(Mah epic biffle Katie asked for some fluff with her and Alfons, and is annoying me tonight, so I, uh, decided to put it up here. Shamelessly. I REGRET NOTHING, I TELL YOU.

The really ironic thing is I wrote most of this listening to Thousand Foot Krutch's new album, which is some serious major angst material. And it's my first time writing some actual just-fluff...

Katie belongs to herself...and Alfons....belongs to....whoever. Yes. :D)

alfons could see straight through katie's ulterior motive/scheme. and yet he fell for it Anyway.


Alfons liked to think of himself as someone with good taste.

Well, it was certainly a given- he had picked out the house, the paint, the kitchenware, the sinks, of all things, and most other things inhabiting the house, and, if he did say so himself, it matched quite nicely.

The squeal of excitement Katie had given when she first laid eyes on the house and the inside was an added bonus, of course. Of course.

So when he steps back, admiring the work he had been doing for the past hour and a half on the Christmas tree perched in the corner of the living room, he comes to the conclusion that he's done a pretty good job.

Christmas in this house was no easy task, though- especially with Katie, the girl who knows no bounds on anything and is constantly questioning everything.

Which means she also questions where Alfons has hidden the Christmas presents.

"Come onnnnn, Alfons, where'd you put them??"

"I'm not telling you, Katie."

"Damn!"

Though, Katie being her Katie self, she had persisted.

To the point of throwing cupcakes, cookies, various pieces of tinsel, and rubber ducks (Afons still isn't quite sure were she acquired the rubber ducks, but after all the years, he's learned not to question that anymore) at his head.

For once, he had actually ducked marvelously, but the aforementioned beings had slammed into the wall, and then Katie had mysteriously disappeared, leaving him to clean the wall.

"Y'know, you wouldn't have to if you'd just tell me where they are!" Katie had said (after miraculously reappearing from the kitchen, where she had been hoping to find presents shoved behind the pans in the cabinets), her arms crossed over her chest and a pout set over her lips as Alfons scrubbed at the wall.

"And what would the point of Christmas be then, hmm?" he had replied, giving her a shrewd look, and her pout increased.

"….hmph," she finally murmured, and stalked off to probably mutilate some cookies with copious amounts of chocolate sprinkles.

So now, Katie having gone out to buy stores out of half their inventory, Alfons had taken the time to start decorating the Christmas tree to complete the wonderland look of the house, and thinks his decorating skills are quite amazing.

The green giant looms in the corner of the living room, decked out in delicate red ornaments drizzled in various types of white and green designs, silver tinsel lacing over the branches, snowmen, stockings, candy canes and those little small strings of lights finalizing the look. Alfons smiles, taking in the full effect of the tree from across the room.

"Perfect," he murmurs softly, setting down the nearly empty box of candy canes on the table by the door. He takes a step forward just in time to avoid getting beamed by the door, which happens to be shoved open just at that moment, heralding the arrival of Katie into the house, laden with shopping bags and the sparkle in her eyes that only Christmas shopping could bring.

….or it was that mischievous glint that meant she was going to be hiding something sometime soon. They're quite close, and Alfons has never been able to differentiate between the two. They go quite well together, though.

"Afternoon, Fons!" she exclaims, kicking the door shut behind her and dropping all the bags on the floor. Alfons smiles again, taking a step back and pressing his lips against her cheek so he can turn her head in the direction of the tree.

"What do you think?"

"Alfons!" Katie breathes out, the lights from the tree brightening her eyes. "Dammit, man, you're genius!"

"Thank you," Alfons laughs softly, and Katie rushes over to the tree, pushing her hair behind her ears as she takes it in.

"It- it looks epic! Amazing! It's all sparkly and shiny and amazing!"

"I tried."

"I just have one question," Katie then says, turning around to blink at him, and Alfons raises an eyebrow, catching the look that's stealing her face.

"And that is?"

"….how many presents can fit underneath it?"

At that, Alfons sighs, hanging his head. I should've seen that one coming. "I'm not putting them underneath until Christmas Eve."

"Which is two days away!" Katie exclaims, skidding over to him and tugging at the front of his shirt. "I believe those circumstances demand present-putting."

"Not quite," Alfons replies, taking her hands and prying them off of his shirt. He brushes his thumbs over her fingers, tugging her hands upwards to kiss them softly. "You'll get them when you get them, Katie."

And then she tackles him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close to hug him tightly, pressing her face into his shirt.

So it doesn't really ruin the moment.

"You and your cuddliness!" she then shouts, and Alfons widens his eyes a bit. "I can't hurt you when you're all like that!"

Alfons laughs softly, wrapping his arms back around her. "Ha," he murmurs, and Katie pouts against him.

"Hmph."

"You'll find out on Christmas Eve! Wait until then, okay?"

"What if I can't? What if I like- explode or something? And then brainwashed flamingos and gnomes come to eat out my brains? Then what are you going to do, hmmm, Alfons?"

"Katie, I highly doubt that will happen."

"No, you have a highly doubtful imagination, that's what! No- no skill! You don't imagine the possibilities!"

"The possibilities of you exploding?"

"You never know, it could happen."

"It's about as likely as you getting your presents early."

"Then it's likely to happen!"

"You fickle, fickle woman."

"Thank you."

"So what did you buy?" Alfons then asks, peering around Katie's shoulder, and she steps back, grinning as she retrieves the bags from the floor.

"Presents!" she exclaims, her eyes glittering. "Presents for you! Presents for you that you won't get to open until Christmas now! Take that, my dear Fons!"

With that, Katie skips past Alfons and around the corner of the living room, going down the hallway. Alfons simply stands there, still trying to process exactly what's just happened.

Wait….for me? All of them?

Dear Lord, she looks like she's bought out half the stores she went to….that vindictive woman! Conniving woman!

that lovely, beautiful vindictively conniving woman, but either way!

Alfons sighs, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and snatching his coat from beside the door, picking up his keys.

She should be glad I have good taste. Quite glad I have good taste.

God, do I love her.

Which is why Alfons is smiling as he steps out of the house, shutting the door with a snap behind him.