Written for the 12 Days of Sebaciel event - Day 11: Mistletoe Magic (WIP Day)

I hope y'all like this short little Christmas/Yule chapter before we get back to the main story!

From his den, all Ciel could hear was the obnoxious scraping of wood. For over two hours, the sound had refused to cease and it was beginning to grate on the sleep deprived omega's nerves. It was far too early for the constant sound of chipping bark and snapping twigs to invade his mind; The sun had only just risen and he wasn't meant to be so much as stirring at this hour, but here he was - his tired eyes wide open and his frown etched as deep as the rings hiding inside the pines surrounding his territory. He knew exactly who was causing such a ruckus while he was trying to rest...

Sebastian's scent permeated every slope and crevice of his territory, seeping into the cozy embrace of his nest and the very soil in which it rested. He knew it was useless trying to sleep at this point, but he was reluctant to leave the soft expanse of the feathers and dead flowers he rested on in favour of trekking out into the frozen woods outside of his home. Though his curiosity was piqued… What could Sebastian possibly be doing at this hour, and why couldn't he do it near his own burrow…? With a vexed whine, Ciel rose from the pleasant warmth of his Earth, draping his dusty pelt over his shoulders as he retreated into the awaiting blankets of snow. He was instantly drawn to the blotch of inky black marring the otherwise dove-feather landscape.

Tufts of valtablack bounced lazily as the alpha's hands moved about at an almost dizzying rate, though his actions were shrouded from view by the thick fur spilling over his shoulders from his now snow-adorned cloak. His fangs dug gingerly into his lip and his poinsettia eyes remained focused, cast on the bark he meticulously picked at with the small dagger he grasped. His ears twitched as they caught the muffled padding of small feet across the snow, astonished by the lack of crunching with every step the fox took. Either he'd found enough fresh snow to trudge through to avoid drawing his attention or he had managed to glide across the snow like a small woodland creature. A smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian's lips, but he didn't turn, continuing to prod at the trinket he was crafting. However, he did inhale sharply, purring at the ambrosial aroma filling his senses and garnering his undivided interest. "Good morning, vixen. I hope I didn't wake you. I was trying to keep the noise to a minimum, but unfortunately, carving isn't exactly a silent activity." Once he was satisfied with the last of the fine lines scratched into the wood, he threaded a vine through the hole at its peak and gave an approving nod as he set it aside.

"You did wake me, but I shall let it slide just this once… What are you doing anyways? I'm assuming it has something to do with me since you're here," Ciel grunted, slate tail curling into a ball near its base to avoid dragging it through the particularly tall mound of snow he tread through. He knelt down beside Sebastian, picking up the flat slab of wood he'd worked hard to cut into shape. It took the appearance of an elegant snowflake, but its purpose remained unknown. "Ah, this is quite nice. What's it for?" The vulpine questioned, dangling it by the vine it was meant to hang from. A larger, surprisingly warm, hand closed around his chilled one and turned it so that the object laid flat atop his palm. When he glanced up, there was a spark of pride in the wolf's eyes that he supposed was ignited by his curiosity and approval. A rosy blush painted his cheeks when Sebastian's chest pressed against his back, but he said nothing, paying regard to the way Sebastian traced over the green plant-made loop at the top instead.

"I apologize for waking you, I promise to make it up to you later. I think you may enjoy the idea I have though. You see, the solstice is only a week away, and one of the ways we used to celebrate it every year in my pack was by decorating a tree. You never mentioned if you do anything for the holiday or not, but I thought you may like to try it out if you never have before." Sebastian seized the woodwork from Ciel's fingers once the boy had a chance to admire it, gesturing to a relatively large pile of similar etchings sitting atop the stump he often perched upon. What he didn't tell him was that he'd been there since midnight crafting new and unique decorations to surprise him with. "We carved our own ornaments, and gathered pinecones and sprigs of holly to adorn it with. I've already made some if you'd like to see them. They're yours." His chest warmed when the omega hummed and eagerly sat down beside the baubles he had poured so much hard work into, collecting them one by one to inspect them closely.

Ciel felt his irritation at being roused from slumber so early begin to wash away as he appraised the exquisite detail in each accessory the wolf had created to festoon a nearby tree. "They're lovely," He praised, unusually sincere in his mildly sleep-muddled mind. He was particularly fond of one modeled after a star encompassed by ivy, it was both intricate and beautiful, serving as a reminder of the bright spring that was still so far away. He couldn't wait until the flowers blossomed and the snow melted; He missed going for swims with the sun's brilliant rays warming his bare skin so pleasantly. He was enthralled by each and every embellishment he grasped, even giving a small chuckle at an extremely detailed moon carving and the appropriateness of it being made by a wolf, but upon reaching the bottom of the stack, his eyes grew wide.

The final garnishment wasn't of a winter rose nor of an autumn leaf, instead it was the silhouette of a sitting fox - one with a line for every piece of fur and markings identical to that of his full form. "You… Carved me?" He breathed, both flattered and flustered at the realization. He felt his heartbeat thud violently against his ribcage, fingers trembling lightly as he peered at the ornament in wonder. He knew Sebastian was courting him, it would take a fool to miss that fact seeing as the man had stated so from the moment they met, but that he liked him this much took him off-guard. But as bewitched as he was by the gift he was offered, that didn't mean he had to let the alpha off the hook for looking at him long enough to get every detail right. After all, it wasn't in his nature to go soft over things such as this. "I usually only shift when I sleep, so it's a bit creepy that you stared at me all night to do this, you know? But… Thank you for these, Sebastian. They must have taken forever to make." A sharp fang dug into his bottom lip as he bit back a small grin and turned to face Sebastian. "I could help make a few if you'd like? I'm not very good with carving on wood this thin, but I know about crafting with leaves if you could make a base for me to work off of."

The reaction was more than Sebastian could have ever hoped for. His ears twitched excitedly when the omega offered his aid and his lips spread into a pleased smirk, hand brushing aside some of the snow beside him to form a less chilly space for Ciel to join him. He never expected the fox to actually craft alongside him, but it filled him with joy all the same. He was also interested to see what he would create, he'd never seen a bauble formed from leaves before. "What can I say? It's rather entertaining to watch you sleep. You make the cutest little whines," The wolf teased, patting the more level mound of snow to his right while the reynard growled quietly. He chuckled at the annoyed sound, returning to his work once Ciel gracelessly slumped beside him, arms crossed and nose raised in indignation. Adorable. He quickly prepared a wooden base for the boy to work with, passing it to him with a curious tilt of the head. He watched as Ciel stood, cinereal tail swaying softly when he bent to gather a handful of dried leaves. Though the younger man didn't realize it, Sebastian's eyes didn't stray from his backside as he meticulously picked through the leaves in search of the most well-preserved, paying special attention to the softness of the beautifully formed rump that was unintentionally presented to him. He said nothing to avoid giving himself away and instead turned back to the wood he grasped whenever Ciel rose triumphantly.

"I only whine when I'm having a bad dream, which is appropriate because any time I sense your presence nearby, it is most certainly a nightmare," Ciel countered, scooping up some of the mud hidden beneath the thick snow. He slathered it over the strip of wood he was handed, layering the first of seven golden-brown leaves atop it. He easily formed them around the bark and Earth, nimble fingers working deftly to press the little, round leaves into the drying mud until it cooled and hardened. He slipped a thread of twine through the arch of two mud-melded stems, knotting it carefully so that it could hang from the tree's needles without issue. He raised it between the two of them whenever it was complete, showing off the heart shaped ornament made from the nature around them. The amazement shimmering in the wolf's eyes made him beam with pride, fangs briefly catching the light as he gave his creation to the shocked alpha. "There is only so much you can make with leaves unless they are freshly fallen, considering that they are already rotten by this point, but it turned out well enough, I think."

"This is incredible, Ciel," Sebastian crooned, examining the melded leaves carefully. In all his years, even the ones as a young pup, he had never seen anything quite like it before. "My sister would occasionally hang different colour leaves from the tree, but apart from carvings, that is the only other thing I've seen used before. This is quite unique. Have you made them before?" The wolf gently set it atop his own craftings, setting aside six more bases for Ciel to form while they chatted. He then turned to spark a fire over the fresh logs placed in the pit their dinner was always cooked over, flint clicking together cleanly as embers of gold ignited atop the splintered wood. He watched the reynard's tiny pink tongue poke out betwixt his soft lips as he paid close attention to his newest decoration, each one he made appearing even finer than the last.

Once Ciel was on his tenth and final knick knack, Ciel glanced up at the intrigued alpha. "My mother made them with my brother and I a few times when we were very young; I'm surprised I remembered how to make them at all. I haven't really thought about them much until today… After my mother and brother passed, there wasn't much of a reason to celebrate, nor any time to do so. It is nice to know that I haven't lost my ability to create them, however. We didn't adorn a tree, but we did hang them from the roots poking into the burrow sometimes." While he preferred to remain silent about his past, their holidays together were a good memory. He didn't remember much at all about his brother, and even less of his father, but the time he spent with his mother was precious to him. He merely wished they had had more time. The question he was asked brought about one of his own though. Slow as it was, Sebastian was learning about him, but he knew almost nothing about the wolf. "What about you? You said you used to do this with your pack, why did you stop? Surely they didn't suddenly decide to abandon tradition."

Sebastian's smile fell if only by a fraction, curling downwards with the barest traces of sympathy. He knew Ciel was alone, the lack of other scents upon their meeting was a dead giveaway, but he could tell the memories' fragments haunted the boy as much as they brought him joy. He knew that look, for it was the same he wore whenever he spoke of his sister. He didn't recall the tod ever mentioning a littermate before, but he knew better than to ask now lest he reopen old wounds. His own past, while still fresh in his mind, no longer troubled him greatly. He would forever be saddened by the loss of his sister, but deep down, he knew there was no use in spending his life in anger over her choice to leave. Nothing he did would bring her back, and he was no longer alone. For the omega, he was an open book. "I see… Your mother seems to have taught you many valuable skills alongside your prowess during hunts, I am sure she would be proud to see you putting them to use. And yes, I did say that, but that doesn't mean that Iever stopped. My pack was a very large one, you see, and there were many members to keep up with during travel. My eldest sister and I were separated from the pack during a blizzard when I was seven years of age. We barely survived the winter, and when spring came, our pack was nowhere to be found. Mallie and I remained near our old den rather than partaking in a never-ending search for our pack, and while we kept up traditions for a few years, we eventually stopped when it became too much of a strain on our energy with food already scarce. Whenever she left, I continued to decorate every other year though. I always enjoyed the look of the season."

Listening carefully, perhaps more so than he ever had before, Ciel unintentionally leaned closer to the wolf, instinct begging him to soothe the distressed alpha with the combination of his scent and body heat. Had he realized it before his shoulder was flush against Sebastian's bicep, he would have stopped himself quickly, but whenever he felt the tense muscles relax at his touch, he begrudgingly allowed the other man to have this moment. He could pester him over it later. He wanted to know more, but didn't wish to push the other or disenchant him while he seemed so thrilled for the solstice. As irritating as he was at times, he possessed no desire to truly upset him. "I am sorry to hear that. I can understand your appreciation for the week though, I'm sure these will make the tree look far different. In a good way, of course," He hummed, stroking his forefinger across the edge of a hand-carved ivy leaf. He scooted nearer to the fire with a small stretch before seizing the shape of a star between his fingers, turning it thrice in hand before raising his mismatched eyes to the wolf, who was currently watching him with a slight smirk and a twitch of his tail. Was be ever not staring at him? "Well, are we going to hang these so we can eat, or what?" A rumble somewhere between a chuckle and a purr made him shiver when Sebastian stood, annoyingly elegant steps drawing nearer before a clawed hand was extended, the man's bewitching eyes peering into his as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered. The spell was broken whenever they turned mischievous at a particularly loud growl from his stomach.

"Very well, you prickly little thing. Come, let us hastily cover the tree with our magnificent creations so that you may eat before you starve," Sebastian snickered, more than pleased with the half-hearted smack dealt to his arm in retaliation as Ciel brushed passed him. As he watched the fox saunter in front of him, chin held high, and cloak swishing regally behind him, he felt like the luckiest man in the world; For he had a clear view of that enchanting backside for the second time in a single hour whenever it drifted aside to rest against the tod's right hip. "You know, vixen… As lovely as I'm sure the tree will look, I already have the best view in the forest right now."

That was all it took for the fox to realize that his fur was plastered against his side by the force of the frigid breeze. How dare that dog gawk so shamelessly! "You bastard! You just wanted to stare at my ass! I don't know why I deal with you..." He tugged it back into place quickly before trekking up the small, snowy hill at a hastened pace, leaving Sebastian behind in the process as a string of grumbled curses fell from his lips.

Sebastian beamed brightly, following behind like an eager puppy as he prepared to spend the rest of the day making it up to the vexed fox.

He couldn't wait until Ciel was his...