Christmas. It was one of Tsukino Usagi's favorite holidays. The lights, the Christmas trees, the presents. The food, the Christmas carols, the snow. The tradition her family had of going into the mountains every year to rent a cabin, singing carols and sitting in front of a roaring fire. Her father had visited America once, and he had seen this tradition and decided that he wanted his family to do the same thing. And so they did.
As they pulled up outside of the cabin, Usagi looked through the falling snow at the familiar cabin, bouncing in her seat. It was a rustic wooden cabin, modeled on ones her father had seen in American magazines. They always got the same one every year. One floor, with a small kitchen, two bedrooms, a "living area" with a sofa, chairs, and fireplace. Usagi pushed open the door spilled outside, her brother quick behind her. Running up to the door, she stamped impatiently to keep circulation in her legs.
"Come on, Papa! Open the door!"
Kenji shook his head and tossed the keys toward his daughter. "Make sure you come back to help carry stuff!" he shouted to the ends of her trailing pigtails as she dashed inside.
Usagi made sure that she was always the first one inside, so that she could claim the bed by the window. In the bedroom she shared with her brother, the twin beds were identical. But Usagi loved to be by the window so that she could look out at the snow falling as she fell asleep. This year, though, she was a little nervous.
Standing in the doorway of what had always been an innocent childhood bedroom, she bit her lip and considered the area. After much pleading, her boyfriend had finally agreed to come with her; he would be arriving later. But where was he going to sleep? They couldn't put him on the floor, and her parents would be absolutely apoplectic if they tried to share a bed. (Not that they hadn't already…)
She sighed and went to sit on her bed, contemplating the situation. Surely her parents had worked something out, since they had agreed that he could come? But she was worried as to what it was. The sofa, probably. Yes, that would be the most logical choice.
Usagi pushed herself up and went outside to help carry in the supplies and luggage. On top of the car was a fir tree that they had cut on the way up. She loved the smell of pine, and enjoyed decorating. She would throw herself into that while she waited for Mamoru to arrive!
Chiba Mamoru frowned and tapped at the screen of his GPS. It looked like this was as far as it would get him. But his girlfriend had given him directions to her family's rental cabin, and he could follow those. Dragging them from the glove compartment, he carefully read the instructions penned in red parentheses. (Those were the most concise ones he had gotten from Usagi's mother.) It didn't look too far. Probably just ten minutes ahead, providing that the road held out. His car wasn't built for the mountains, but it was far too cold to take the bike.
Peering through the snow that had started to fall, he breathed a sigh of relief when he finally caught sight of the Tsukino family car parked in front of a cabin. He pulled up with a crunching of snow under the tires, powering down the engine. Stepping out of the car, the college student stretched, cramped after the hours of driving. It wasn't his ideal Christmas idea, but it was something he wanted to do for the woman he loved. They had both wanted to spend their first real Christmas together as a couple doing something romantic. But Usagi hadn't wanted to disappoint her parents, and they had agreed that they could do it next year.
"Mamo-chan!"
Almost before the squeal had faded, Mamoru felt something slam into him from behind, petite arms coming around his chest to squeeze him. He grinned, reaching down to squeeze her hands. "Usako," he said softly. Turning around in her arms, Mamoru smiled down at his blonde girlfriend. "So this is where you go every Christmas, hm?"
She nodded, smiling. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her boyfriend. He leaned down for a soft kiss, pulling away as he heard a throat being cleared. Looking up, Mamoru saw Kenji standing on the porch, a forbidding look on his face. Of course, being Usagi's father, he wouldn't approve of him kissing his little girl, but Mamoru was her boyfriend; he felt that he had that right. But if Kenji knew some of the other things… He shuddered internally and unwrapped Usagi's arms from around him.
"Can I help you with some of this stuff, Tsukino-san?"
"Please." The man's tone was stiff, his eyes lidded as he employed Mamoru's help in moving the tree inside.
While the men put up the tree near the window, Usagi and Shingo dug through the boxes of ornaments and decorations. When they had everything piled up, Ikuko took over the placing of the bulbs. "Wait!"
Shingo dashed to his room, where his luggage had already been placed. He came back carrying a small box, which he quickly opened. Brandishing a Sailor Moon ornament, he grinned at his mother. "Can we put this on this year, Mama?"
Usagi and Mamoru's eyes met and they shared a secret smile. "Of course, dear. Just find a place for it."
Ikuko muttered something to her husband about being worried about their son's infatuation for the heroine. Mamoru whispered in his girlfriend's ear that it was so cute that his brother liked her alter ego. She elbowed him and he snorted in laughter.
"Usagi, dear, did you find the star for the top of the tree?"
She turned at her mother's voice, frowning. "No, it wasn't in any of the boxes. Didn't we put it away last year?"
"Oh, that reminds me!" Mamoru said suddenly. "I've just the thing!"
He leaned down to a suitcase, unsnapping it and pulling out one of a few different wrapped presents. "Here." He handed the package to Usagi. "I think you'll find this perfect for your tree."
Usagi looked at him curiously, but unwrapped it. She gasped as she opened the box and gently pulled out the contents. It was an angel for the top of the tree, but it was her mother Queen Serenity's exact likeness. Even the royal crescent moon graced her forehead, the dainty wings of her dress taking the place of the more usual flamboyant Christmas angels.
"Mamo-chan…" She could only find a whisper, looking at him as her eyes filled with tears of happiness. "It's perfect!"
"Hey, it's got the same hairstyle you do!" Shingo yelled.
Usagi ignored him as she regarded the angel reverently, stroking the soft hair. "Mamo-chan… Can you help me put it on the tree?"
"Of course."
As the two placed the angel-like queen on top of the tree, there was a burst of light. Everyone cried out in shock, but as the light faded, everything seemed exactly the same. Kenji scratched it up to snow reflecting off something outside, and they went on as before.
A few hours later, everyone sat in front of a roaring wood fire. Kenji and Ikuko sat closely on the couch, Shingo a few feet away sprawled on a blanket, playing a handheld game. Mamoru and Usagi sat on a blanket to the right of the fire, situated so that they could see both the tree, the snow floating down outside, and feel the warmth of the fire. The snapping branches and roar of the fire was soothing.
The cabin had been decorated with Christmas fervor. Garlands of holly, a wreath above the mantlepiece upon which a small Christmas village and Santa had been placed. Mistletoe in strategic places, most of it hung by Ikuko as she gave her daughter sly smiles. Usagi had blushed each time, turning away from her boyfriend's knowing look.
Usagi sat in between Mamoru's bent knees, leaning against his chest as he held her comfortably in his arms. The position had drawn a dark look from Kenji before Ikuko had quietly rebuked him. Mamoru dashed a soft kiss on the top of her head and she smiled, snuggling against him. Closing her eyes, Usagi felt at peace. Her family together, her boyfriend, all in front of a roaring fire and a beautiful Christmas tree.
Her eyes snapped open as a terrible yowl sounded from outside. Everyone stiffened and looked at the window. There were no dangerous wild animals in these mountains, they had certainly never housed anything that sounded like that! The sound echoed through the mountains, coming back to them again, just as terrifying.
Usagi whimpered and curled into Mamoru's embrace. "Mamo-chan, what is that?"
"Probably just a…" He paused. What could he really say? There weren't any animals in these mountains that he knew of that could make a sound like that. "Probably just the wind through the trees," he improvised.
She grumbled at his obvious dissembling, but decided to let it go. There were no more incidents by the time everyone went to bed. Mamoru had been given the couch, as Usagi had surmised. They grabbed a few furtive kisses before Usagi took herself off to her own bedroom under her mother's watchful eye.
Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve. Her very first with Mamo-chan!