This is the first piece I've ever posted on here, so it'd be great if you could leave me some feedback. I heard this sweet little festive song and this scene just popped in my head. I couldn't help but write it out and share.

Hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas


My name is Shikadai Nara, and I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night! Bolt Uzumaki said Santa isn't real but I always knew he was. Mummy let me stay up late to see him. She sent me to bed before he came in the house but I couldn't help it! I had to see him up close! So I crept down the hall and peeked through the banister at the top of the stairs and there they were together, kissing under the mistletoe! Oh what a laugh it would have been if Daddy had only seen Mummy kissing Santa Claus last night!


The mince pies were messy with icing sugar and burnt around the edges, but Temari insisted that Santa would prefer a home-made touch to any shop-bought varieties. She had never been one for such homely skills as baking, but having a little one to enjoy the experience with made all the difference. Her son never told her off for licking the spoons like Shikamaru did.

"When is daddy coming back?" Shikadai asked his mother, tugging at the corner of her sugar-covered apron.

"He's visiting your grandparents, kid." She told him. "He'll be back in time for Christmas morning, I promise."

Their little plate of mince pies was placed by the tree ready for Santa, along with a small tumbler of whiskey. These would keep him warm and full when he visited. After all, he had every house in the world to visit tonight, bringing presents to all the good children.

"Do you think we should leave a carrot for Rudolf as well?" She knelt down to the same height as her young son to see the sparkle in his eyes up close. He had his father's thick, black hair, but she liked to think he had her eyes, wide and green. The shimmering gold and red lights from the tree reflected in them now, before he scurried off the kitchen cupboards to find treats for the reindeer.

The night seemed so quiet with Shikamaru away. The house smelt of sweet cinnamon and pine, and though the nights drew up so early this winter, the darkness of the evening was warm with candlelight. How on earth did the little boy have so much energy this late? Temari was already having to hold back a yawn.

"I've got one! I've got one!" Shikadai hurried back into her holding his carrot proudly. The pair set it on the side of the plate, by the mince pies and whiskey. They were all ready for Santa to come and visit. The boy sat on his mother's lap to peek through the curtains out of the window as they waited. There was a small sprinkling of snow on the ground; just enough to make the streets sparkle like diamonds. The whole world seemed completely still and silent. Not so much a cat disturbed the scene. Until suddenly…

"Mummy! Mummy! Look! I can see him!" Shikadai almost bounced into the window with excitement. Only just visible against the icy black/pink of the winter sky was a magical sleigh, pulled by a string of flying reindeer and, as they grew closer, Santa Claus was there in his sleigh, pushing the deer on. The reindeer flew low to the ground and swept right past their window at great speed before taking to the sky again.

"There he is! It's Santa!" The two watched him turn the sleigh back around now that he had found their house and the boy craned to see the sleigh fly overheard and land with a thump on the roof of their home. The deer's hooves made quite a racket, even when the sleigh had come to a stop.

"Now hurry!" Temari beckoned her young son to his feet and ushered him towards the stairs. "You have to get into bed really quickly! Santa won't come to leave you any presents if he thinks you've stayed up to spy on him!"

"But Mummy!" He protested.

"No buts, kid! He sees you when you're sleeping, and he knows when you're awake. You need to get to bed right now!"

The child dashed up the stairs and Temari heard his bedroom door slam closed. And just in time. Santa Claus came in through the back door instead of via the chimney, but bellowed his signature "Ho Ho Ho!" as he came indoors. There was a sack of presents slung over his shoulder and he was dressed a long red coat with thick fur trim, gleaming black boots and tinkling bells at every corner.

Temari removed her apron and went to him.

"Merry Christmas, little girl!" Santa said to her, his beard bouncing as he spoke. "Have you been good this year?"

She threw her arms around his tightly, a struggle over his padded belly, and reached to pick his red fur hat from his head to reveal the thick, black hair of her husband.

"Shikamaru, it all went so perfectly." She kissed him on the cheek, just above the fake beard of his costume. "He was so excited."

Shikamaru gave up on his deep Santa impression and spoke in his own real voice. "That'll teach that little Uzumaki kid to stop spreading rumours about Santa not being real." He peeled his beard down to kiss Temari warmly on the lips.

"Sai did an amazing job on the reindeer." She told him, feeling his breath against her face as they embraced. "We must bring him and Ino an extra special thank you gift tomorrow."

"He could have at least illustrated a heater into that sleigh, I'm freezing!" Shikamaru left the sack of presents on the floor and picked up his wife to carry her through to their living room. "Where are my pies?"

They took a pie each and took turns to sip from the tumbler of whiskey. Illustrations of reindeer didn't care much for carrots, so that would go back into the cupboards before their son woke in the morning. It had been such a long day already that the pair opted to take some time to rest with each other before arranging their son's presents under the tree. No doubt he would wake them up early on Christmas morning so any quiet time they could spend together was not to go unappreciated. The two huddled on the couch together, Shikamaru's nose still pink from the cold outside.

"Actually, I think I prefer you with the hat on," Temari told him, fixing it back onto his head. "Perhaps you could keep the costume for another night? We could make use of it while Shikadai is away with your parents."

He lifted a hand to her face to brush crumbs of mince pie away from the corner of her mouth. "You haven't been a good girl this year at all, have you?"

She ran her fingertips along the ruffles of red fur on his thigh as he spoke. He put a finger under her chin to lift her face to his and kissed her deeply. And all the while, the pair were oblivious to little Shikadai, who had crept out of bed and along the hall to watch them from between the banister at the top of the stairs.