Hello there! I've been in the Christmas spirit lately and this plot bunny exploded into 6,000 word plot filled story. Christmas is my favorite holiday and when I thought of Kunzite stalking around like the Grinch, I knew I had to write it out.
Also, I would never have been able to sort out this story without my lovely Kait. Thanks so much, love.
Again, just like my previous stories, Kunzite and the shitennou are reborn in modern day Tokyo. They, and the senshi, have no recollection of their previous lives. The four generals are teachers at a university in Tokyo and the senshi attend the same university for their schooling.
Kunzite - Kitahoshi Isao
Jadeite - Jared Masterson
Nephrite - Tenma Taizo
Zoisite - Osamu Toshiko
Isao made sure that his black scarf was tightly wrapped his neck before stepping out of his office building and into the cold December air. Black leather gloves barely kept his hands warm as he walked the frosty streets of Tokyo.
The silver haired man stuffed his hands into the thickly lined pockets of his winter coat and grumbled to himself causing him to see his own breath.
Stopping himself from burying his cold nose into his warm wool scarf, Isao glared at the street in front of him, picking up his pace.
There was nothing Isao disliked more then this time of year. He was born for the sun, the warmth, not this disgusting white fluff that many wrote songs about.
A large display caught his attention. Large multicolored boxes blinded his silver eyes, angels and the sales for the store seemed to be all over the display.
Isao rolled his eyes.
Of all the things Isao disliked about winter, Christmas was by far the biggest blight on the season.
The professor quicken his steps and headed toward his home. Isao felt some tension leave his body when he knew that at least in his home, he would be free from Christmas.
This year, the four roommates had decided that they would not celebrate Christmas together.
No presents. No trees. No problems.
Isao ignored the obnoxious displays and hastened his pace towards his home. He couldn't wait to get out of the cold.
...
He walked in, the house smelling vaguely of sweets and something burning. 'Who the hell had the idea to bake?' Shrugging out of his coat and unwrapping the black scarf from his neck, he set his outerwear in its rightful place on the coat rack by the door before finding out just what was causing the smell that wafted through the house. Following his nose, he found himself in the kitchen, burned cookies littering the countertops.
"Jared! Taizo! Toshiko! Get your asses in here." When nobody answered his angry call, he set to looking around the house for his three housemates. Rounding the corner to living room, he found the three men putting up a very live, very messy fir tree up in the farthest corner. Christmas music was playing softly from the radio underneath the television.
"Ahem." At the sound of his throat clearing, the three men turned around, the guiltiest of looks plastered on their faces. Isao raised his eyebrows at the party, "What the hell is this? I thought we agreed on none of this Christmas nonsense?"
As if on cue, the guilty party started in on him without a moment's pause. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..." The three of them sang together, the one song they knew would annoy the eldest man to no end.
Isao settled his hands on his hips, "Last year I was Scrooge, this year I'm the Grinch, I'm happy that you are getting more creative this time around."
One of the blondes sauntered over to him, slinging an arm around his shoulder. Isao tolerated Jared's touch, but only just.
"C'mon man, relax some. Its just Christmas."
After receiving an icy glare, Jared sighed and continued on, "Okay, it's really my fault, I got homesick since I can't celebrate the holidays with my parents this year and the others wanted to cheer me up."
Isao thought of the blonde that had been moping for the past week. A happy Jared was certainly easier to deal with then an unpleasant one. The other two chose now to shoot him puppy dog looks.
The professor shrugged off the others arm and turned towards the tree, crossing his arms, "You realize that it's going to shed, right?"
Simultaneous nods answered him.
"And I won't keep up with it, you guys will have to be responsible for it."
Enthusiastic nods.
"And I swear to everything good that if you don't take care of it, I will come after you. And you won't like what I'll have for you."
Taizo gave a chuckle, "It's not a puppy, Isao. It won't be that difficult to take care of."
He just gave the guys a blank look, his face showing nothing more than utter boredom. "That's what you think."
Isao gave the tree one last look of distain before turning to his roommates, "If you need me, I'll be finishing up grading those finals and posting grades, something which the rest of you should consider doing as well. We only have three days to have all the grades posted and submitted."
The history professor only received groans as an answer along with a muttering of 'Scrooge' before they set about to their task again.
"Oh, and I better find the kitchen spotless when I come down to make morning cup of coffee." Isao didn't get a response, but he knew they had heard him.
He turned away from the sickeningly sweet sight that was his housemates decorating the house for the upcoming holidays. On his venture to the dining room table where his laptop sat, he grabbed a bottle of beer and some snacks so that he could hammer through the grading and posting of grades. If he worked at a steady pace, he'd be done with the daunting task by eleven, meaning he'd be able to hit the sheets at a decent hour.
He situated all of the items he had picked up into his hands so they wouldn't fall and then climbed up the stairs, ignoring his roommates on the way.
Isao walked into his room and set the things in his arms onto his large wooden desk before setting down in his chair. He went to work, trying his hardest to ignore the Christmas music emanating from the living room.
...
Isao sighed in relief at the heating system his office building had. Today had seemed even colder then the last and the heat was already starting to defrost the chill his body held. All the professor could think of was getting his grades submitted as soon as possible and getting back to the warm of the fireplace that awaited him at home. The silver haired man couldn't wait until he could sit and read by the warm flames and forget all about the disaster his freshman classes had wrecked on him all semester.
The professor turned down the hallway leading to his office while he fished out his keys from his trouser pockets. Isao went to unlock the door only to discover that it was already open.
Silver eyes blinked in shock before remembering that he had given his TA a key last week so that she could let herself into his office without his help.
Isao felt a warm spot in his chest, a warmth that had nothing to do with the heating system, start to grow at the thought of Aino Minako, if Aino-san was here then that meant that submitting grades would take less time. A small smirk found its place on his face before he opened his office door.
The silver haired professor felt his jaw drop at the sight of his office.
Green and red were everywhere, Christmas lights lined his shelves and there was even a small Christmas tree settled on his desk. There wasn't a flat surface anywhere in the room that didn't have some sort of Christmas bobble.
Isao was shocked and confused as his brain tried to figure out where exactly all of this had come from.
"Ah! Kitahoshi-sensei. I wasn't expecting you so early."
The professor turned around and saw Aino-san bustle into the room, a gaudy paper Christmas tree in her hands. She climbed onto the armchair in the corner of the room and began to hang the paper tree from the ceiling.
She finished tying the contraption up before turning around and giving her sensei a bright smile, "I wanted to surprise you! What do you think?"
Isao felt the fire of anger burning slowly in his chest as he looked around his office. First his roommates and now his TA? Why did the world want to torture him with this pointless and fickle holiday?
His face, however, remained blank. Isao didn't let a single whisper of what he truly felt slip from his grasp. Aino-san must have felt that something was wrong because her smile fell a little and her crystal blue eyes seemed to lose their sparkle.
"Y-you don't like it, do you? I can take it down. I'm so-" the sight of his raised hand cut her off mid-sentence, which was what he was hoping the hand gesture would do. Circling around to the beck of his desk, he took a seat in his large, and rather comfortable chair.
"Aino-san, it's fine. I just don't like surprises." Isao tried to make some room on his desk without actually touching any of the decorations, "Next time, could you try running it by me?" With the nod of her head as a confirmation, he silently dismissed the TA to go work on some grading of papers while he got to work on his own tasks.
A knock on the door caused both occupants of the room to turn and look at the door. After glancing at his TA, Isao got to his feet and walked to the door.
Opening the door revealed Jared and the psychology professor's own TA, Hino Rei.
The blond gave a friendly wink at Isao, "Hello there."
"What do you think you're doing here, Jared?"
Jared patted him on the shoulder, "C'mon, you're not the only one who has to turn in grades today."
His blue eyes looked over the broad shoulder of Isao before widening at the sight of all the Christmas decorations.
"Isao. What happened to your office? You hate Christmas."
Minako stood at this, "What? Kitahoshi-sensei, you never told me that."
"Aino-san! I didn't see you there!" Jared walked into the room and walked over to the petite girl. Minako gave a quick bow to Jared, muttering a greeting. Seeing Minako look at him with confused eyes, Jared spoke again, "Yeah, Isao here is a big old Grinch."
Rei had been standing behind her blonde professor, having yet to enter her former history professor's office. Once she did have the chance to walk in, she took in a sharp breath.
"Minako, what the hell did you do? It looks like an elf exploded in here." Shooting her grinning friend a look, clearly saying what the fuck without actually having to say it out loud, she turned to steal a look at the usually icy professor. With an apologetic look on her face, she mouthed 'sorry' to the man before returning her gaze back to her friend.
"Well, I'll leave you all to your little reunion. I have a final to go take. Mina-chan, I'll see you at home. Please, refrain from any further decorating. I would like to remind you tha not everybody is into the holidays quite like you are." Turning, the dark-haired woman left the three of them, after giving Jared a quick squeeze of the hand.
With a smile on his face, Jared was the first to speak up after his TA had left the crowded office. "So, Aino-san. Just how did you manage to get the Grinch here to agree to these decorations?" Out of the peripherals of his vision, he could see the silver-haired man giving him his iciest of glares.
Big blue eyes blinked at Jared, "Well, I-I surprised him. I really didn't know that he didn't like Christmas."
Minako turned to look at her professor, "I am really sorry, sensei. I really should have asked."
Jared slung an arm around the blonde girl, "Oh, posh. You meant well, Aino-san, that's all that really matters. Right, Isao?"
"Don't you have some place to be, Jared?" A coldness that matched the weather outside creeped into Isao's tone.
Jared chuckled at the obvious dismissal, "Alright, alright. No need to bite." The psychology professor gave Minako a smile and a reassuring squeeze before heading out the door and closing it behind him.
"Sensei-"
"As I said before, Aino-san, it's alright," The silver haired man turned back to his desk, "Let's hurry, I'm sure that you want to get out of here as quickly as I do."
Minako nodded to the back of his head and paused before returning to her work. Silence filled the room other then the shuffling of papers and the clatter of fingers typing on keyboards.
It seemed that all of Tokyo was celebrating Christmas. The city had taken to the multiple hues of red and green and exploded it everywhere. The sight of the two colors was enough to give Isao a pounding headache.
All the screaming kids with their faces pressed against store windows, begging for all of the pointless toys. Scoffing at the sight, the tall man made his way down the street, trying to ignore all the cheer that surrounded him. The faster he got home, the faster he could drown out all of the damn cheer.
At the sight of his house, a sigh escaped his lips.
He was glad to be home, before he could even make it up the stairs, his ears were met with the horribly out of tune singing coming from one of his roommates attempting to sing some Christmas song or another.
It was awful.
Isao took another step into the house and was once again blinded by those awful two colors. The three men ,who had taken to turning the house into a reincarnation of Santa's Workshop. had used every space possible to hang up red and green objects that had anything to do with the festive holiday. Isao couldn't escape Christmas anywhere.
Thinking he could escape whoever was singing the horrid song, Isao crept over to the staircase to attempt locking himself in his room before being tricked into anymore of the housemate's shenanigans. The history professor knew he was desperate to escape Christmas if he was sneaking around now.
"Isao, is that you?" The voice belonged to Taizo. Isao suppressed a groan. So he was the one who had been singing in such a horrible voice. Well, if Isao had to get him a present this Christmas, it would be singing lessons. Cringing, the silver haired man continued on up the remaining steps to ignore the auburn haired man.
...
Would they ever stop? The teasing had been going on for long enough. First, it started with just the chorus of the song; only hearing it every now and then. For example when he was watching television.
He was be sitting peaceful in the living room, watching some historical documentary or the other and then he would hear rustling behind him. He would look and see nothing there. Isao would settle back into his chair and watch the documentary again only to hear whisperings a few minutes later.
Isao stained his ears to listen to the whispering.
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."
The history professor rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead, trying to ignore his roommates.
"You're as cuddly as a cactus. You're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grrrriiinch!"
Isao slammed his fist down on the chair's armrest and swung to look behind him. Still he saw nothing.
A few minutes of silence caused him to once again turn his attention to the television only to have Jared slide in with his socks on wooden floors shouting at the top of his lungs, singing in a crazy voice, "You're a bad banana, with a greasy black peeeeeeeeeeeeel."
Isao would never admit to anyone that a childish chase around the house then presumed but he would admit that if such a occurrence were to have happened, he definitely won.
Since then he had been caught unaware by his roommates in some sort of daily routine and been barraged by the lyrics to 'Mr. Grinch.'
Apparently Jared had coerced the others into joining the torture because he was, 'a true Grinch for reacting so coldly to Aino-chan's surprise decorations.'
The last straw was when they had caught him in the shower.
After chasing the three out of his bathroom and quickly getting changed, not even bothering to comb his hair beforehand, Isao stomped down the stairs and into the living room where his roommates were lazily sitting on the coach, enjoying a beer.
Isao could barely stop his eye from twitching.
His roommates looked innocently at him as he paced the floor in front of the fireplace.
Jared dared to speak, "Isao-?"
"What? What on earth have I done to cause you to follow me around and make my life miserable?"
Silence reigned as his roommate's faces changed from teasing to blank looks. Isao saw them exchange looks.
"Well?"
Isao glared at each one in turn.
"I'm waiting!"
Taizo gave him a smile, but somehow it didn't reach his eyes like it usually did.
Toshiko spoke up, "Sorry, Isao. I guess we didn't know that we were annoying you that badly..."
The dirty blond broke eye contact as his voice drifted off.
Jared cleared his throat and picked up for Toshiko, "Sorry, mate, we just wanted you to see some of the fun in Christmas. We were just teasing."
Isao banged his fist against the mantle over their fireplace, he had enough of their endless taunting. Shoving off of the mantle, he stormed to the coat closet and put on his heavy black winter coat. He stormed over to the locked front door. Swinging it open, he glared at his three roommates who were looking at him with surprised faces.
"The next one to so much as think the damn Grinch theme around me is going to be sleeping outside in a tent, without privileges to the restroom. Got it?" He slammed the door shut behind him on his way out of the house. He was annoyed, pissed even. Maybe now they'd leave him alone, but knowing them, they probably wouldn't. Isao just needed some fresh air, some space from his roommates that knew exactly which buttons to press.
Isao roamed the streets blindly, trying to calm his anger. He cursed himself for not bringing his scarf or gloves as the cold bit at his person. The man ran his fingers through his hair, only to find knots there from when he hadn't brushed his hair.
Isao gritted his teeth against the fire he felt in his gut.
He knew that he had exploded on them and he knew they were shocked at his actions. Isao was usually one for a cold, ever-steady anger, an anger that he could still make rational decisions around.
But today he had snapped, Isao couldn't think of a single time that he had shouted at them like that since they had first moved in together.
Anger quickly sapped from his being and Isao allowed himself to feel guilty for a bit before tucking that away and concentrating on how he should make amends.
While the history professor could be cold and unemotional, he was mature enough to know when he was at fault and when he should apologize.
The silver haired man spotted a local grocery store and quickly ducked in, escaping the cold.
Isao looked around the store, maybe he could cook them something?
He scoffed at himself, he knew the best way to appease his roommates was through their stomachs.
The professor turned into a random aisle only to bump into someone.
The petite woman he had run into gave out an 'eep' and Isao had to grab her around the waist before she fell backwards.
After the two had regained their balance, the woman in his arms brushed the long blonde hair out of her face and peered up at her rescuer.
"Ah! Kitahoshi-sensei!"
Isao blinked as he recognized his blonde TA in his arms.
"What are you doing here?" Minako asked him.
"I'm in a grocery store, what do you think I am doing here."
The blonde blushed and muttered an answer as Isao berated himself, just because he was in the last stages of a foul mood didn't mean that he had to take it out on the poor girl.
Looking down at Minako, he realized that he still had his arms around her. He quickly released his grasp from around her waist. His hands immediately went to his hair, only to rediscover the mess that was sitting on his head. He grimaced and forced his hands down, looking back to his TA.
He cleared his throat, "And what are you doing here, Aino-san?" he asked politely.
Minako smiled at him, noting that he was obviously not in a great mood but appreciating the fact that he tried to be polite to her, "Well, all the girls have plans today so I have the house to myself tonight! So I thought I would take advantage and bake a cake for them for Christmas."
Isao groaned again at the thought of Christmas but soon had a rather good idea.
"Aino-san?" Blue eyes met silver, "If one were to have to make some food as an apology, what would one make?"
"Well, that seems to be an oddly asked question," Minako searched his face for an answer, knowing there was more to the story then just that, but sighed when she received none, "Well, if it were me, I'd want a cake! Cake solves everything, didn't you know?"
"Oh, alright then." Isao looked around the aisle they were in for a moment, thinking, "What if somebody has never made a cake before?"
The petite woman rolled her eyes, "I'm assuming that somebody is you?"
Before waiting for an answer, Minako grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the aisle and into another, "C'mon then, let's make you a cake."
...
Minako clicked on the radio before setting to the task at hand
Isao walked into the kitchen from the bathroom off the side of the living room, his hair now in a respectful fashion. He watched as his blonde TA danced around the kitchen, pulling things out of cabinets and putting them on the counter. The two had bought enough cake ingredients and decorations to feed an army at the grocery store and Minako had offered her place to cook it, seeing as Makoto had equipped the kitchen so it was fit for a professional. Isao was grateful to her for letting him having a place to cool down a little more before facing his roommates again. Plus he got to fix his hair, finally.
His eyes softened when she almost dropped the large bowl she had in her hands. She looked up at him with a smirk, proud of the fact that she had caught the large object.
Isao felt himself smile at the blonde. He walked over to the raised counter that the girls called their 'bar' and sat at one of their black barstools. From here he had a prime spot to observe the blonde's ministrations.
The blonde bustled around, measuring and stirring until a batter was made, big enough for two cakes. Minako stuck a finger into the batter and popped it into her mouth. Mischievous eyes looked to him as she gave a large 'yum.'
Isao let a chuckle slip past his lips.
She took out a pan shaped like a Christmas tree and another shaped like Santa Claus. Minako prepared to pour the batter in when she gave a large gasp of surprise.
Isao was startled by the gasp and gave her a questioning look. He was answered by Minako turning up the volume on the kitchen radio. The petite girl immediately began singing to the song.
"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away..."
Isao raised an eyebrow at Minako. The blonde girl continued, oblivious of the look he was giving her.
"This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special."
Minako had the batter in the pans and the pans in the oven before he could blink. She started to wash her dishes, glancing up at the silver haired man and catching the look on his face, "What, have you never heard this song?"
"Must I remind you that I don't enjoy Christmas, music included."
Incredulous eyes stared at him, "But-but, this song is a classic!"
Isao shrugged.
"Well, you're going to listen to the whole thing now. It's my favorite." Hopping up onto the counter, she turned her gaze from him to the fridge that was a few feet in front of her. Humming along softly to the song.
When the song was almost over, Minako turned and looked to her professor. She studied him with blue eyes before speaking.
"Actually, I bet if you gave me a chance, I could get you into the holiday spirit," Minako brushed her long hair behind her shoulder, "Now is the last time that anybody should be locking themselves indoors to do nothing but sit and brood in silence."
"I guarantee that from now until Christmas that everywhere you go you will be hearing Christmas music and seeing Christmas decorations." With a smile, she shot him a quick wink, "So what do you say?"
"I do not brood."
Minako rolled her eyes, "Okay, you shouldn't be holing yourself in your room, doing whatever it is that you do. Christmas is the season for friends, family, and loved ones. A season where you can celebrate the love that is shared between each other."
"Sounds an awful lot like Valentines Day," Isao said sourly.
"Don't tell me you don't like that holiday either!"
Isao merely looked at her and she threw her hands in the air, "Okay, grumpy-gills! There is something wrong with you."
Isao grit his teeth at the remark and looked away from the blonde.
Blue eyes took in his frown and she gave him a concern look. Minako opened her mouth but paused, wondering if she should dig deeper. She observed his troubled look and decided that if she could, she would wipe away that look
Her voice came out, soft and unsure, "Kitahoshi-sensei? What's the matter?"
Isao glanced at the blonde and quickly looked away again, clearing his throat, "Nothing Aino-san."
Minako rolled her eyes, "Bull shit, sensei."
The professor refused to meet her eyes, "Such foul words coming from such an young lady."
Minako huffed and jumped off the counter, walking around until she stood next to her professor. She grabbed his hands and pulled, causing him to stand and start walking in her direction.
She dragged him over to the flat's large L-shaped couch and pushed him down until he was sitting in the large pile of pillows they had accumulating on the couch. She went to sit next to him, not once letting go of his hands.
The petite girl situated herself until she had crossed her legs underneath her and was facing him, blue eyes bore into his, "Okay, spill."
"I don't understand-"
Minako cut him off, "Sensei! I know there has to be some reason that you dislike Christmas. You wouldn't hate something without reason, so I want you to tell me what's going on. Plus you still haven't told me why exactly you ran into me in such a huff earlier."
Isao had a moment of internal struggle. He didn't want to talk about his feelings. He barely spoke of his true feelings to his closest companions so why should he talk to a girl he had barely known a year?
But with her eyes staring at him with such an honest expression, he could tell that she really did care for him. For whatever reason, she really seemed to want to see him happy and Isao felt himself opening his mouth to respond to her question before his brain could catch up.
Isao shrugged his shoulders, pulling his hands from her grasp in one fluid movement. "Holidays just have never been a big deal in my life, really." As if to reassure himself, he shrugged once again before settling back into the cushion of the many pillows he was sitting against. "When you don't grow up with a real sense of family, such silly things aren't really all that important to you. It's certainly nothing to cause a fuss over."
"I just don't understand why people think that such a frivolous holiday is so important."
"And my housemates were annoying me to no end with all this Christmas nonsense.
His grey eyes were fixed on hers, not really able to read all the emotions that were swimming around in them; her eyes were usually like a crystal ball, you could see everything that she was feeling. He wanted to decipher everything he saw in her eyes, but he forced himself to turn away and stare at the coffee table in front of them.
Wanting to change the subject, hating himself for talking in such an intimate manner, he cleared his throat. "You should go check your cake. You wouldn't want it to burn."
She sat there for a moment, almost seeming to be hurt by his sudden dismissal of their conversation, but soon ran back to the kitchen to check on her confection that was cooking away in the oven.
Letting out his breath, that he hadn't realized he was holding, he raked a shaky hand through his platinum locks. He shouldn't have been so open.
Memories of Christmas in his childhood started to float around.
It had been so cold. Lonely.
Isao furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed a spot on his forehead. He would rather prefer that he didn't remember such pointless things.
The professor was shocked out of his memories by a wave of a petite hand.
"Hel-lo. Kitahoshi-sensei! Calling Kitahoshi Isao."
Isao growled and grabbed the offending hand out of his face. Minako gave him a soft smile, and squeezed his hand, "Lost in dreamland?"
Isao just gave her a look, his silver eyes cold, "Was the cake not done?" He removed his hand from hers.
Minako rolled her eyes at his blatant attempt to change subjects again, "A cake doesn't bake in five minutes."
Isao refused to meet the eyes that were searching for his. He wasn't surprised when she spoke up, "You know, sensei. I know that you probably think that it's none of my business, but you have people around you who care for you and dislike to see you this way."
Isao started to get up at her words but she put a hand on his arm. He stopped and looked down at his TA.
Minako gazed at him with soft eyes, "Sensei, the boys and my group care about you. We consider you a part of our odd family and we want to celebrate Christmas with you and show you how much you mean to us."
"And it'd be nice for you to show that you care for us too."
Anger bled through his being, he stood this time and faced the blonde, "I do-"
Minako grabbed his hand, "I know that you do care about us, but Christmas is the season of giving and whether you like it or not you can hurt people's feelings by being dead set against activities that give them joy." Her voice was soft and gentle, trying to get him to see her point.
Isao felt a retort die on his lips when his mind flashed back to his roommates and the despondent smiles they gave him when he refused their Christmas presents last year. Toshiko's sad eyes earlier today. Jared's moping around because he couldn't celebrate with his parents this year and knowing he wouldn't get one at his own home.
Minako squeezed his hand and searched for an answer with her blue eyes.
The professor said nothing and after a moment, he sat again beside her.
Minako gave him a bright smile, a smile that warmed his chest and places that hadn't felt warm in a long time. He gave her a small smile back.
"Alright! Now it's time for your Grinch rehabilitation!"
The petite girl laughed at the rolling of his eyes, "Hey, you can't do that! Rule number one! No rolling of the eyes when Christmas is mentioned!"
Time quickly went by; filled with Minako's treatment plan, her giggling, and Isao's introduction to many traditional Christmas activities including music, cake, games, and lastly, movies. There was many rules introduced during this time and Minako made Isao obey them all.
It was now well past midnight and 'The Year Without a Santa Claus' was playing on the television causing shadows to flicker in the dark living room. Minako had fallen asleep about half an hour ago and, in her sleep, had found Isao and had curled into him. Her head rested on his leg, blonde hair fanned out over his lap.
Isao had forgotten all about the movie and was now watching the girl asleep on his lap. She slept with a large smile on her face, Isao was sure she was the only person in this Earth that could do such a thing.
The professor found his fingers playing with her blonde tresses and marveled at the silkiness. His fingers ran smoothly through her hair, Minako gave a 'hm' in approval. Isao froze, hoping that he hadn't woken the petite girl, but chuckled when he realized she was still dead asleep.
The silver haired man noticed the credits scrolling down the television screen and decided that he should get Minako into her bed. He gently picked up her head and slowly set her down on the couch, allowing him to stand.
Isao stretched, hearing some pops and cracks as he did so. He had been sitting in the same position for too long. He looked down at sleeping girl and scooped her into his arms.
She snuggled into the embrace and grabbed a handful of his sweater. He paused and made sure she was still asleep before setting out to find her room.
The professor didn't have to look very far seeing as a large pink M was hung on her door, decorated his volley balls and daisies. He carefully opened the door and stepped into the room.
He took one step inside before stopping at a piece of green hanging from the ceiling.
Mistletoe.
Isao stood still for a moment staring at the greenery and then looked down at the girl in his arms.
He walked her over to her giant bed and placed the sleeping girl on top. Isao found a blanket at the end of the bed and placed it over Minako, gently tucking her in. The silver haired man chuckled at the Santa designs all over the blanket.
Isao tucked a blonde hair behind her ears with a gentleness that he didn't even know he possessed. He gazed at her serene face.
He couldn't tell what came over him in that split moment but Isao could not stop himself as he leaned down and softly brushed his lips over hers.
The professor lingered over her lips, enjoying the softness, before remembering his place.
Isao stood abruptly as Minako tossed in her sleep another smile breaking across her face.
The professor felt himself smile back. A real smile that started from somewhere in his chest and grew until the smile found its place on face.
He didn't really understand why he was acting in such an odd way.
Isao supposed he could just blame it all on the Christmas spirit he keeps hearing about.
There you go! Hope you enjoyed!
Happy Holidays~