this was written for the hunter x hunter secret santa 2015 for notallduelists on tumblr, who i would link but their tumblr isnt active any more and i dont know their current url (if there is any)
i forgot to post it until now, when i was going through my hxh folder lol. i hope you enjoy!
Driving in winter was hell – the traffic, the snow, the cold. Walking from the (frozen) parking lot and into the store was like walking through a blizzard, and he had to take a minute to brush stray snowflakes from his blond hair before continuing. Shopping in winter was hell, too. Last minute shoppers like himself frantically picking over toys and candies and clothes, searching for that perfect gift. Every year, it seemed, time just slipped away from him and he was stuck spending an entire day store-hopping to find presents.
This year, however, he was not the only one late; Senritsu had called him a week before, and (after the usual long "how are you?") they made plans to do the gift-hunting together.
They hadn't planned for snow, though.
"The news yesterday had said a slight chance for snow." Senritsu commented, brushing white off her pale blue jacket. Her gray hair was hidden beneath a matching blue hat.
"Two inches overnight calls for more than a slight chance." Kurapika grabbed a cart, stripping off his coat and throwing it in the basket.
"Gon and Killua seemed pleased at least. Alluka too."
Kurapika thought back to the children's excitement. They hadn't gotten snow the previous year, and so the flurry of white outside was like a new adventure–especially to Alluka, who couldn't remember the last winter they had gotten snow. He could imagine them now, wrapped in thick coats and long scarves, gloves forgotten inside, snow caked into their hair.
"I bet they're having fun." Kurapika said.
"I'm sure they are," Senritsu smiled up at him. "And now we get to have fun searching for gifts."
He resisted the impulse to sigh. Finding gifts had always been one of his least favorite things about the holidays. Hopefully he'd survive.
The first thing Kurapika registered as he opened the door was laughter. Then, the warm smell of baking cookies.
"Was that the door?" Killua asked, unseen, from the kitchen. Gon's voice was heard next: a sound of excitement before he rushed out to the living room.
"Kurapika! Senritsu!" Kurapika was grateful for Senritsu's plan to leave everything in the car until that night–otherwise Gon would have ran into a very present-ladden Kurapika.
Alluka was next out of the kitchen, Killua following behind; both were covered in flour, and there were large stains on the front of Killua's apron.
Gon moved to hug Senritsu, allowing Kurapika to greet the other children, already starting his retelling of the day.
"Alluka said she wanted cookies but we looked and! No cookies! But Killua said that we could just make cookies, since Kurapika always keeps a bunch of baking stuff around–" It was true; he'd always meant to get around to baking, but it seemed he was too busy. "–and so we did! And the house didn't burn down either!" Kurapika joined in with Gon's giggles, laughing more about the boy's amusement than being genuinely amused.
A timer went off with a sharp ding, and Gon left the conversation hanging to run after it. Alluka followed Gon but Killua stayed behind, finally able to give Senritsu a hug and welcome Kurapika home.
"Have you guys played outside yet?" Kurapika asked as he hung up his coat. Killua snorted.
"Gon was outside before me and Allu were finished with breakfast."
"I should have known." There was laughter coming from the kitchen, and then a sudden silence as a pan clanked onto the counter. He could smell the cookies strongly now, and gestured for Killua to follow him into the kitchen.
Both of Gon's hands were covered by oven mitts, and Alluka was holding a spatula out in front of her in a stance of cookie-protection. Kurapika resisted the urge to laugh.
"Are they okay?" Alluka asked Gon, voice strangely serious. Gon shrugged, much less tense.
"Once they've cooled down we'll know." he said cheerfully, stripping off the mitts.
"Why don't you make hot chocolate while you wait?" Kurapika offered. Alluka's face lit up.
As the three children hustled around excitedly collecting chocolate and milk and mugs, Kurapika turned to Senritsu.
"Are you busy later? You should stay for dinner."
Senritsu smiled. "I would love to."
Christmas morning was loud: Kurapika and Leorio were banging around in the kitchen, playful and sarcastic as ever; Killua was in the shower with his music blasting, voice barely audible singing along; and Alluka was talking about school as she brushed her hair in front of his mirror. Gon was happy for the noise–silence always felt so lonely.
Alluka's rambling stopped as she turned around.
"Will you help me with my hair?" she asked. Gon smiled and jumped up. Killua usually handled putting Alluka's hair into whatever design she wanted that day, but Gon was happy to be included, though he wasn't nearly as skilled. He had to say, however, as he looked over his work a few minutes later, he wasn't that bad. Alluka looked pleased with it as well, so Gon allowed himself to feel satisfied.
The music from the bathroom turned off, and a moment later Killua emerged, hair plastered to his face and towel over his shoulders. He walked into his and Gon's shared room and looked over Alluka.
"I like your hair today, Allu." He said, moving to the closet. Alluka beamed.
"Gon-nii did it for me!" She said. Killua smiled.
"Good job, Gon. It looks good." The towel was pulled over the top of his head and rubbed into his hair; when Killua was done, his hair was nearly his usual fluffy ball.
"Thank you Killua!"
Gon and Alluka left the bedroom to let Killua get dressed, moving to the kitchen, where Leorio greeted them.
"Merry Christmas, my dear children!" Leorio exclaimed, interrupting Kurapika's softer 'good morning.' "Me and your beautiful father are making breakfast for all you munchkins."
Gon had to laugh – physically couldn't hold it back. There was no doubting that Leorio was in a good Christmas spirit–even if you happened to miss the Santa hat on his head.
Kurapika, too, was sporting a festive headpiece: a headband with blue glitter antlers, sparkling under kitchen lights. He was mixing a bowel of–Gon had to move closer to see–pancake batter, and Leorio was cutting fruit on the adjacent counter.
Alluka slipped an apple slice from the plate Leorio was filling, giggling when Leorio swiped at her–thankfully with the hand not holding a knife, even if she was at the table by the time it would have hit her.
"Your hair looks nice today, Alluka." Kurapika commented, turning on the stove.
"Thank you!" She replied, happily swinging her legs under her chair. "Gon-nii did it for me!"
Kurapika turned to him, smiling.
"Good job, Gon." He said. Gon pouted.
"That's exactly what Killua said."
"Okay, let me change it... 'you did very well, Gon.' Better?"
"Yep! Thank you!" Gon grinned.
"You're welcome." Kurapika poured the batter from the bowl into a pan, and asked Gon: "Will you get me a plate?"
Gon complied, setting it on the counter next to the blond. He was seating himself when Killua walked in, dressed in a loose blue sweatshirt and shorts. Kurapika didn't even try to say anything as Leorio opened his mouth.
"Merry Christmas, my child!" he yelled, making Killua jump. Gon had to laugh, and Alluka joined in.
"Stop laughing at me." Killua told them as he sat next to Gon at the table. "Don't be mean to your older brother."
"Aren't I older than you though?" Gon asked. "Since I was born in May."
"I'm taller." Killua retorted.
"I'm stronger."
"I'm more mature."
"Okay boys," Kurapika interjected, setting a plate of pancakes in front of Alluka. "Which one of you wants pancakes next?"
"Well, I'm the oldest–"
"I'm taller–"
"You're too skinny to count as tall, Killua!"
"Okay, Leorio, you get the next batch."
The two boys groaned as Leorio laughed triumphantly, coming to sit next to Alluka. They fist bumped.
Killua turned to Gon, an almost too apologetic look on his face. "Gon, you can go before me... you need to eat a lot so you can stop being so short."
"You're only two inches taller than me!"
Gon swiped playfully at Killua's head; Killua dodged and ran out of the kitchen cackling. Kurapika shook his head, barely holding back laughter himself. Gon chased after him, footsteps loud even against the carpet in the living room. Kurapika could hear a thump that he assumed was Gon tackling Killua, and the most he could hope for was for Killua to be alive.
Leorio was complimenting Alluka's hair, Gon and Killua were wrestling with loud yells and bouts of giggles, and the pancakes in his pan were turning a perfect gold; there wasn't anything else he could have asked for on Christmas morning.