* Special *
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring…
At least, that's how it was supposed to be. Little Hanako Negida nestled snug in the bed, but the same could not be said for the shivering twins who had fallen asleep on either side of her head. Hikaru tossed and turned from side to side. What was the point of sharing a king sized bed when their godsister would only use the blankets to hide? Topaz eyes flew open, and the middle brother shot up with a pout. He peeked over Hana's sleeping form and found that he wasn't the only one who was put out.
Equally disgruntled, Kaoru laid wide awake with his arms crossed over his small chest, glowering at the ceiling, clearly upset. Hikaru poked his brother's round cheek, getting Kaoru's attention. Wordlessly, the twins shared their discontent. It was the same thing every year. Their families always flew to the Alps in the winter and enjoyed the privacy of the chalet. Everyone enjoyed the peaceful environment and beautiful scenery here. The children played in the snow, and their parents relaxed during a weekend away. It was perfect... until bedtime.
"Blanket hog," Hikaru's squeaky and childish voice complained as he tugged on the covers that Hanako cocooned in. Kaoru crawled around to Hikaru's side and took hold of the soft fabric, pulling the corner alongside his twin.
The little girl didn't budge, and the boys shared a mischievous look with matching grins. On the count of three, the boys pulled on the blanket with all their might. Finally, Hana rolled out from the wrappings around her, and awoke with some fright. She blinked her caramel eyes in confusion.
"What are you doing?" she asked them, tugging on the blanket as the warmth of her comfortable bundle faded away.
"Trying to sleep," the identical boys deadpanned and held onto their side of the blanket more tightly, unashamed by their collusion.
"There's one of you," Hikaru started to say.
"And two of us," Kaoru pointed out with the blanket spilling out from his arms.
"What's your point?" the young girl's eyes narrowed on them, unimpressed by the argument and immune to their charms. She had been sleeping soundly and couldn't see why they needed to rouse her.
"You don't need so much of it!" the twins hissed in an angry whisper. The two boys wrapped themselves up in the blanket, rolling themselves up together until they were bundle. Hanako regarded the defensive brothers for a moment before yawning and climbing off the bed with a grumble.
"Where are you going?" they asked her with suspicion.
"Going to get another blankie," she stated plainly from her new position. They had decorative textiles and throws scattered throughout the entire villa. She saw no reason in fighting over the one that they had to share. The eldest child disappeared through the door into the darkened corridor, and the twins peered at each other thoughtfully. The game wasn't quite as fun with just the two of them. They unraveled the blanket and slid off the bed, following after her with their bare feet sounding softly on the floor.
She noticed them following her immediately and turned around with a frown, "Shhh! Papa's going to hear you." The children were not supposed to be out of bed after bedtime, and if their parents caught them, then they'd have to go back to sharing one blanket between the three of them. The brothers froze and immediately took on the challenge of sneaking around.
"We can be quiet, too, sis," Hikaru promised her.
"Yeah! We'll just do what you do," Kaoru agreed in a hushed voice. Their eyes glittered playfully, and Hanako took what they said to heart, nodding seriously the way that she always saw her father do to his teammates. The three of them linked hands, and Hana took the lead. First, they had to creep past her parents' bedroom.
Even at an early age, the future head of the Black Onion Squad was light footed. She swiftly padded along the hardwood floors without making so much as an audible breath. The same could not be said about her chosen brothers. Their footsteps left gentle sounds, and their restrained laughter came out in huffs of air. Although, they held their breaths and crawled past their aunt and uncle's bedroom when the time came because if they were caught, the game would be over.
Victoriously, the brothers shared a grin and turned to share it with Hanako. However, the girl was not impressed, and she worldlessly frowned and raised a challenging brow. It was too soon for them to celebrate. The boys dropped their smiled and rolled their eyes, and they trudged on behind her as they made their way closer to the living room. The chalet had a long stretch of windows that highlighted the beautiful scenery, and the vacation home's interior could rival the outdoors. The families had the house decorated with a towering pine, topped with a delicate glass star. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and the scent of fresh cookies lingered in the air.
The children meant to cross the wooden floor to the sofa where there were piles of discarded plaid and faux fur from earlier that day. When what to their wondering eyes did appear, a man in red velvet with snow white hair. The trio of children pressed against the wall, watching in awe. He placed a sack made of burlap down by the tree, and from it, retrieved three boxes – gold, peach, and blue.
Kaoru gasped loudly with glee, and his siblings clapped their hands over his mouth speedily. The velvet clad guest rose at the sound, picked up his bag, and disappeared out the door. The three little ones hurriedly gave chase but, suddenly, heard footsteps overhead.
"No way," Hikaru stated with skepticism plain on his face. "I'm not convinced."
"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!" A deep and jolly voice proclaimed unseen.
Hana and Kaoru's jaws dropped as Hikaru's doubt melted away. They rushed to the window in hopes of catching a glimpse of the sleigh, but try as they might, not a thing could be seen in the darkness of night. Hesitantly, the three moved back to the warm, blazing hearth.
"I bet it was Uncle Yuu," Hikaru stated, shaking one of the boxes against his ear.
"You bet what it was me?" the broad shouldered man asked, appearing behind the three children without making a sound. Guilty, the kids spun around.
Each one hid a present behind their back, and Akina smiled, "Shouldn't you all be asleep?"
Kaoru and Hanako grinned at Hikaru victoriously, and he rolled his eyes, "Okay, so it was our Dad." At that very moment, he and his wife descended the stairs, wrapped in matching robes, both with mussed hair. The matching grins broadened as Hikaru gave up with a huff.
"Ara," Yuzuha came up with her hands on her hips, "what are you doing awake at this hour?"
"Nothing!" the trio declared in perfect unison, like a well-practiced choir.
Hanako squeaked happily as her papa picked her up and tossed her into the air, "In that case, back to bed with you." Yuzuha and Hayato each carried a boy, and together, both sets of parents walked back up the stairs.
Yuu laid down his daughter on the center of the bed, and Akina planted a kiss at the top of her head. Then, the Hitachiins settled their sons beside her, and the three of them huddled together, sharing a new secret with nobody the wiser. Yuzuha tucked the kids in, and Hayato turned off the light.
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Yuudai said in a hush as they closed the kids' door.
"Tell Seizaburo thank you for that," Hayato said with a smile. The Negidas, Hitachiins, and Tachibana were successful, once more, in delivering a perfect Christmas to the children they adored.
A/N... Happy holidays to you and yours!
I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to update recently. I'm a little bit stumped with the next chapter, but I promise that it's in the works. I just want it to be good. Anyway, please enjoy this holiday special inspired by the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore.
Thank you to reviewers, followers, favoriters, and all of my readers. This has been a wonderful and productive year. Thank you for sticking it out with me, and please stay safe wherever you may be!
To conclude 2020, what is your favorite chapter of Gowns and Roses?
Next time: Candi rings in 2021 with a new chapter!