Aqua backed up to the entrance of the study. She looked over the whole place: a pine tree that glittered with magical lights (Sora had told her that plug-in lights were the norm elsewhere but she didn't want those cheap things to replace a tried and true tradition) and adorned with the most delicate glass ornaments that were hallmarks of so many precious memories. Lights flittered about elsewhere, bathing the room in delicate and warm golden light. There were a few stockings laid out on the banister, one for each of them (even the absent Eraqus) and sloppily knitted by Aqua herself ages ago.
She held out her Keyblade. It waved around in her hand loosely as she held a finger to her mouth and gently bit down on it uncertainly. This was a variation of Blizzard. She could cast Blizzard in her sleep by now, any spell in fact. Still, while she was good at casting spells, spellcraft was awfully tricky...
"Snow." She whispered.
The study was still for a moment, and then softly little white dots of snow began falling flake after flake. Aqua grabbed one. It didn't melt at all, nor did her hand get the slightest chill. She smiled, "Perfect." Aqua sat back and let the spell continued to dust the study in powdery white. She grabbed her special Christmas mug- specially fished out of storage just for tomorrow's surprise-
The grandfather clock in the upper floor chimed 5 AM.
Maybe today's surprise, then.
Aqua sighed and settled into a plush chair by the lit fireplace and made herself some hot chocolate. She couldn't help that she couldn't sleep much anymore, it was bare bones habit after so many years. She didn't get nightmares anymore, but she still woke up at the oddest times.
Terra had been out-sleeping logs since their marriage, as if some part of him had finally clicked back into place. It was easy for her to slip out of bed to expel her nighttime insomnia- unless Terra had her caught in a bear's grip around her like he was afraid if he let go she'd never come back. It was those points Aqua knew he would never, ever let his little wifey go.
Ventus- surprisingly, for someone who had gone so long in a deep slumber -could finally pass out with ease just like he used to and be untroubled for hours. Therapy sessions with King Mickey had become more like routine check-ins and time with friends rather than time to sort out complicated feelings and throw away the rotten ones. Ven had even started drifting away from Terra and Aqua ever so slightly, going out on his own little ventures into the worlds by himself. He always came back, though. Always.
It made her happy that at least they could rest when she couldn't. She could at least keep them safe in these graveyard hours.
"Aqua?"
Aqua paused her sip and glanced towards the hallway. She lowered her cup and quietly sighed a curse; this was going to be a winter solstice surprise for Terra and Ven and here Terra was shambling into the room in only the drawstring gray pants he called his winter pajamas. He winced in the light a little and rubbed his bleary eyes while he looked for Aqua, "Honey, what in the name of the master...?"
"Couldn't sleep," Aqua said guiltily. Terra seemed to finally register the snow and she said, "Appreciate that. Took me a month to get the spell to work right."
Terra's head bobbed back and forth, "Well, it's nice... Not bad." He sleepily stumbled over and sat down in her lap, causing Aqua to laugh.
"Terra! Get off of me!" Her hands pressed up against him but he wouldn't budge.
Terra scooted over slightly and wrapped himself around her, "No, I like being held by my amazing lady of war."
"Terra I'm not a lady of war." She sighed for the umpteenth time at Terra's praise of how long she had waded through the tides of hardship. Her hands drifted around his waist and she decided that Terra was being too silly and sleepy to listen to her. She pressed her ear to Terra's back. She could hear his breaths, his heartbeat; the music that was Terra.
Aqua felt Terra's hand brush through her hair while he mumbled, "Woke up... You were gone... Scared me, ya know."
Aqua giggled, "You never wake up though."
"Exactly." Terra agreed, "But it still scared the hell outta me." He kissed her forehead, "Try to keep your sleepless wanderings closer to our bedroom next time, okay?"
Aqua only nodded, and the two almost fell asleep in the small Christmas wonderland. Aqua finally stopped her snow spell, realizing the snow drifts that had been created were almost a sixth of the way up the tree at this point. Terra pouted, "It was nice with the snow drifting around."
"At that rate there wouldn't be any way to see anything but snow." Aqua replied, "I made sure it wouldn't melt unless I wanted it to."
"Well then let it melt and start over." Terra yawned.
Aqua scolded him, "But Terra, the books! We can't let them get damaged-" She paused.
"What?" Terra asked her, "Aqua I know what you mean but-" Terra stopped himself, and smirked, "Oh, the kiddo's outta bed."
Ventus was grinning wide at everything like Christmas had come four days early. He had gotten taller, older, wore his hair in a ponytail and even had his ears pierced (that was Lea's idea), but with his oversized, admittedly not pleasing to the eye Christmas sweater, shorts, and completely awed expression he looked like a haphazardly dressed toddler. He strode in with a laugh, "Did you both do this?"
"It was Aqua." Terra explained, "I just came in to try and catch her."
"You say that like I'm some kind of disobedient puppy." Aqua scoffed.
Terra hugged her again with a chuckle, "That's because you are. And yet here you are, more competent than either of us."
Ventus plopped down in some snow and began fussing with it, "Wow! This must've taken forever to get right."
"A month, she said." Terra once again explained, beaming in pride at Aqua. "Yes, this is my totally amazing wifey and I am one lucky punk to be her husband" his expression seemed to say.
"Faster than I could've done!" Ventus whooped as he let himself fall back into the white pile of fluff. The Ventus-shaped hole began collapsing when he scooted his arms around to make a snow angel.
Aqua, however, was watching the doorway, quiet. Terra rubbed her shoulder, "You okay?"
"Was Ventus ever that tall?" She asked.
Ventus sat up, "Whaddaya mean by that?"
Terra got up to let Aqua walk over to the doorframe. Her fingers scooted over a notch that marked Terra's height what must've been only a short time before the collapse that was now 13 years ago. Terra had gotten taller than that notch... This was Aqua's imagination or Ventus had met it or perhaps went beyond.
The boy- no, the young man -quietly walked over and stood straight against the doorframe. He grinned- not sarcastic or cheeky, but genuinely honest and once again like a precious child, "How tall am I?"
Aqua held a hand to her mouth. Yes, Ventus was now an inch or so taller than Terra had been so long ago. "Oh..." She sighed, "Where did my baby boy go...?"
Ventus quietly held her hand, "I'm right here, and I'm not leaving."
Terra whistled at the realization, "Man, you had... One hell of a growth spurt." He seemed speechless.
Ven laughed, "People grow, it happens." He laughed some more, "I mean have you seen Sora? He's a stinking studmuffin now. Kairi's pretty happy with that." The laugh died away as Ventus experienced the same wistfulness that haunted Terra and Aqua, "Man... How long ago was when they were scrawny dorks? When were they kids...?" Ventus hugged Terra and Aqua, "Man...what am I even saying. When was I a kid?"
"Just yesterday." Aqua sighed into his shoulder, "Just yesterday..."
Ventus snorted at the comment. He then backed out of the hug and turned around to see the little Christmas tableau that was formally known as the study. He sighed, "You could've let us help."
"I wanted it to be a surprise for you guys, a gift." Aqua protested.
Terra agreed with Ven, "It's more fun when we do it together."
Ventus skipped out into the snow again, "We can pull it all down and then put it back up together, right?" He grinned back at Terra and Aqua, "I dunno about you guys but that sounds like a plan to me-"
The grandfather clock chimed 6 AM.
"Um... We can nap, THEN we can tear it down and put it back together." Ventus corrected himself.
Terra nodded, "That definitely sounds like a plan." He picked up Aqua, and hoisted her over his shoulder as she squealed and tittered in protest, "Come on, hon, we got lots of cuddles to resume."
"T-Terra! Terra put me down!" Aqua managed to say through peels of laughter.
Ventus watched them leave with a wide smirk. He mulled over the thought of joining in the hugs and blanket-burrowing, but decided that if he took a good nap the decoration redo would go better. He held his hand to his lips, and with a whispery kiss the golden glow of the room blew out, replaced with the gray hues of dawn.
Ventus left, sank under his blanket, and fell asleep with a tender smile.
OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY MY LAPTOP BROKE BACK IN OCTOBER AND I JUST NOW GOT IT FIXED LIKE WOW I'M SO SORRY.
HAVE A LATE WAYFINDER CHRISTMAS THING