them could support his weight, which is exactly why Leo had called for Carrie's help. The noirette might be smart and mischievous at times, but he absolutely had any strength in his arms, well, he did, but it was very little to say the least.
'I do wonder how amusing this will be once he finds out what we did?' He wondered as they dragged Elliot out of the room and approached the stairs.
Once at the top of the stairs, they both stopped, Carrie looking at Leo. "You sure this is okay?"
Leo nodded. "Yes. All we have to do is keep a tight grip on Elliot is all. Besides, I think that he's in to deep of a sleep to notice if anything happened, much like how I can be a heavy sleeper at times."
"Okay then," The beige haired girl said with a sigh. "Let's get going."
They weren't so sure about this, but it was all part of the plan. Slowly, they descended the first step, careful of Elliot and keeping their grip tight so they wouldn't drop him. Leo had been right about one thing, the other must be in a deep sleep, considering that he hadn't woken up.
As soon as they were about to go to the second step, Carrie's elder sister, Sasha, rounded a corner and saw them, which, without a doubt, made her very confused.
"What are you two doing?" She asked, keeping her voice calm once she noticed the sleeping Elliot.
"Oh, he refused to come downstairs, falling back asleep after I tried to get him up, so we're bringing him down instead." Leo explained to the older Strata.
She looked at the two for a moment, then at Elliot. "Here, let me help you. You'll end up dropping him like this."
So, with help from Sasha, the three managed to get Elliot downstairs safely. Leo then thanked Sasha and proceeded to help Carrie place him on the couch in the living room.
Throwing a blanket over him, the other two were surprised he didn't wake up yet, but when he did, it would be quite amusing for the two.
"Thank you, Carrie." Leo said to her.
"Hey, you alright?" She asked in response. "You sound tiered."
"Ah, no, I'm fine." He actually did feel a bit drowsy, but he didn't care. "I did remember something though."
"What?"
"I think I left my book upstairs. Please excuse me while I go get it."
"Sure thing."
Giving her a nice bow, the noirette left and went back upstairs. This was the perfect opportunity to finish her gift, the one that was making him nervous. Even now, he still had trouble dealing with his emotions.
That was a flaw, but all people have their flaws.
Something about his bed seemed different; it wasn't as soft and he had a hard time finding a comfortable position. Something now came into the corners of his darkened vision, lights perhaps. Wait...where were the lights coming from? Elliot's closed eyelids winced and then slowly opened, but this wasn't the room he expected to see.
He was laying on his back on what appeared to be a couch, which could only mean he was in the living room. A blanket painted with the colors of black, white, and periwinkle was limply spread out over him, one foot sticking out and hanging off the edge of the couch slightly. The lights that had stirred him from his sleep were few multicolored lights from the Christmas tree nearby, and, taking in all of this, it clicked for him.
'Leo.' That made perfect sense in his mind, but how in the world did the noirette manage to get him down here?
Elliot heard the sound of chatting, and he saw another person in a chair nearby. Although, it wasn't Leo, it was his apparent 'descendent' Carrie Strata, the one Leo was currently dating.
"Carrie?" He asked in a irritated tone.
"The girl turned her head to him and smiled innocently. "Good morning, Elliot."
"Uh, yeah, but mind telling me why I'm on the couch?"
She giggled in response. "Me and Leo brought you down here."
"And let me guess, he talked you into this."
"Of course."
'Figures.' Sitting up and looking around, he saw that Leo was no where in this room or anywhere around.
"Hey, where did Leo run off to?" Elliot asked her.
"Oh, he said he went to look for something in his room." She replied, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
That had been enough of an answer for Elliot. Before Carrie could say anymore, he swung his legs out over the edge of the couch and stood up, leaving the girl to tilt her head to the side. Leo hadn't drenched him with water or had Carrie blare Christmas songs in his ear, no, instead, he shinnied the girl into this ridiculous plan.
'What part of 'I'll be down soon' didn't he understand?' Elliot thought as he walked up the stairs and the proceeding to go to the room he shared with Leo.
Opening the door, the first sight that met his eyes was Leo. However, the noirette was on his bed, laying on his stomach with a box in one hand. The box in question was white with a red ribbon wrapped around it, the tied bow on the top. The tag attached to it read, 'To my dear Carrie', which meant that the box held the gift he had been stressing over last night.
By the looks of things, Leo was fast asleep on the bed. To the Nightray though, it irritated him to see that Leo was asleep when he had pestered him about not waking up.
"You hypocrite." Elliot growled, walking over to Leo. "Wake up, you idiot."
At first, he just tugged at the sleeve of his shirt, but when he proceeded to just pull on his arm lightly, another hand stopped him, a pale hand that belonged to his servant.
"It's rude to interrupt people when they're sleeping, Elliot." Leo wearily said.
"Well, you kept bugging me about it, but here you are sleeping quite soundly." Elliot retorted.
"I was tiered is all." The other explained, sitting up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, it just happened."
"Right." He then turned his eyes to the box. "That's her gift, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." The noirette cradled it carefully. "I hope she likes it."
"Wait, are you still worrying about that?" The servant didn't reply, so Elliot had no choice but to grab one of Leo's arms and pull him upwards and off the bed. "I told you to stop that."
"I clearly remember what you said, so there's no need to tell me twice."
"Well then, come on! She's waiting for us."
Leo was quiet for a moment before he grinned. "You know, I would be mad at you for awakening me from my nap, but today I'll make an exception."
"It better be an exception."
Going back downstairs, they were halfway down until they heard the sound of glass breaking, along with a yelp.
"Carrie?" Leo rushed a head of Elliot and soon found the younger Strata looking down at a broken glass on the floor, the contents pooling around it. There was also what had appeared to be a now broken ornament laying not to far away, red glass shattered and exposing it's inner silver.
"You okay, Carrie?" Sasha asked, taking her attention off cooking pancakes to see what had happened.
"Yeah..." She answered softly.
"Carrie? Is something wrong?" Leo inquired, noticing her sad tone. "Are you hurt?"
"No, Leo. It's just that..."
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, stepping closer to her.
"Well, I was going to set out a drink for Elliot, and...I accidentally ran into the side of that table. I was startled and dropped the glass. I also..." Her blue eyes went downcast to the broken ornament.
"Yes? Go on now."
"That ornament...you made it, and I was going to hang it on the tree, but...it slipped from my hand. I'm sorry, you guys."
Elliot wanted to say something about how much of a crybaby she was being (as the saying goes, 'don't cry over spilt milk'), but he'd probably receive a hidden death glare from the noirette. Instead...
"Come on, Carrie. It's alright."
Leo nodded in agreement. "Quite."
"But, I...this is your first Christmas in a place like this, and I wanted to make it perfect for you two." She said, her own voice slightly muffled by sadness.
"It doesn't matter if it's perfect." Leo assured her. "Isn't the whole point of this day about being with the one's you care about?"
Carrie looked up at her lover, a faint twinkle in her eye. "I...yes, you're right."
The servant chuckled lightly in response. "Glad to hear it, and if that won't convince you..."
Leo had nearly forgotten about the box in his hands, so now he held it out to her. Carrie's eye's widened faintly at the sight.
"F-for me...?" She stammered.
"Yes, but wait a moment before opening it." He then went over to the tree and got his gift for Elliot. He did have more for his master, such as a Holy Knight book (Elliot had been desperately trying to collect on all the ones he had missed in the time between his death and his rebirth into this world. Luckily for him, they were being reprinted in their original format), and a bundle of Staique flowers later on, but this one was different.
After handing Elliot his present, he exchanged glances at both his master and his girlfriend, signaling that they could open their gifts.
Elliot was the first, finding his present to be a box at first, but when he opened the cover, inside lay a crisp and fresh music sheet, notes engraved upon it. The handwriting and composition of the piece was obviously Leo's, and the Nightray instantly knew what this gift was.
"You...you made me a song?" He questioned the noirette.
"Do you like it?"
"Uh, yeah! I can't wait to play it!"
Leo was happy with his friend's answer. He then turned his attention to Carrie, who had finally managed to pry the red ribbon off the box. As she opened the lid, that feeling invaded his stomach once more, making him nervous, but slightly happy at the same time.
'You'll like it, I...know you will.' He silently thought.
Her face contorted into surprise as she removed the item in said box. It was a bracelet, but not the kind you'd usually see. This one was unique, as it was decorated with an assortment of buttons, each differing in design.
"So," Leo began. "What do you think? I made it myself."
"You made this?" Her voice was a quiet exclamation. "It's so beautiful. Thank you, Leo."
The noirette sighed inwardly with relief. All that anxiety was now gone, knowing that she liked it. Smiling, Carrie slipped the bracelet on her wrist and took Leo's hand.
"You're welcome."
The three of them had started walking back to the living room, when Elliot got a fantastic idea.
"Hey, stop right there for a second." He said. They did as he had said and then Elliot grinned. "Look up."
They both did so and spotted a green plant hanging from the ceiling. Carrie gawked at it, while Leo mentally face-palmed himself.
"Mistletoe." Elliot simply said.
They both looked back at him, and Carrie was the first to respond. "I hope you get coal."
"Now, now, Carrie." The servant interrupted, redirecting her attention back to him. "It is tradition to those who get caught under that plant."
She could see him smile and she knew what he was getting at. "Alright then."
Without another moment to spare, they connected with each other's lips, fulfilling the cursed plant's tradition. Actually, Leo had been expecting his master to pull a trick like this, but he didn't really care about it that much.
After a moment, they pulled away from each other, and gazed into each others eyes. For a moment, Carrie thought she saw purple lilacs sparking through the lenses and long bangs of the other.
"Merry Christmas, Carrie."
"Same to you."