A/N: This special Secret Santa oneshot is a gift for... Shimmerleaf! :D
It's mainly about Luna and Candace, but includes a lot of characters of Castanet, and some lovely noncanon pairings. Because I heard these were some of your favorite, Shimmerleaf!
I was going to try writing about the Starry Night Festival, but Christmas ideas kept popping into my head until I couldn't take it anymore. And this was the first humor/romance story I've ever written, so hopefully it worked!
By the way, I have no idea how old Bo is. I thought he was around twelve, but people seem to like him paired up with Luna, who is marriageable (albeit very young in appearance), so in this story I declare him around seventeen.
I need to stop with these enormous author's notes.
-Cotton Candy Mareep
A Castanet Christmas Eve
Castanet was a winter wonderland this time of year.
A fine layer of newly fallen snow lined the streets of Harmonica Town, piled up on sidewalks and tree branches like mounds of marshmallow fluff, only a whole lot colder and a lot less sticky. Each building was frosted and decorated to the point of resembling an elaborate gingerbread house. Rays of the freshly risen sun reflected off the snow's surface, making it look as if the entire world were coated in a layer of tiny, sparkling ice diamonds.
Despite the sunlight, the breeze had a wintry chill, but inside the home of Castanet's finest mayor, it was comfortable and warm. A Christmas wreath was hung over the door, cookies were baking in the oven, and the whole house smelled of peppermint.
"Merry Christmas, my boy!"
Mayor Hamilton whipped open the bedroom door, a twinkle in his eye and a large red Santa hat perched atop his head. A very sleepy young man inside the room, the mayor's own son, groaned from within the comfort of his bedcovers. His voice sounded strangled, as if he were making a sincere effort to hold back his annoyance.
"Father, please… I-It's not even Christmas yet."
Hamilton laughed a uniquely jolly-sounding laugh that resounded throughout the room, reminiscent of a certain bearded man in a large red suit. "It's Christmas Eve, and that's almost as good! Oh, the surprises I have planned for tonight…"
His son Gill raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"What are you going to do?"
Hamilton only chuckled once more in response. "Oh, Gilly-Gilly, you'll see…You will all see soon enough…"
He tottered out the door, still bearing a secretive grin, and Gill sighed before letting his head fall back onto the pillow with a soft thunk. Sometimes he just didn't know what to do about his father… That man and those crazy ideas that somehow worked their way into his mind.
As the winter sun rose higher over the land of Castanet, the two young tailors of Harmonica Town were just getting ready for a very special night. Or at least, one of them was.
Luna was already wearing an extravagant Lolita-style red dress for the occasion, and was currently standing in front of the mirror affixing matching flowers into her vivid pink hair, which was carefully curled, put into her usual enormous twin pigtails, and sprayed with a thick coating of hairspray to attain maximum volume.
Her elder sister Candace, however, had dressed into her usual drab blue outfit, and was in the process of making the beds just as their grandmother entered the room.
Shelly smiled at the two girls. "I see you're getting ready for the big night! The Christmas Eve party is tonight at the Brass Bar! I won't be going of course- my days for that have long passed by- but I'm sure two lovely girls such as yourselves will have a grand old time!"
Luna nodded her head in agreement, now attempting to replace a flower that had refused to stick into her hair correctly. "Oh, yes, I'm really excited!" She glanced toward her sister. "And I'm sure Candace is, too."
As their grandmother exited the room, Luna whipped around to face her sister with what seemed like an entire bouquet of flowers affixed to her pigtails. Giving Candace a quick once-over, the pink-haired girl's eyes narrowed in the slightest sense of disapproval.
"That's what you're wearing tonight, Candace?"
The blue-haired girl glanced down at her usual loose-fitting navy cardigan and shapeless, knee-length plaid skirt. She didn't see anything the matter with it.
"Ahem… yes?"
Luna frowned. "But… don't you want to wear something nice for the party? Something special?"
Candace seemed to shrink under her younger sister's vaguely accusatory glare. "Umm… I-I wasn't even planning on going, t-to be quite honest..."
Luna crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Excuse me? But... Candace, this is going to be a lot of fun! You never get out and have any fun, you just sit indoors all day and sew! Don't you ever get sick of it?"
Candace shrugged. "I-I don't mind… honestly, Luna."
To her faint surprise, Luna ran up to her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in her own.
"I just want you to be happy, Candace. You're my big sister." She took a step back, refusing to meet the blue-haired girl's gaze. "Sometimes I worry about you, is all."
Candace gaped as Luna trotted back across the room to apply some more mascara to her eyelashes. Maybe she would go to the Christmas Eve party with her sister, after all. She would try, just for Luna.
At that very moment, two other Castanet villagers were debating that very same Christmas Eve party. The two young carpenters of the Garmon Mine District, Luke and Bo, sat idly at the kitchen table. Well, Luke did, anyway.
The blue-haired young man leaned back in his chair, his feet kicked up on the table, munching a banana as he watched Bo set to work wrapping gifts in red wrapping paper patterned with candy canes. Bo glanced up to see Luke staring at him.
"You're taking me to the party, right?"
Luke grinned. "Well, duh. I wouldn't go off to have fun on Christmas Eve, while you sit here all alone! How sad would that be?"
"But… Dale's here."
Luke rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant. Besides, isn't there someone special you want to see at the party?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the small package Bo was currently in the process of wrapping.
"…What?" the other boy said absentmindedly.
Luke reached forward and prodded him in the ribs teasingly with a fingertip. "A certain girl…"
Bo groaned and shoved Luke's hand away. "Urgh, Luke, you're hopeless."
His blue-haired buddy smirked. "At least I'm not…hopelessly in love!"
"Oh, please," Bo complained, "That was just awful. And I'm not in love with anyone!"
"Sure, Bo. Sure. I'll believe it when I see it!" Luke said, waving his banana in the air to emphasize his case.
"Wait… what? Luke, you don't even make any sense."
Ah, but that was just the way Luke was, as Bo should have already realized by now.
Luke glanced down again and snorted, taking another bite of his banana. "You're wrapping a pie for her?"
Bo blushed slightly. "Umm… yeah."
His blue-haired counterpart merely shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder about you…"
This time it was Bo's turn to snort. "I could say the same about you, ya know."
"Touché."
They sat in silence for a moment, but for the sound of Luke's banana-munching, until Bo finished wrapping the pie package and pulled another, smaller box from his pocket, which he placed on the table to wrap next.
Luke's eyes widened. "Hey… what's that one? I didn't see that package earlier."
Bo didn't look up. "That's because I just bought it."
"Well… is it for her?"
The blond boy sighed and lifted the lid from the tiny box. Luke leaned forward in his chair to get a better look, and gasped.
"Whoa, Bo… where did you find that?"
"Actually, I didn't find it myself. I bought it from Mira. And it took about all my yearly savings to pay for it, pretty much." He pulled the box away and continued wrapping it, while Luke studied his face carefully.
"So… you must be pretty serious about this girl, huh?"
Bo lifted his head to look Luke straight in the eye, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. "Yeah."
If only this would be enough to show her. Bo could only hope that this might finally be the night to let her know his true feelings. She was so beautiful, proud and independent, so elegant, and he had admired her from afar for ages. But this was just the night to change that.
Luke grinned at his fellow carpenter. "Aaaaww… little Bo's in love!"
Bo sighed. Not this again.
"Care for a drink?"
"I'll just have a cola, thanks."
The Christmas Eve party at the Brass Bar had begun, and already Bo was having some second guesses.
He sat at the bar counter alone, waiting for a certain someone to turn up at the party, while the barmaid Kathy trotted off to get his drink. A slightly smushed package in red candy cane-patterned wrapping paper sat on the counter in front of him.
Down at the other end of the counter, the mayor's son Gill sat reading a book, of all things, and didn't pay a single glance to the young carpenter. Nor did anyone else, for that matter.
The waitress quickly returned with his glass of soda and set it on the counter in front of him, beside the slightly crumpled gift. A smirk played on her face.
"Aren't you a little young to be out this late at a party?"
Bo rolled his eyes. "I am a teenager. And Luke's here, anyway."
Kathy snorted. "Yeah, because Luke is such a mature, responsible role model."
She said these words with a tone of contempt, gesturing toward the corner of the room where Luke was demonstrating his most extreme axe chop, complete with sound effects, to his buddy Owen, who was looking awfully tipsy as he downed another cocktail in a single gulp. Kathy sighed and rolled her eyes.
"That's Owen's fifth cocktail tonight, already… and Luke's getting a little rowdy. I'd better go keep those two under control…"
She stalked away with a huff, leaving Bo by himself. He lifted the second, tiny package from his pocket and stared at it in his hands. Maybe he shouldn't have come to the party, after all… he had the worst feeling that he was just going to embarrass himself.
The Brass Bar was completely decorated for the occasion. Christmas trees sat in every corner, festooned with candy canes and little glass ornaments, and gave the whole room a clean, piney scent. Stockings were hung over the bar's brand-new fireplace, and the adventurer Calvin was strumming his guitar to the tune of 'Deck the Halls.'
But this didn't affect Bo, as he paid the festivities around him only limited attention. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was getting his present to her in one piece.
Unfortunately, he was so consumed in his own thoughts, he didn't even turn around in time to see that she had finally arrived to the party.
And so, when he finally snatched up the gifts and his glass of soda to perhaps join Luke at his table for the time being (and maybe keep a watchful eye on him, as well), seeing her standing directly in front of him as he turned around came as a complete and unexpected shock.
He was so shocked, in fact, that he jumped, and the glass of soda left his hands… to empty itself directly onto her.
Luna's eyes widened in pure horror, and she stuttered. "M-My… my dress! This is silk!"
Bo, who had bent over to pick up the present he had also dropped, flushed hot with embarrassment. "Oh my Goddess, Luna, I-I'm so sorry!"
Shoving the now extra-crumpled gift into his pocket, he hurriedly rushed back to the other end of the bar counter, knocking into a near half-dozen partygoers in the process, and grabbed a fistful of red and green napkins adorned with images of happy snowmen and penguins.
Bo pressed these to her dress, and though the smiling white snowmen on the napkins turned a soggy shade of brown, it did almost nothing to prevent the intimidating stain from spreading across Luna's chest.
Luna gasped with indignation. "Bo…!"
Bo looked down and, realizing just where his hands were, blushed a new level of crimson. Luna looked about ready to smack him, and honestly, he was mentally smacking himself.
Shoving him away and stomping childishly across the room in the direction of the door, Luna left Bo staring after her with wide eyes, a wad of soaked Christmas napkins dripping in his hands.
Bo sighed. He had really messed up this time.
Luna and Candace had arrived to the Brass Bar nearly an hour previously.
Candace had seen Luna stomping off somewhere about half an hour ago, her face red and flustered.
And now, Candace was left alone at the bar, feeling increasingly awkward by the second. Luna had insisted that Candace wear a large black headband adorned with a sprig of holly to the party. She said it was 'to get into the holiday spirit,' but in reality, it just made Candace feel ridiculous.
The blue-haired girl glanced around the room with wary eyes. Calvin was playing some Christmas song on his guitar, and Selena was dancing to the beat in her gaudy, bell-adorned belly dancing attire that made Candace feel uncomfortable just by looking at it. Luke and Owen were in the corner by one of the big decorated trees, watching Selena's dance moves intently, and Gill was sitting with a book in his lap further down the counter, looking rather bored.
In the opposite corner, Candace caught sight of cheery Maya smiling and laughing with the Brass Bar's chef, Chase, who looked just as uncomfortable and vaguely irritated as Candace felt.
The waitress approached her at the counter. "Would you like a cocktail?"
Candace jumped at the voice, and, upon registering what had been said, shook her head fervently. "Oh...Oh, no… Thanks, anyway…"
Kathy shrugged. "Suit yourself. Personally, I think a good drink every once in a while can really calm your nerves, relieve your stress. Not every day though, of course."
"Oh…" Candace responded, "Well… I don't drink."
"Oh, that's a shame…" She left to take an order from the mayor's son. Candace sighed to herself, and finally decided to go do something, instead of sitting around lonely and bored all night. But what was there for her to do? Being so painfully shy, Candace wasn't much of a people-person, and her sister Luna was nowhere to be found.
Making a quick decision, the blue-haired girl wandered off to inspect the many adornments that decorated the bar, and eventually found herself in the kitchen, of all places.
But to her surprise, she wasn't alone there.
Candace took a step back, planning to back out of the kitchen quickly and quietly. However, Chase must have heard her come in, for he raised her voice to speak to her without bothering to turn around.
"Can I help you?"
Despite her discomfort, Candace couldn't help but feel intrigued. What was the chef doing in here? She had just seen him outside with Maya not too long ago.
He turned to look her in the face before she could work up the courage to ask him anything. "You're not much into parties, are you."
It was a statement, not a question. Candace nodded her head shyly, and he smiled bitterly. "That's all right… Neither am I."
He gestured toward the table. "Have a seat."
She did.
They stared at each other for a bit, until Chase said, "Nice headband."
Candace lifted a hand to her hair, her fingers gently brushing the large sprig of holly attached to the headband, and blushed. "Um... th-thank you."
"…I suppose you'd like some tea, or something?"
Candace nodded, stroking one of her loose braids nervously. "Oh… Oh, yes… that would be very nice, thank you..."
Chase narrowed his eyes at her, before turning toward the cupboard. "You don't have to be so nervous around me… I won't hurt you or anything."
Candace blushed, while Chase pretended not to notice and pulled a jar of tea leaves and herbs from the cupboard. He set them down on the counter, along with a small metal pot with a wooden handle. Candace watched out of the corner of her eye as Chase filled the pot with water and brought it to a boil, allowing the leaves and herbs to simmer inside. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the scent of herbal tea, and Candace managed a small, hesitant smile as Chase set a tea-filled mug in front of her without a word.
For himself, however, Chase poured a glass of orange juice from the fridge, and downed it in a single gulp.
Candace took this as a chance to finally speak up on her own, her voice wavering. "You…You like oranges, then?"
Chase raised an eyebrow, and she blushed awkwardly. "I-I mean… you like orange juice, obviously… and…"
He nodded, still staring at her with a gaze that made her feel more uncomfortable than she had felt in quite some time. And that was saying something.
"Wonderful observation, my dear. Yeah, I like oranges… orange juice, orange cake, orange pie, orange ice cream, oranges, you name it."
They sat in silence for another minute. "So… um, what are you d-doing in here? Why… why aren't you out with everyone else for the party?"
Chase crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned backward against the kitchen counter. "I could ask you the same thing. Why exactly have you wandered into the kitchen in the first place? I don't think it was to see me."
Candace blushed scarlet as she sipped her tea. "I-I don't know," she mumbled. "Umm… But really, why aren't you out in the dining room? I-I just saw you out there with Maya."
Chase rolled his eyes. "Well, there you go. There's your answer. I can only handle so much Maya."
"Oh."
Candace had been playing with her braid so much that the hair had unwoven between her fingers. Her heart was beating fast, so fast, and she didn't know why exactly she was feeling so extra nervous around the chef. He was just another guy, right? So what if he had pretty eyes… or cute barrettes in his hair…
Chase tilted his head in his inspection of her, eyes narrowed. "You don't look all that great, Candace… maybe you should just go home."
Candace could barely speak, and she mumbled an indistinct reply. Feeling a sudden burst of sympathy, Chase sighed and said, "Here… I'll take you home myself."
Candace stared down at the mug clasped between her hands. "B-But… what about your work here? A-And I… um…"
The chef interrupted her. "It's not a big deal, Candace. It'll be quick. You don't live far, right?"
The blue-haired tailor nodded. "Y-Yes… maybe that would be best." She was never a fan of parties, anyway. So when Chase took her hand in his own to lead her out the door, she didn't object, but rather blushed quite vividly and hoped that she wouldn't faint on the way back home.
Truthfully, Luna didn't know just why she was quite so mad at Bo. He wasn't a bad guy. Really. But something about him just… urgh.
You have to admit you like him, said the voice inside her head. He's really quite sweet, and rather muscular from all that carpentry work, and so awkwardly cute! You can't deny it.
"Can't deny it…" Luna muttered aloud, "Ha! Watch me!"
Sure, maybe he was okay, for a boy that age. But he wasn't her type at all, right? And he just spilled cola all over her new silk dress, which was both irritating and embarrassing. And he touched her chest. Doubly embarrassing. Luna fumed at the very thought.
So Luna had stormed out of the Brass Bar, ignoring the surprised stares from the partygoers around her. Immediately, a gust of icy wind and snow hit her directly in the face. She flinched at the impact, but took a deep breath and stepped out into the cold, leaving the festive noise and warmth of the Brass Bar far behind. Marching through the thick snow into the road, and disregarding the frozen wetness that seeped between her toes, Luna began making her way back toward Sonata Tailoring.
And that's when she heard the shouting from behind her, carried on by the wind.
"Luna!"
She stopped in her tracks and turned around, giving him the time to catch up to her.
"Hey...Luna!"
He had one slightly crushed present clutched against his chest, holding on to it as if it were his life source. Luna couldn't help but smile, though she managed to conceal her smirk with a halfhearted frown.
"Bo…what are you doing?"
He was out of breath from chasing her through the piles of snow, which were steadily growing in height and width. "I… I… I just wanted to apologize!"
He wiped some snowflakes out if his eye and shivered. "I'm sorry for ruining your dress, Luna. Honestly. And um, you know... that other thing. I-I'm so clumsy and stupid and… urgh!"
Luna tilted her head, trying to ignore the spark of sympathy growing in her heart, though it wasn't working. "And… that's it?"
"No." He lifted the gift-wrapped box. "I-I made you something. I heard it was one of your favorite dishes."
Without a word, Luna accepted the gift from Bo's outstretched hands and stared at it in wonder. "This… this is for me?"
"Yeah…"
Luna carefully tore the wrapping paper from the gift box, shielding it from the falling snow, and lifted the lid. The smell of fresh baked goods entered her nose. It was a pumpkin pie.
Sure, the pie was flattened on one end, and some of the filling was leaking out, and the crust looked a little burnt around the edges, but pumpkin pie had always been one of her favorites. And it was for her. Luna couldn't even remember the last time a boy had ever gone out of his way to give her something- not unless you counted the constant, unwanted fashion advice that Julius gave her every time he came into the shop.
Luna smiled at Bo, a genuine smile that made the carpenter feel as if he had finally done something right for a change. "Thank you!"
Bo shrugged nervously. "I know I'm not the best baker…"
The pink-haired girl shook her head. "Oh, no… this is fine! It's great! In fact, that was really sweet of you, Bo. "
Bo grinned and took Luna's hand in his own. "C'mon… let's get back to the party. Maybe you can... you can try to fix your dress in the bathroom, or something. And you can try my gift." He laughed. "Aha... Hopefully the pie is actually edible."
To her surprise, Luna found that she didn't care whether or not the pie was actually any good. Because it was the thought that counted, right?
Candace and Chase made their way through the snow, hand in hand. It had been snowing quite hard not too long ago, but now the flurry had let up, and only a few stray snowflakes still fell through the sky.
"Well, we're here." Chase stopped walking and turned toward her. Their hands were still entwined, and Candace blushed. Goddess, she was blushing more than usual... what was wrong with her?
Candace felt a snowflake land on her cheek. Chase must have seen it, because he lifted his free hand and brushed it away with a finger. Candace shivered, though from the cold or Chase's touch, she couldn't tell.
They were right outside her house, but for some reason, Candace didn't want to go home. In fact, she was quite content to stand out here in the snow all night, hand in hand with this boy...
He was staring at her, and something in his expression had changed. She's definitely pretty, he thought. And actually really sweet under all that shyness... If only I could get her to open up more...
Quickly making his decision, Chase leaned in closer, much to the girl's surprise. And the next thing either of them knew, there was no space between them. His arms were around her, hands at her waist. His lips were on hers.
Candace froze on the spot. She wanted to pull back, run away, curl up on the ground, do something, but his lips felt so warm against the chill of the night air… so inviting.
After a few moments, he pulled back, and Candace swayed once on the spot, before tipping over into the snow.
Jin had just been sorting through paperwork in the Choral Clinic, as usual, a mug of steaming green tea perched on the desk next to him. He knew there was currently a holiday party going on at the Brass Bar, but Jin had never been one for such boisterous occasions. He preferred instead to sit quietly at the clinic, reflecting on past times, pen scribbling musically across paper… because work at a clinic was never completely over. Even at Christmas, people could still get sick, or injured, or… they could faint.
"What happened?"
Chase stared off pointedly out the window, as if pretending he couldn't hear the doctor's question. Although Jin knew better than that.
"Chase…?" Jin prompted.
The chef rolled his eyes. "She fainted… obviously."
Jin sighed and lifted one hand to readjust his glasses. There was no use arguing with the sarcastic chef.
"Well, bring her in here for me, would you?"
He led Chase into the examination room and turned on a light, as Chase stepped in to set Candace down on the bed.
Jin had just bent down to examine the fainted girl when her eyelids fluttered, and then she jumped straight up in bed, eyes wide with shock. "Umm... What happened? Wh-Why am I in the clinic?"
Then she caught sight of the man standing behind Jin, fiddling with one of the barrettes in his hair, and remembered everything. Candace blushed, expecting him to make fun of her, or yell at her even, but instead, he smiled.
Jin raised his eyebrows. "Well, she seems perfectly fine now... I'll go through a few simple tests, just to make sure, but she seems all right."
After a minute, the doctor declared Candace safe to leave. Chase nodded and turned toward the blue-haired girl."So, now that we know you're all right... perhaps you want to go back to the party?"
To her surprise, Candace found that that was exactly what she wanted to do. "That sounds nice, Chase."
Jin watched the couple leave, hands clasped together, and shook his head, before returning to his desk and taking another sip of green tea. Young love...
Though Jin wasn't that much older than them himself, many years had passed since he was last newly in love. But he could still recall the feelings associated with it- the nervousness, the excitement, the happiness.
And although those feelings were not new for him and had left him long ago, after she had left his side, Jin knew she was still with him all the same. She would always have a place in his heart.
Mayor Hamilton chuckled to himself as he buttoned up his enormous red suit, complete with matching hat and large white beard. Fake, of course.
'Oh, this is going to be fantastic,' he said to himself. Gill was going to be simply amazed at what his old dad could accomplish!
He continued to chuckle as he quickly smoothed out the creases in his suit and straightened out his beard in the mirror before making his way out the door, headed straight for the Brass Bar.
Luna and Bo were seated at a small table in the Brass Bar, hand in hand, listening as Calvin played 'Jingle Bell Rock' on his guitar. A small, half-eaten pumpkin pie sat on the table beside them.
"Wait… Luna, I just remembered- I have another present for you!"
In all the previous excitement, Bo had forgotten the second, distinctly smaller gift hidden deep within his back pocket. Hopefully he hadn't crushed it, like he did with the pie. He pulled the tiny package from his pocket and placed it shyly into Luna's hands.
Her eyes widened in wonder, and she gently ripped the wrapping paper from the box and lifted its lid. One glance inside, and she let out a squeal.
"Oh, Bo… it-it's beautiful!"
With steady fingers, Luna lifted the fragile silver necklace from its place in the box, leaning forward to examine the sparkling diamond pendant attached to the chain. Her eyes shone with gratitude- and a little something else, too.
"Thank you!"
Instantly, Luna felt a twinge of regret that she had not even thought of getting a gift for Bo, when he obviously cared for her a lot more than she had originally expected. And that's when an idea popped into her head.
Luna leaned forward to press her lips against Bo's cheek, causing the blond boy to blush a deep crimson and stutter awkwardly.
"Erm… I-I think you missed, Luna."
"Oh?"
Bo lifted a hand to Luna's cheek and turned her face toward him, leaning in to press his lips to hers. And she didn't resist.
"Aaaaaww!"
A familiar voice interrupted their romantic scene, and both Bo and Luna whipped around, their cheeks flushed. Bo groaned.
"Luke!"
"I knew it!" The blue-haired boy punched the air in triumph. "Bo is in love! Hahaha!"
Bo and Luna stared at him, before turning back to each other with grins on their faces.
"Well..."
"That was..."
"Interesting."
Candace sat watching the scene from her seat near the fireplace, a mug of herbal tea clasped in her hands. There was no fire in the fireplace, as Mayor Hamilton had suddenly declared fires a safety hazard, but it was cozy and warm nonetheless.
Chase sat beside her, a slightly smug grin on his face. The blue-haired girl turned toward him.
"I-Isn't that cute, Chase?"
Chase was just opening his mouth to reply when there came a commotion from the fireplace next to them.
"Wh-What the…?"
A pair of legs came crashing down from the empty fireplace, followed by a short, stout body dressed all in red. The bar went utterly silent. Luna froze in the middle of tying her new diamond pendant around her neck, and Calvin abruptly stopped playing in the middle of his song. Everyone stared in shock at the man who had come down the chimney.
It was... Mayor Hamilton.
Gill caught sight of his father, covered from head to toe in dust and chuckling incessantly, and released a sigh heavy with irritation. His voice was tight as he emphasized each word.
"Father. What. Exactly. Are. You. Doing?"
Hamilton, oblivious to his son's embarrassment, let out a few hearty "Ho Ho Ho"s.
"Oh, don't you see, Gilligan? This was my Christmas surprise! Why… I'm Santa Claus!"
Gill gaped at his father, while a few other partygoers stifled their giggles.
"You're… Santa Claus."
Hamilton merely grinned merrily and raised his arms into the air, completely disregarding the tone of contempt in his son's voice.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!"
Candace turned to Chase, her eyes wide. "What-"
The chef merely smirked. "Well… this has certainly been an interesting Christmas Eve, wouldn't you agree?"
Nearby, Bo nodded, his arm around Luna's waist. "You can say that again." Luna simply shook her head, the trace of a grin on her face.
Behind them, Hamilton had tottered off to bug Maya for Christmas cookies; Luke was urging Gill to join him at a table with Owen, Kathy, and Selena; and the quiet couple Toby and Renee could be seen stealing a few kisses under the mistletoe. Calvin shrugged and continued playing where he had left off, while the rest of the Castanet partygoers went back to their previous conversations.
Yes, there was no denying it- it certainly had been an interesting Christmas Eve. A night full of surprises, and romance, and good cheer. In the wise words of Mayor Hamilton, dressed in a Santa suit and artificial white beard:
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
A/N: Okay, so I looked at your wish list, Shimmerleaf, and saw that you liked the villagers of Castanet, a romance/humor theme set in winter, LunaxBo, CandacexChase, Jin, and mentions of Hamilton. Hopefully you liked how this turned out!
Have a good holiday, everyone! And I seriously hope you enjoyed this, Shimmerleaf!
-Cotton Candy Mareep