"Omi, throw those birds away!"
Omi laughed, his arms full of fake birds, their wire feet tangled, ribbons mussed, feathers crooked. "I don't think so, Ken-kun. I'm keeping them." He stuck out his tongue at the older boy, and scampered off to hide the birds safely in his room.
Ken mock-glowered at him, but couldn't follow,because he was standing at the window with his arms full of garland. Youji was at the other end of said garland, standing on a stool to tack the festive decoration over the window. He took the last pin out from between clenched teeth and spoke.
"The chibi's having quite a lot of fun decorating. Where did you guys dig up these things?"
"Momoe-san got them out from somewhere. More and more people are celebrating Christmas, so she suggested we decorate. The birds -- well, they're starting to go moldy, and Aya's allergic, I'm sure."
Youji rolled his eyes. "That boy's allergic to damn near everything. It's a good thing he's not allergic to greenery."
"Youji..."
With that, the door opened and Aya entered, carrying large boxes of holly, evergreen, and the like. Ken immediately left his station by the window to help the redhead with the unwieldy boxes.
"Gha! Ken, garland!" Youji staggered, trying to keep his balance on the stool and keep the garland attached to the wall after the sudden weight shift.
"I've got it, Youji-kun," Omi said, reappearing from upstairs, this time sans birds.
"Thanks, chibi." He picked another pin out from his mouth. "Nearly swallowed this blasted thing." He shot a look at Ken over his sunglasses.
Ken smirked, and set the boxes down on the counter. He spoke to Aya, who was taking off the long woolen scarf and coat.
"It's still cold out there, huh? At least the snow's settled down." Aya brushed the last few flakes from his hair, scowling at them. Ken turned back to the rest of them. "Where are the lights?"
"I brought the first box down," Omi replied. "The second one is at the top of the stairs. It has all the colored lights."
"Just put up the white lights for now," Aya instructed. "We'll see how far we get with those first."
It took them two hours to put up the lights. It would have been less, but Ken managed to get himself tangled in the lights not once but twice, Omi and Aya taking over the job before he could manage to do it a third time.
"Ne, chibi, are you sure you used enough lights? It only looks like it'll blow a fuse or two." Youji teased, looking at the inordinately large number of lights plugged into the cord.
"Youji." Omi rolled his eyes and plugged in the lights.
The shop was plunged into darkness.
"Aack! It's not my fault! I swear!"
"You sure about that, Omittchi?"
"Yes! And don't call me that!"
Youji and Omi's bickering voices stopped as Aya spoke.
"Oops. I seem to have accidentally leaned against the lightswitch. Sorry about that." A slight movement was heard, and then Aya's smirking face could be seen in the glow of the lights.
Omi gave him a mock glare and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Aya. Mou... But it does look good."
Indeed it did. The white lights glistened softly, outlining the window, counters and small tree. They made the holly leaves in the garland shine a deep green, leaving small reflections of the pert red berries. The glittery fake snow in the window twinkled merrily, looking for all the world like the real thing.
"It looks beautiful," Ken murmured. "It's hard to believe we managed to come out with something like this."
"Of course, this means there'll be a lot more orders and a lot more girls." Youji reminded them. They all groaned slightly, imagining the hordes of girls tomorrow would bring.
"I guess the best recourse for it is to simply turn in early." Youji said with a mock sigh. Omi let out a giggly squeal as he was picked up and slung over Youji's shoulder. "And that means you especially, chibi."
Ken and Aya chuckled as Youji bounded up the stairs with his prize.
"Just watch out for those birds, Youji!" Ken called.
"What birds? I -- gha!"
Omi laughed, his arms full of fake birds, their wire feet tangled, ribbons mussed, feathers crooked. "I don't think so, Ken-kun. I'm keeping them." He stuck out his tongue at the older boy, and scampered off to hide the birds safely in his room.
Ken mock-glowered at him, but couldn't follow,because he was standing at the window with his arms full of garland. Youji was at the other end of said garland, standing on a stool to tack the festive decoration over the window. He took the last pin out from between clenched teeth and spoke.
"The chibi's having quite a lot of fun decorating. Where did you guys dig up these things?"
"Momoe-san got them out from somewhere. More and more people are celebrating Christmas, so she suggested we decorate. The birds -- well, they're starting to go moldy, and Aya's allergic, I'm sure."
Youji rolled his eyes. "That boy's allergic to damn near everything. It's a good thing he's not allergic to greenery."
"Youji..."
With that, the door opened and Aya entered, carrying large boxes of holly, evergreen, and the like. Ken immediately left his station by the window to help the redhead with the unwieldy boxes.
"Gha! Ken, garland!" Youji staggered, trying to keep his balance on the stool and keep the garland attached to the wall after the sudden weight shift.
"I've got it, Youji-kun," Omi said, reappearing from upstairs, this time sans birds.
"Thanks, chibi." He picked another pin out from his mouth. "Nearly swallowed this blasted thing." He shot a look at Ken over his sunglasses.
Ken smirked, and set the boxes down on the counter. He spoke to Aya, who was taking off the long woolen scarf and coat.
"It's still cold out there, huh? At least the snow's settled down." Aya brushed the last few flakes from his hair, scowling at them. Ken turned back to the rest of them. "Where are the lights?"
"I brought the first box down," Omi replied. "The second one is at the top of the stairs. It has all the colored lights."
"Just put up the white lights for now," Aya instructed. "We'll see how far we get with those first."
It took them two hours to put up the lights. It would have been less, but Ken managed to get himself tangled in the lights not once but twice, Omi and Aya taking over the job before he could manage to do it a third time.
"Ne, chibi, are you sure you used enough lights? It only looks like it'll blow a fuse or two." Youji teased, looking at the inordinately large number of lights plugged into the cord.
"Youji." Omi rolled his eyes and plugged in the lights.
The shop was plunged into darkness.
"Aack! It's not my fault! I swear!"
"You sure about that, Omittchi?"
"Yes! And don't call me that!"
Youji and Omi's bickering voices stopped as Aya spoke.
"Oops. I seem to have accidentally leaned against the lightswitch. Sorry about that." A slight movement was heard, and then Aya's smirking face could be seen in the glow of the lights.
Omi gave him a mock glare and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Aya. Mou... But it does look good."
Indeed it did. The white lights glistened softly, outlining the window, counters and small tree. They made the holly leaves in the garland shine a deep green, leaving small reflections of the pert red berries. The glittery fake snow in the window twinkled merrily, looking for all the world like the real thing.
"It looks beautiful," Ken murmured. "It's hard to believe we managed to come out with something like this."
"Of course, this means there'll be a lot more orders and a lot more girls." Youji reminded them. They all groaned slightly, imagining the hordes of girls tomorrow would bring.
"I guess the best recourse for it is to simply turn in early." Youji said with a mock sigh. Omi let out a giggly squeal as he was picked up and slung over Youji's shoulder. "And that means you especially, chibi."
Ken and Aya chuckled as Youji bounded up the stairs with his prize.
"Just watch out for those birds, Youji!" Ken called.
"What birds? I -- gha!"