Disclaimer: You know the drill, right? I think Big Sis imprinted it enough…
Title: Christmas Time
Rating: PG
Chapter 8: Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree….
"*puff puff* Okay, boys! Heave!" Yuuto yelled to the other men. The ten of the male Ryu were trying to get their 8-feet tall Christmas tree through the doorway of the Imonoyama mansion, but because the tree was as wide as it was tall, it was getting harder and harder for the men to push the tree through.
"*pant* Halfway done, at least?" Kamui panted as he clung to the middle of the tree.
"About that. One more big push! Heave!"
Bit by bit, inch by inch, the Christmas tree made it into the mansion, where it would serve its purpose for the year. The men collapsed in a heap when the tree was all the way in.
"*pant* Okay... that *gasp* was a good *pant* exercise." Sorata declared as he tried to catch his breath. The others just nodded their heads.
"Where are the girls?" Subaru asked, when his breathing finally came back to normal.
"They said they were going to the mall when we were leaving, so I should imagine they're still shopping." Kusanagi answered.
"Darn, I still didn't get my gift yet..." Kamui complained.
"It's okay, we still have time to go Christmas shopping ourselves. Though I'm afraid that the girls will insist on coming with us then." Fuuma told his friend.
"True. I don't understand what it is with shopping and women." Nataku said.
"I don't think any of us do - my sister loved dragging me and Seishirou-san around to buy clothes and ask for our opinions, but I never knew just WHY she was so obsessed with clothes." Subaru said.
"I think it's with them since birth. And that's something I really respect about women - I can barely stay in the mall for 3 hours without getting a headache, but it seems they can shop for nonstop." Kakyou added his two cents.
"But at least the outfits they choose are cute. It's worth sticking around with them." Sorata put in.
"Definitely better than camouflage uniforms, that's for sure." Kusanagi agreed.
It was at this time that the women decided to make their entrance.
"We're home!"
"Kamui-chan! Onii-chan! Did you get the tree?"
"Yuuto, where are you?"
"..."
"Aoki-san! Help me out with these bags!"
The chorus of voices got the tired out Dragons back on their feet. (After all, who is to disagree with the fact that all our X bisshies are gentlemen at heart?)
After the twenty-something bags of various size and color were set into the living room, the Dragons made their way to where the tree was standing. It had no decorations on it, but it already looked so pretty. The girls, including Arashi, couldn't stop a sigh of amazement escaping them.
"Like it? It's from Shibuya Tree Farm, one of the best tree farms in Tokyo." Yuuto smiled.
"I love it~!" Satsuki said, hugging Yuuto around the waist. She'd obviously given up her ice princess exterior after the Final Battle, in exchange for a more warm and non-nihilist personality. It seemed, to the others, that dying once and coming back to life again had taught her a valuable lesson about life.
"All it needs is the decorations to be put on it." Aoki said, already opening one of the boxes holding the brightly colored enamel shapes.
"Then shall we commence with the tree decorating?" Seishirou suggested, holding up an enamel Santa Clause.
*******
Thirty minutes later....
The living room was cluttered with empty boxes and cardboard holders. All the decorations, balls, candy canes, and other things had been pulled out and being hung, one by one, onto the green branches of the Dragons' Christmas tree.
"Wow! This one is adorable!" Yuzuriha exclaimed, as she held up a small teddy bear the size of her pinky. Subaru laughed and ruffled her hair.
"It's almost as cute as you, Yuzuriha." He said. Yuzuriha instantly turned red. Karen sent a wink, and Satsuki gave a friendly, all-knowing smirk. Subaru, of course, was oblivious to these facts, as he turned back to stringing the cord of tiny light bulbs around the tree. He strung one end of it onto a branch and then handed the cord to Sorata, who was standing on the opposite side of the tree.
"You know, I do believe Sorata has grown to be a fine young man." Karen whispered to Arashi, as the two of them tied ribbons to the branches.
Arashi looked over to Sorata, who was currently laughing at a joke Fuuma made about the lights. Yes, he had grown to be a handsome man indeed. The face hadn't changed too much - there was still that mischievous glint - but there was also an air of maturity hidden in the features. Something changed - and definitely not for the worse. She kind of liked it, though she did not know why.
"I guess so." She said, and turned back to hanging another bright red ribbon onto the branch. Karen tried again.
"How long has it been since you two had last seen each other?"
"Two years ago, when we had to go back to our homes and shrines."
"And you haven't been talking to him since?"
"No. He and I both were busy with our work."
"As was Subaru-san, but he managed to keep in touch..."
"He is often called to Tokyo because of his job. Sorata-kun and I aren't."
"True. Still it would have been nice if you two had kept in touch. Had you not come here on your own free will, it would have been impossible for everyone to get together this year."
"Gomen... I wanted to, too, but every time that I wanted to call, things just seemed to come up."
"Ladies, if you're done over there, then help out with putting the enamel decorations on, please." Sorata called to the two. Arashi got up. "I'm coming."
'Hm, I don't think this will be as easy as I thought it would be.' Karen thought, as she too got up and followed Arashi. 'I'll just have to work around that then, won't I?'
*******
When the last of the decorations were finally placed on the branches of the tree, the fifteen gathered around to admire their work. Though the colored light bulbs hadn't been turned on yet, the tree was still plenty beautiful. Yuuto made his way to the electric socket, while Nataku made his way over to the light switch.
"Ready, everyone?" Yuuto asked, holding up the end of the cord.
"Ready!" Fourteen voices chorused,
"Alright then…Now, Nataku!"
All of the sudden, the living room lights were flicked off and a shower of tiny colorful beams replaced them. Red, yellow, green, blue, violet…
As everyone stared into the light, one man stared at something else… something far more beautiful than the Christmas tree ever could imagine being. Someone whom he had not seen for over two years, and yet always though about.
Someone… whom he still loved with his heart, soul and body.
TBC....
Author's Note: Hey minna! I will formally be introducing myself now… I'm whitetiger777, ChibiRaihaHK's dear and only younger brother. As my sister told you in her last message, she's abandoned this fic, and left me in charge with it. -.-;;;; trust me, she got a good yelling for dumping this on me… (as if I don't have any more work!! I'm a junior with two AP classes, damn you Sis!) Don't worry, I intend to finish this story if it takes me two more years. ^^v
A.N. 2: Going back to Sorashi… I'm trying to complicate things a bit, so that the story would be more interesting. I am, however, trying to avoid as much angst as possible, as I believe we get enough of that in the manga series. And also, I'd like to ask everyone a question that's been stuck in my mind for about a month now; since Kamui is able to change destiny if he so wishes to, then does that men he can also change Sorata's fate to die for the woman he loves and instead have him live his full life? I'm thinking this kind of makes sense...