Japan was aglow with holiday cheer. It was getting close to Christmas time on Earth and everywhere one went the air was filled with the sounds and smells of the season.
Yuuri had planned something special this December: all of his trusted advisers would be joining him on Earth for a few days to celebrate the holidays in Japan.
Anissina, Yozak, Hube and Nicola decided to stay at the castle to keep an eye on things while the group (Gwendal, Gunter, Conrad, Wolfram and little Greta) was away. They had arrived via the Shibuya-family bathtub the day before and everyone was settling into the modest household the best they could.
Gwendal and Gunter were wearing his father's clothes while Conrad was wearing Shouri's (much to his brother's dismay.) Wolfram was wearing some of his own and thanks to his over enthusiastic mother, Greta had her own wardrobe waiting for her when she arrived.
At night, Gwendal, Conrad and Gunter would be sharing the living room. His mother and father had bought two extra futons for the men while Conrad won the couch in a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Wolfram (and Greta) insisted on sleeping in Yuuri's bed (much to his own dismay.)
Ken skipped out on the invitation to sleep over; deciding to stay instead at a hotel with Jose while the man was in town- or at his own home, which was a blessing to be honest because the house was already starting to feel very crowded.
Despite this, Yuuri couldn't be happier.
His family from both worlds were together at last.
"Heya Conrad!" Yuuri greeted the man cheerfully while plopping down on the sofa next to his godfather. "Whatcha lookin' at?" Conrad smiled back and Yuuri wondered how the man could look so good despite wearing such an ugly Christmas sweater.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." he said, showing Yuuri the book his mother had set out on their coffee table while decorating.
"Oh, yeah." Yuuri laughed, "It's kinda weird. My mom use to read it to us when we were little."
Conrad nodded quietly, but his eyes were transfixed on the small drawing of the deer in question. "It is... odd." Being a children's book- it was one of the only books on the table Conrad could read.
"Are you alright?" Yuuri asked, causing Conrad to feel a little embarrassed as he chuckled softly and set the book back on the table.
"Sorry," he said gently, "I suppose it's just that the story bothers me somewhat."
"How so?"
"Well," Conrad tilted his head and crossed his arms. "It's just that... the other reindeer don't like Rudolph and..."
"Yuuri dear, can you help mama hang these Christmas lights?" Jennifer cooed from across the room and Yuuri gave Conrad an apologetic look. "Sorry Conrad; hold that thought!" he said before hopping to his feet.
Conrad simply watched him go.
"It's cute."
He turned to see Gwendal sitting in the armchair nearby as he motioned at the book.
"Hm?" Conrad grinned at his older brother. "You should read it to Greta. I could help if you'd like."
"Perhaps..." Gwendal said softly, picking the book up. "What is it about?"
Conrad's smile faded without trying. "It's about a... Reindeer who's different and no one likes him. Then one day he's seen as useful because of his differences and then everyone likes him."
Conrad's frown wasn't lost on Gwendal who gave his brother a lingering look.
To Gwendal, his little brother was a puzzle.
Sometimes they both were on the same page and his brother felt like an extension of himself. Then other times Conrad was a mystery- full of emotions and thoughts that Gwendal couldn't quite grasp. Now was one of those times- the book in his hands was cute, but Conrad was looking at it with such a guarded expression.
"Is that the end?" Gwendal asked and Conrad nodded.
"More or less, then he 'goes down in history' for being useful..." Conrad rubbed his neck thoughtfully before closing his eyes. When he reopened them whatever had been troubling the second son was gone. "It has a song, you know." he said with a grin.
Gwendal gave him a glare. "Don't sing it."
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer~" Conrad laughed as his brother's grumpy face.
"Shouri's so lucky," Yuuri grumbled, watching his godfather laugh. "Why isn't he down here hanging Christmas lights?"
"Yuu-chan," Jennifer scolded, handing him another bundle of lights. "Shou-chan is very busy with schoolwork, you know that."
Gunter sighed dreamily as he helped Yuuri wrap the lights around the staircase. "Your majesty is so talented at this~" he gushed as Yuuri wondered how someone could be talented at something that required no talent what-so-ever. Wolfram chose that moment to poke his head out of the kitchen and examine the task Yuuri was up to.
"Talented?" the blonde quipped, "That looks easy! If a wimp like him couldn't even do something like that..."
"Hey, no one asked you Wolfram! What are you doing in there anyway? Baking?" Yuuri teased but wolfram nodded proudly as Greta poked her head from around the corner, too.
"Yeah!" she cheered, "We're making gingerbread people!"
"Ahhh~ that's my cute daughter...!" Yuuri smiled as his mother turned to Gwendal and Conrad.
"Gwendal, Con-chan, would you mind helping me hang these lights outside?" she asked and the two men nodded before getting to their feet. "Here's the box- Shouma usually hangs these lights but he won't be home until late..."
"No worries," Conrad picked up the box filled with lights, examining the nail gun inside. "We're glad to."
"Oh, thank you!" she clapped her hands together before giving Conrad a hug despite the box in his arms. "The ladder is in the garage."
Yuuri stood in the driveway and watched as Conrad and Gwendal navigated the roof, putting up Christmas lights.
He didn't like it one bit.
"How does that look, your majesty?" Conrad asked, holding the lights in place so Yuuri could OK them before he nailed them down.
"It looks fine Lord Weller!" Yuuri shouted back causing the man to laugh.
"Yuuri." Conrad corrected himself.
"Just be careful!" Yuuri said for the twentieth time as he gathered more lights and made his way up the ladder. It had been lightly snowing all day and while there wasn't enough snow on the ground to make a snow man, there was enough on the ground and roof to make the job wet and slippery.
Conrad began to slowly make his way down the roof to meet Yuuri and grab the next bundle of lights as Gwendal used the nail gun to tack up loose ends.
"Here, you got it?" Yuuri asked, holding the lights above his head.
"Got it-"
As Yuuri passed the bundle to Conrad he didn't realize that some of the lights had gotten wrapped around his wrist, causing Yuuri to pull back as Conrad received it.
What happened next occurred so quickly that Gwendal didn't catch a glimpse of it- he only heard a startled yelp from Yuuri and a gasp from Conrad before a large crash rattled the roof followed by the sound of a sickening CRUNCH as both men hit the ground.
"Yuuri-Heika!" Gwendal shouted, sliding down the roof to peer over the side.
"My heavens! What was that!?" Gunter shouted, opening the front door with a gasp. "Oh! Heika!" he shrieked, tripping over himself as he rushed to Yuuri's side.
"I'm alright!" Yuuri shouted from the bushes just under the living room window.
Gwendal then looked at his brother who was slowly getting to his feet while hugging his arm close to his chest. "Are you alright, Yuuri?" Conrad asked, as Gunter pulled the young king from the bushes.
"Heika! Oh! You must be terrified! How did this happen!? Conrart!" he snapped, whipping his head to the side to glare at the younger man. "How could you let this happen!?"
"I'm fine, Gunter!" Yuuri groaned, trying to dislodge himself from the death-grip his tutor was giving him.
"Is it broken?" Gwendal said from above, staring intensely at his sibling.
Yuuri looked up at Gwendal and then to Conrad. "What? Do you mean the ladder?"
Conrad smiled with a wince as he looked at Gwendal and nodded.
"Yes. It's broken."
This caused Yuuri's eyes to fly open wide in panic. "What? What's broken? What did you-" then he saw it.
"My arm." Conrad said, looking guilty and sheepish.
"It's my fault-" Conrad and Yuuri said at the same time, apology thick in their voices.
"Oh Heika, it wasn't your fault! You could do no wrong-" Gunter gushed, tears in his eyes as he squeezed the boy tighter making him shout in protest.
"It was unavoidable," Gwendal said, climbing down carefully until he was back on solid ground. "I thought something like this would happen."
"I'm alright, Yuuri" Conrad reassured the boy as they headed inside. "It's not your fault- believe me. I should have been more mindful. I'm so glad you're alright."
Hohoho! Welcome to my ConYuu holiday fic! Happy holidays to everyone in the ConYuu community and thank you for all the reviews and positivity this year. You guys are the best!