A/N: Completely random idea I guess. Enjoy.
Especially for Christmas
"It's going to be small this year," Kenshin, the red headed patriarch of the Himura family stated with a sigh. The other two members of his family didn't need to be told that. They knew how tight it was already. Ever since Kenshin had lost his job, there was nothing that could be done to reverse the events that eventually led to their untimely move into the small apartment complex on the exact opposite of town.
Kaoru took her husband's hand tightly. What brought about his statement was looking at the ads stoking up the fire for Black Friday. "I suppose we could go in at five in the morning, for something good anyways," Kenshin rolled his shoulders.
From then on there was silence between the three members of the family. They looked around the small apartment that they had grown accustomed to over the past month. It wasn't special in any sort of way. It was a two bedroom apartment with one bathroom to accommodate the three. In the middle of the bedrooms was a small space called "the living room". Not that there seemed to be much living going on at that point.
"What about the tree?" Kaoru asked after much debate within herself to start a new conversation. "It won't fit will it?"
"We could always try to make it," Kenshin said. "Something says that won't work too well."
"We could get a new one. Something smaller."
Kenji's head sank below the edge of the table, revealing on his dark eyes. He was only seven, but he knew what was going on.
Kenshin smiled to his son, hoping to assure him that everything was going to be okay. Kenji didn't take to it too well. He took one of the ads from the table and walked off into the living room.
"What about presents?" Kaoru whispered. "I wanted to get Kenji something nice this year. Plus, he's growing out of his clothes."
"I know," Kenshin leaned forward and knit his fingers below his chin. "I wish I could do better."
"At least you went out and got a job," Kaoru proclaimed. "That's better than some people in this economy," she looked back at her son to see that he was immersed in the television. "We'll figure something out right?"
"I could always borrow from Sanosuke that I could. After all the times that he's asked for money. I'm sure he wouldn't mind loaning out…"
"I don't want to go to our friends," Kaoru leaned back in her chair. "Not Sano especially. That would be the end of everything…"
"We would pay him back. Maybe it would give him a hint," Kenshin raised his brows playfully. "Well, let's just plan this out accordingly. That's the only thing that we can do."
"Right."
---
Kenji sat quietly as his mother took him to school. It had been some time since the district had busing, and it was on her way to her job as well.
Kaoru turned her head and smiled to her boy. Kenji had been upset since Thanksgiving, and she could easily guess why. A day after she and Kenshin spoke about how they were going to cut back on buying Christmas gifts, Kenji had approached her with his Christmas list as he always did. Kaoru hadn't been surprised at how much was written down, and it pained her to tell him that Santa might not be able to bring him everything he wanted. Kenji didn't believe her at first, but as the day drew on she noticed how her words seemed to sink in.
"So, what are you guys doing at school today?" Kaoru asked. Kenji blew air out his nose and onto the window. He was in a worse mood this morning after learning that it hadn't snowed like the weatherman had said and he wasn't able to get off for another day.
"Kenji?"
"Uh-nuh," he bobbed his shoulders as he answered.
"I bet you'll be decorating the room like you always do. Let's hope you get to put the star on top that Christmas tree."
"Mommy?" Kaoru closed her mouth, realizing that she was starting to babble. "Where's the star on our Christmas tree?"
"Well…" she had to put it delicately. "It wouldn't fit."
"But out tree's puny," he whined. Kaoru's chin sank into her shirt. She knew that it would have fit, but she considered that it might have also tipped the tree over. Their tree was small this year, and it was the first year that she could remember that she had too many ornaments to put on.
"I know sweetie. It just…wouldn't work. The bow looks nice."
Kenji turned back to the window.
As she dropped her son off at the school, she leaned back in her seat and thought about their conversation. What was there for her to do? She had to make due with what they could pay for. It wasn't like they could afford all the things that they use to be able to.
Kaoru hit the wheel of her car with open palms, barely missing the horn. She was mad; plain and simple. She missed the old Christmases where they had the tall tree in the den and she would always go out for new ornaments. She remembered how she would spend all of the weekend after Thanksgiving putting up lights around the house, and then afterward she would bask in her handiwork because she refused for assistance from her husband. She remembered going out on Black Friday and being able to spend what she wanted, and by the end of the weekend all her shopping for Christmas was done and was sitting beneath the tree, neatly wrapped by her husband's handiwork, were the presents which he wouldn't allow her to help him with.
This year was small. There were no decorations outside, because there was nothing that she could decorate. The tree was small, and the bottom of it was barren. All because her husband's job was cut.
She beat the steering wheel as she drove, this time hitting the horn. She didn't care if she was behind another car or not. She was mad.
"I shouldn't blame him," she said under her breath. "It wasn't his fault."
But he did make a good scapegoat.
---
By Christmas Eve, it felt as though there was something missing from the Himura residence as friends and family gathered in the small space to share dinner and listen to storied they'd heard a thousand times while they sipped eggnog.
Kaoru found that her job was batting away the children from the presents as they searched for there's. All the while, she was listening to Kenshin recite "'Twas the Night before Christmas" as he did every year. It was always a good laugh as he stumbled over words (he had a few sips of eggnog beforehand).
Kenji clung to his grandfather, Kenshin's father Hiko, as the story was told. If there was one thing that Kenji knew, it was that Hiko had money. That meant that the little sack of presents that he brought were usually things that were worth something. The other children, Ayame and Suzume tried to coax him into playing with them. He wasn't up to it.
Finally, Kaoru announced that it was time for presents to be passed around. An uproar same from the crowd around her. Everyone gathered around one another, grabbing at the boxes covered in wrapping paper and bows. They ripped at the paper stuffed in the bags, and they had more fun collecting the bows and the ribbons tied around the presents than the presents themselves. Kaoru's maternal radar sought out her son who was still next to Hiko ripping open the present.
"I think he likes it," Hiko announced when seeing Kenji gander at the train set that he had just gotten. "He's your son, so I figured he would."
"You're the one that got me into that."
Kenshin met his father's slightly drunken gaze, almost as if to challenge the man. While Kenji marveled over the present, Kenshin felt that he had done a little better.
"Hey Kenshin, here," Sanosuke shoved him and handed him a small envelope. "Hope ya like it buddy."
"I like anything you give me Sano."
"You'll like this the best."
Kenshin leaned back and regretted not doing the Secret Santa this year, but as he opened the envelope, the first of many, he was a little bit awed. The gifts from each of his friends and family, addressed to both him and Kaoru, were money. Kenshin expected gift cards from them, as he did every year.
"Merry Christmas?" Sanosuke raised his glass. "Merry Christmas!"
The group of people followed suit, raising their glasses. Kaoru sat on Kenshin's lap. She was just learning of the generous gifts.
"At least I won't have to take anything back," Kaoru said, thinking specifically of a defective toaster she had gotten the previous year.
"Hey, me and Megumi are leavin' kay?" Sanosuke said, hitting Kenshin's arm.
"Yeah. See ya around."
"Sure. Me and you need to have a guy's night soon."
"Off course."
And after Sanosuke there was a steady flow of people leaving. They were all either going home, or to another affair that they had to attend. Kenshin said his last good bye to Gensai and his grand daughters around ten thirty. It left the family of three alone with wrapping paper on the floor and a few dirty dishes.
Before her husband began cleaning excessively, Kaoru grabbed him by the arm. "Wait," she said. She looked down to her son who was trying to put together the train set. "Maybe…just this once…"
"But what about tradition?"
"I know…but it would be better tonight," Kaoru offered. "Please. Just this year."
Kenshin gave in to her begging look.
"Yeah…alright sure."
She hugged Kenshin tightly then knelt down to Kenji. He was more than happy to reach for one of the two presents under the tree. He was less than enthused to see that it was a box full of clothes. He desperately searched for something to play with underneath all the clothes. Kaoru handed her husband the present that she had gotten him.
"Merry Christmas," she said weakly. "I hope you like it."
The red head smiled. "I think I'll wait till tomorrow."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Kenshin turned his gaze to Kenji opening the second gift, revealing that it was a 1000 piece puzzle. He curled his nose at it, and then looked up to his father. He asked with his eyes: What are you hiding? Kenshin sank down to the floor and helped Kenji open the sealed bottom.
"This is something that I always use to do as a kid," he said.
From afar Kaoru watched, thinking that this was the least amount of presents that she had ever seen anyone get. She had grown up in a good family, so this seemed almost cruel. But as she watched her husband and son work at the puzzle, she saw brightness in her son's face; and her husband's.
She crawled off the couch and waded through the paper. She was lying on her stomach next to Kenshin watching her son separate the pieces of the puzzle.
"Speed Racer?" Kaoru asked.
"I thought he'd like it."
"I think you like it a little more," Kaoru stated, stealing a piece from Kenshin's hand. "Am I allowed to open my present?"
"Sure," he offered it to her. Kaoru quickly ripped off the paper and opened up the small box. Her face started to light up.
It wasn't extravagant like she had gotten before. It wasn't any diamond rings or nice necklaces. It wasn't a gift card to the spa, or even a pair of keys that led to a car that was outside. No; it was something else. A picture of their family the day that Kenji was born. She knew that it was the one that Kenshin had taken as he leaned in neck to his wife and snapped the picture. She also knew that it was him by how one of his fingers was covered the corner of the lens.
"Kenshin…" she looked up to him. "I didn't know you still had this. I look horrible."
"I kept it though."
Kaoru leaned on her husband. "I feel bad now."
"Why?"
"Because I got you something nice."
"There's no reason to feel bad," he said. "It's Christmas. I just wanted to give you something that would make you happy."
There were only so many words that Kaoru could utter, and none of them seemed to want to come out. She simply shoved her face into Kenshin's flannel shirt and out of the corner of her eye watched Kenji try hard to fit a puzzle piece into a place it couldn't fit.
"Here," Kenshin offered assistance to his son. After a few moments of not being able to find the right piece, Kaoru came in searching for it.
By the early morning light, there was one scene to be seen. The image of a family together, huddled around a half finished puzzle in the living room of their home asleep. Not a one awoke to the light, and only the father flinched. A smile grew on his face.
A/N: I know…odd and short….I hope you liked it.