Part 7

Christmas morning.

Aya woke up in his bed with no real idea of how he got there, but comfortable, warm with a pair of strong warm arms wrapped about him. He had no idea what had woken him until he distinctly heard a female voice say "You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot, happy Christmas my arse, I'm glad it's our last1." Muttering a curse under his breath he slammed his hand down on the offending clock radio, noting the time was ungodly early, and then turned back into Crawford's arms and his broad inviting chest. Why on earth, he thought, had he set his alarm for four thirty when he knew he had been out the night before? Then it occurred to him like a lightning bolt inside his head. It was Christmas morning, he had set the alarm to put the goose in the oven. He could do that and then crawl back into bed for a couple of hours. He might even manage to persuade Crawford to ravish him when he got back. He didn't hold much hope for it, but he might.

He unwillingly extricated himself from Crawford's arms and pulled on a pair of jogging bottoms, he was only wearing his boxer shorts, shorts he was sure he hadn't gone out in, suggesting that Crawford had undressed him from the elaborate kimono when he fell asleep and dressed him for bed, all without him waking. He was flattered that he had, but at the same time he really didn't like the idea that he was able to sleep through all that manhandling by his enemy/boyfriend. He should have reacted to it on some level.

Crawford made an unhappy grunt noticing that Aya was gone. "Goose." Aya explained. "Back in a minute."

"Hmm?" Crawford mumbled into the pillow.

"I have to put the goose in the oven, assuming they killed it, I'll be back in a minute." He bent down and kissed Crawford on the cheek, he needed to shave but Aya really didn't care. He had half expected to wake up this morning with a hangover but was surprised he hadn't, but spending the night with Crawford would have made up for even a major hangover.

"Be quick," Crawford mumbled back.

Aya made it down the stairs loudly in his haste, made sure the goose was plucked with a look, and slammed it into the baking tray, hoping upon hope that the others had thought to disembowel it. They were assassins, surely someone had thought to disembowel it. He made a brief detour to the mission room, taking the presents he had bought them from out of hiding and sliding them under the tree before making his way back up the stairs. Then he ran back down the stairs and turned the oven on.

Crawford had sprawled out over the bed when he came back, slid off the jogging pants and climbed back into bed, nuzzling up to the warm arm that lifted to let him in. He was determined to take the best chance that he could to take advatange of the way they were lying, Crawford's broad stong chest, his warm heavy arm on his back, before he knew it though, he was asleep.

He woke up to a heavy rapping on the door, "Aya," Omi called excitedly, rolling over Aya looked at the alarm clock, it wasn't even seven o'clock yet. "Has Santa been, can we get up, has Santa been?"

"Omi, Santa doesn't come till nine." He grumbled back.

"Oki-doki." Omi said brightly and then walked away with feather light footsteps.

"How do you live with that?" Crawford mumbled into his hair. "Super genki boy first thing in the morning."

Aya sniggered, burying further into the curve of Crawford's neck. "Valium." He answered.

Crawford chortled, tilting Aya's face up to steal a kiss. Aya parted his lips opening himself to the kiss.

"Crawford," Nagi asked banging on the door, "Crawford!"

"I don't care." Crawford answered as with a smirk Aya straddled his chest to reach him better.

"Schuldig's covered in green paint, it says it burns, and we can't find the white spirit." Nagi shouted through the door.

Crawford swore but Aya raised his head to answer, "it's in the downstairs bathroom, in the first aid kit, and tell him to stay the hell out of my kitchen cupboards."

Crawford smiled at him with thanks for the quick answer and he looked so cute that Aya just had to kiss him.

"Aya," Ken shouted through the door, "tell Farfarello to get out of my bed, please. He's kidnapped Foffie, and he won't give her back."

Aya groaned. "Tell him she helps god." Crawford shouted back, "he'll give it back." They heard Ken leave. "What the hell is a Foffie?"

"His football mascot, he sleeps with it." Aya answered, lowering his head to Crawford's chest with a sense of resignation.

"Crawford." Farfarello shouted through the door. "Siberian is saying his prayers, can I kill him?"

"No!" Aya and Crawford shouted together.

"And he's stolen Foffie back, can I kill him for that?"

"No!"

There was a small period of silence that they appreciated by kissing, quietly and merrily.

"Aya." Yohji shouted through the door. "I'm hungry and you wouldn't let us use the kitchen, and when Schuldig tried to get the milk to make coffee he got blinded with green paint!"

"All right!" Aya shouted rolling off Crawford and standing up with a thump. "I'm getting up." There was enough muffled cheering outside the door to suggest that everyone had gathered around waiting for that. "And I won't make breakfast if you don't scarper now!" There was the sound of people running.

"They are so scared of you." Crawford said, sitting up and planting a kiss on Aya's shoulder. "I love it."

Aya stood over the stove stirring the soup and glaring at the seven gathered assassins that sat at the kitchen table waiting for the their breakfast. Omi and Nagi were wearing matching plaid pyjamas and each of them had a plush animal stuffed under their arm. Yohji looked as if he was still asleep, and was only awake because the rest of them were. Farfarello had a white doll with long black hair stuffed under his arm, and was wearing white pyjamas with long straps off the sleeves. Ken was wearing a football strip with a lion mascot under his arm. Crawford was wearing jeans and a sweater, but the prize of the bunch was Schuldig who wore red cotton long johns, but his face and fringe were bright green, and he was glaring pretty badly.

The first thing Aya had done was disable the paint pellets that were stuck to each of the cupboard doors, and had made a sensible Japanese breakfast of Miso and tamago-gohan. He switched on the radio to be met with a woman's voice signing, "you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot." He switched the radio off.

"I love that song." Farfarello crowed. "It hurts god and it's from Ireland."

Groaning Aya turned the machine back on, as Farfarello sang along happily. "and the boys from the NYPD choir sang "go away babe."

"It's Galway bay, you Irish idiot." Yohji corrected. "The boys in the NYPD choir sang "Galway bay", and the bells they ringing out for Christmas day." Nagi did his best to hide his snigger, but it didn't really work according to plan and he ended up practising long distance spitting with his tea. Aya said nothing, obviously used to this kind of behaviour and handed him a handkerchief.

After breakfast as the rest gathered beneath the tree, Crawford pulled Aya aside and pressed a long slim parcel into his hand. It was delicately wrapped with a white bow in such a way that it could be slid open. He opened the box to reveal a charm bracelet of beautifully coloured semi precious stones carved into all manner of shapes. "For Aya," he whispered, "Nagi picked it for me."

"Thank you." Aya mouthed, wary that the others would find out.

The gathered assassins were sat around the tree, Farfarello still singing as a bright green Schuldig lifted presents to check the gift tags and see who they were for, although he knew the two biggest gifts were for Omi from Farfarello and himself. He handed Nagi a small slim package. "This is from me."

"A DVD." Nagi enthused, ripping open the package. "Ohmigod," he squealed, "you got me Halo 2, ohmigod, you actually listened to what I want." He glomped Schuldig.

Schuldig looked uncomfortable with the attention and handed him a larger box, "and this one's from Far," Nagi ripped off the paper to reveal a deluxe mecanno set. Although Milliardo Peacecraft's words ran through Nagi's head, he was still pleased with the gift, and it showed more care than usual. "And this one's from Crawford." He hefted the heavy box with a grunt. Nagi shredded the paper with the steady assurance that Crawford bought him the absolute best presents, and he wasn't disappointed to see that Crawford had foreseen Schuldig's present and bought him an X box. He grinned at Crawford where he sat pressed against Aya just close enough that it didn't look untowards. Schuldig rooted around and then handed Nagi a large box with an envelope stuck to it. "It's from Yohji." He said.

Nagi opened the envelope first to reveal a pair of concert tickets. "How did you?" he gasped, "and how?" he went bright red, "ohmigod." He said jumping over to glomp him again. Then he opened the box, and slammed it again with a blush. "You'll get me killed." He laughed.

Omi leant over him and he showed him the inside of the box, he reached in and pulled out a skinny fit T-shirt with the words "brazen fcuk" on it, and a matching pair of skin tight jeans. Crawford raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Ken's present was a lot more predictable, he got him a soccer jersey for a team that Nagi had never heard of, a soccer ball, and a pair of cleats.

Schuldig offered him Aya's present, a small cube in silver paper. He opened it and his eyes opened wide. It was a Gameboy advance SP, Legend of Zelda edition, complete with the latest game. It struck Nagi speechless.

Omi's present from Aya was the same size and when he opened it he found a matching Gameboy, in the Pokemon edition, with the Pokemon Ruby game. Omi jumped up and glomped Aya with a great whoop, because someone at least had paid attention to what he was hinting at for the last four months.

He opened Crawford's present next to reveal a box of books, a complete matching set of Dickens. It made Omi's bottom lip quiver. Ken bought him an expensive art set that he had pointed out that he wanted, and Yohji bought him new clothes, obviously to wear to the concert he had bought Nagi tickets for. Nagi and Omi had every intention of swapping their presents in private. Omi's eyes widened at the huge present that Schuldig had bought it and opened it to reveal "Barbie's deluxe dream house." He raised an eyebrow as Farfarello handed him his present. "And matching pink limousine, have you been talking to Mill Peacecraft's little sister?"

Ken's presents included football tickets, several new jerseys and a new football, they suited him well, Aya on the other hand bought him a heavy new winter coat, muffler and gloves, as well as a raincoat to wear on the pitch that was fleece lined.

Yohji's were equally well suited, several books that he hadn't gotten round to buying yet, a cocktail mixer set from Omi, and a liqueur set from Nagi, a warm sweater from Schuldig, a rather evil looking knife from Farfarello who wasn't sure what else to get him. It was designed for wire cutting, so there had at least been some thought behind it. Farfarello was bought a set of kitchen knives that caused him to holler in glee, a new straight jacket brought tears to his eyes, and a series two set of Father Ted DVDs.

Schuldig's presents were for the most part imported from Germany, including a set of very expensive looking DVDs, a box of plum brandy miniatures and some spiced biscuits that Aya demanded the recipe for when he tasted them. They all knew that it was only Omi and Nagi that were really excited about their presents.

The whole of Schwarz had grouped together to buy Crawford a strange painting of a woman with a small child on her knee and a winged skeletal angel hovering over them as the child signed a document. Crawford was obviously delighted with it. It was slightly disturbing, but everyone could see why they bought it. 2 Weiss had gathered together as well to get him a first edition of "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" that had actually been signed. Aya of course had a separate present he would give him later.

Aya's presents were a strange and rather mixed affair. Ken had bought him a porcelain bisque doll with a strangely lifelike expression in an elaborate kimono, the doll's hair was red and it had obviously been specifically made for them, it was signed Kira.3 Omi had bought him a traditional print of a geisha reading poetry to an appreciative audience. Yohji had bought him a calligraphy print that Aya himself had done in Kyoto and had gifted to a prominent politician who Schwarz had later eliminated. He had gone to a lot of bother to get it, and that meant a lot to Aya, who in truth could have made up another copy of the poem with little to no effort.

Schwarz had, as for Crawford, gathered together and bought him a set of antique swords and a stand, although Schuldig seemed apprehensive about buying him more swords, then laughed it off.

"If this is all the gifts," Aya said gathering up the wrapping paper and balling it up in his arms, "we can tidy up and Crawford and I can make a start on dinner, if the rest of you want to get dressed."

Author's Notes

Poor Seraphim Grace apologises for her prolonged absence because a week is a long time for her, but she went away for Christmas and caught what might be consumption, so she's been feeling sorry for herself. So she has roused herself from her sick bed, banged the Tori Amos concert she got for Christmas on the DVD and booted up her laptop because her fans need to read the end of the Christmas fic before they go back to work for Easter.

I got asked why Crawford was wary of taking the last step with Aya, there are two reasons - one if he takes the last step he's giving up his last piece of control, something he is terrified of doing, it's also a very deep trust thing. The other is this story is only a PG13. However, if you're really, really nice to me I might write one and set it up as subscriber only.

1 I don't know about the rest of you but this blinking song followed me around for a week before Christmas, every time I turned on the radio I got that line, and could I get it out of my head.

For those of you that don't recognise it, blessed souls that you are, it's fairy tale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.

2The picture is called Human Frailty and is in the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge, and is utterly fab, I saw it and I thought of Crawford.

3 Kira Dolls are a phenomenon in Japan and they're damn freaky too. Have a look yourselves at