Along Came the Holidays
By Saltwater Romance

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Countdown #18: Winter Wonderland

A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.
- Felix Bernard

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Dedicated: To Wednesdays. Because I really hate them.


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N: Sorry… I just can't… My parents went out to have their alone time, so I got to stay home and take care of Youichi and Aoi.

M: C'mon, I thought that we could've went to see Koko at his house or maybe catch a movie. But oh well, stuff happens. So when do you want to me to drop by?

N: Excuse me?

M: You aren't going to cancel your second date on me that fast! *laughter* I'll stop by right after renting a movie or something. You know that I love your sister and little brother. Maybe I should get Toy Story 3 and a box of movie theater popcorn.

N: My sister is fifteen, not a child.

M: Granted. But Toy Story 3 is like a classic! We need to watch it and Youichi would probably like it! So yeah, I live only twenty minutes from Stop and Shop, I could pick it up and then walk over to your house. Maybe I should get low fat popcorn… When I was at your sister's age, I just wanted to diet diet diet because I thought that I wasn't skinny enough.

*Pause: 00:02:35*

M: Uhh… Natsume? You still there?

N: … Yeah.

M: So do you wanna do that?"

*Pause: 00:01:56*

M: What? Are you on some secret date with my best friend or something? Is that why you're not answering me? Because we don't have to do anything today, seriously.

N: No. Come over.

M: Cool. Give me forty-five minutes.

N: That's such a short amount of time.

M: Compared to God it is. And hey! Just because you got some shiny fancy-shmancy car doesn't mean that everyone else in the world could afford it. Besides, I'm a year younger than you. Of course I can't drive myself to places like you!

N: I'd offer… But I kinda have my hands full.

M: If I were the jealous type, I would be so suspicious at this point.

N: Oh?

M: Oh. As in that's right. You're not the only one that can play older brother. I have one too. He's in the CIA.

N: Bull.

M: Nope. He always comes home for Christmas, wanna meet him?

N: Why not?

M: Because he's more than just the jealous type… He's like an overprotective momma bear.

N: Point taken. Never cheating on Mikan.

M: YOU WERE PLANNING TO CHEAT ON ME?

N: Never.

M:

N: What?

M: That's horrible. We've barely dated for past a week.

N: Okay?

M: Wow. I just think that you're horrible.

N: But you're still coming over?

M: Forty-minutes.

*Phone call ended: 00:55:84*

N: And where are you going?

A: Out! Tsubasa is coming to pick me up and we're going out for the night.

N: Is your homework done?

A: Jesus, are you Mum in disguise? Cause the Natsume I know would've give an ef.

N: Clean up the house.

A: You.

N: You think I could get rid of this mess by myself?

A: … Pull a Harry Potter. Hocus Pocus and bam! It's clean.

N: Um. No.

A: No?

N: Harry Potter does not 'Hocus Pocus.'

*Five bickering and twenty minutes later*

A: Tsubasa's here!

N: Invite him in.

A: No. You guys hate each other.

N: Says who?

A: Says everyone who is part of our family! Every time you guys are in the same room, you can't resist biting off each other's heads!

N: He's my cousin… Why would I do such a thing?

T: Hey.

N: Hi.

A: See! You guys have so much tension between you guys.

N: No. Definitely not.

T: What is Aoi talking about?

N: We get along, right?

T: Of course.

N: Good.

T: Good.

A: You boys are hopeless. I can't wait for Mikan to come.

T: Who's Mikan?

N: None of your business!

T: Awh, is wittle Natsume in loooooove? Has be finally grown a paaair?

N: What the hell?

T: Remember like in sixth grade… You didn't have the balls to ask that chick out.

N: That was sixth grade. And she had a moustache! You GAVE me that dare!

T: But you didn't have the balls to ask her out. Wittle Natsume is finally a man. Congrats.

N: Screw you.

T: OH! And you even learned big boy words!

A: Mikan's here!

T: Oh… I see. Damn Natsume.

M: What?

N: Shut up.

M: What is he talking about?

T: You must be Mikan. Charmed to meet you. How are you? And why are you dating this loser? He doesn't even have a pair of balls. He's a hermaphrodite… And brings shame on the rest of the gender.

N: Shut up.

Y: Mikan's here? Tsubasa! YAY! Family, family!

M: Awh! I'm considered family.

T: Ew. You don't want to be married to that, do you?

*point at Natsume*

M: Nah. I date younger than me. Youichi and I are engaged.

A: Can we watch Toy Story 3? I haven't seen it yet!

M: Really? It's so amazing. It's like a horror story for three year olds!

Y: … Youichi doesn't want to watch it.

N: No. You will. Family bonding time.

Y: If I get scared… Will you protect me?

N: No.

A: Yeah right.

T: Pft. You're on your own little man.

M: OF COURSE!

T: Wow. Your little brother is getting more action than you. Loser.

A: I hate that bear. At first he seems so cute and sweet… But he's EVIL!

N: Shut up. No one likes you.

A: Me?

N: No. The one who thinks that tattooed stars on their cheeks are cool.

T: Umm… They are. And it's a birthmark.

N: Keep telling yourself that.

T: Well, at least I didn't lose my girlfriend to my little THREE year old brother.

M: What a great movie!

N: Yup.

M: And your cousin is so cool.

N: Yup.

M: I wanna break-up with you.

N: Yup.

M: I hate your guts.

N: Yup.

M: NATSUME!

N: What?

M: Why are you so bothered? Was it because you don't want to share me with your family? Is it? Is it? HOLY SHIT! Your face is turning red!

N: So…?

M: I really really like you.

N: Ditto.

M: That's romantic.

N: Shut up and kiss me.

Fin.


Author's Sidenote:

Dear Saltwater Romance,

I think that you need to step up your writing. It's dry and lacking. You've even gotten to the point where you're just writing dialogue? Well, I thought that it was dry, but still a bit entertaining. I know that you pinky promised this chapter to cookies277, but I would rather read about *insert your favorite couple besides nat/mik* I hope you'll take my pairing into consideration and write about it tomorrow or the weekend... I don't care as long as it comes out better than this chapter.

Hoping you a great rest of the week,
Your friend from the freshwater