EDIT: I just realized I forgot to put in line breaks. I've fixed it, now. But I feel like a fool.

I did it! I updated!

I'd like to thank all the reviewers:

Ciel D'or Serendipite

angelg0722

Subaru

Nenepasciele

Emerald Rain 25

And all the people who added this story to their favorites.

SIX YEARS AGO:

Beep beep.

Ryoma rolled over in his bed lazily.

Beep beep.

He slowly opened one eye to give the offending alarm clock his best one-eyed death glare.

Beep beep.

The mighty alarm clock remained unperturbed.

Beep beep.

Ryoma sat up angrily. This clock sure was stubborn. He raised an arm and punched it with all his might, with a maniacal, blood thirsty (clock mechanism thirsty?) glint in his eye.

The clock soared through the air, beeping terrifiedly all the way. Ryoma smirked. He had warned it.

…And then he realized that the alarm clock had won, too. He was awake.

"Oi, Ryoma! Your kind, thoughtful, generous father has come to wish you a happy birthday!"

What fun.

He yawned, stretched, and dragged himself up. His father stood in the door way, waving a present around and grinning like a lunatic.

"What do you want?"

Nanjiroh feigned hurt. "I come all the way up the stairs to bring you happiness with my present, and this is how you treat me?"

Obviously.

Ryoma shook his head. His father was beyond repair. As was his alarm clock, now that he thought of it. He'd have to get a new one soon.

He pushed past his father and headed down the stairs.

"Oi, oi! Atleast take your present!"

Ryoma stomped back upstairs and grabbed the box (inwardly cringing at the bright pink wrapping) and stomped back down again.

"Just make sure Santa doesn't steal it tonight!" his father called after him.

Ryoma froze for a moment, while his father laughed maniacally.

He shook his head again and continued down the stairs. His dad was joking.

Wasn't he?

Ryoma was currently playing tag with Karupin. Though he wasn't quite sure who was running and who was catching. They were simply running around in circles in thename of playing tag.

"Hey, seishounen!" His father called.

Ryoma didn't even look at him. "Yeah?"

"Aren't you going to hide your presents from Santa Claus?"

Ryoma stumbled, tripped over Karupin, and landed flat on his face. Karupin jumped on his head victoriously.

Ryoma pushed himself up. "Baka Oyaji! Santa Claus doesn't steal presents!"

Nanjiroh grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really!" Ryoma crossed his arms stubbornly.

Nanjiroh's smile dropped, and he was silent for a moment. Then he looked up at his son seriously, with honest eyes. "That's what I thought, too, when my father told me. But then…" he paused again.

"I saw it."

Ryoma's eyes widened.

Nanjiroh looked far into the distance. "Our family is cursed, Ryoma. We're one of those few unlucky ones. Santa Claus has been stealing our presents for centuries, and he gives them to other kids for Christmas." He shook his head mournfully. "He took the bike that I'd been begging for for months once. He's a heartless old man."

Despite himself, Ryoma was starting to believe the man.

"So trust me," Nanjiroh continued, "Hide your presents today."

And then he was gone, leaving his son despairing over the new knowledge that Santa Claus was corrupt.

It was almost midnight.

Ryoma was sitting up straight in bed, watching his wall clock ticking slowly his heart beating fast. A few minutes ago, he had almost gone down the stairs, but a loud bang from the hall had scared him back into his room. He'd listened from the doorway, and heard faint footsteps…along with jingling bells and muffled chuckling.

It was true. It was all true. This was what he got for ignoring his father. Santa Claus was here to steal his presents, and he would never get his new tennis racket.

This revelation shocked him into reality, and, with newfound determination, he sneaked down the stairs. His cat followed him just as quietly.

As he approached the living room, he froze. What if it really was only his father, pretending to be Santa? He'd never hear the end of it…

He shook his head firmly. He couldn't think like this. His tennis racket was in danger. As it's future owner, he had a duty to protect it.

Slowly, he peeked around the wall.

There was an open sack in the middle of the room. The sack was over flowing with presents. Presents that included…

…his tennis racket.

And also one of Karupin's presents.

Ryoma's hands quivered in anger. His eyes narrowed into slits. Next to him, his cat hissed her fury, and scratched at the ground menacingly.

They looked each other in the eye and came to a silent agreement.

"Yes," Ryoma whispered, eyes shining in determination. "Santa Claus is going down."

It wasn't long before Santa Claus turned up in the hall again. He looked nothing like he'd imagined.

For one thing, he wasn't as round. Instead, he was tall. And he walked lazily, in a way that was suspiciously similar to…

Ryoma deadpanned. "Oyaji…"

'Santa Claus' froze up, before shaking with laughter. "Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! I am Santa Claus! I steal your family's presents year after year! Ho, ho, ho!"

Ryoma facepalmed. His father was indeed beyond repair. "Santa Claus wouldn't make such stupid speeches."

"What are you saying, Ryoma? I am Santa Clau- EEEEEEEEEK! You stupid cat!"

Ryoma watched in grim satisfaction as his cat scratched every bit of Nanjiroh that she could reach.

His father tried to push the cat off, screaming all the while, when, suddenly, the dim light that lit up the room went off.

Everyone froze.

The Christmas tree lights flickered, before dying as well. The room was now pitch dark.

Slowly, a window creaked open on its own, letting the cold wind enter, and a shadow moved behind it. As one, everyone was shocked into action.

Nanjiroh screamed and ran up the stairs, locking himself up in Ryoma's room. Ryoma swore under his breath, and slowly edged his way towards the stairs. However, the intruder's laughter made him freeze in his footsteps.

"Ho…ho…ho…"

Ryoma would never find that laughter 'jolly' again.

He couldn't see the figure in the darkness, but he could vaguely follow it's movement. The figure moved towards the center of the room, and slowly hefted the sack over its shoulder.

At the sight of his tennis racket being taken away, Ryoma almost whimpered. Almost.

The figure seemed to have sensed his distress, because it put the sack back down.

"Echizen Ryoma, isn't it? Well, you look rather pitiable. I guess I'll make an exception this year…"

It rummaged through the sack, pulled out two presents (including his tennis racket), and tossed it towards him. As an afterthought, it tossed another at Karupin. "I'm afraid I can't return the rest," it said. "The elves haven't made enough presents for everyone this year, so that's all I can spare." The figure moved towards the front door. "By the way, you should clean the chimney! I almost died on the way down. Merry Christmas!"

Santa Claus let himself out the front door.

Ryoma promptly collapsed against the wall.

Karupin had escaped long ago.

AT PRESENT:

Fuji sat cross legged on his bed in a meditative position, eyes closed, brainstorming furiously. Atobe's party was in one week, on Christmas eve. Echizen would be there as well.

It was hard to believe that the younger tennis prodigy was terrified of Santa Claus, and thought that he stole his Christmas presents. Even now, Fuji couldn't help laughing just thinking about it. It was crazy.

Atobe's party was in one week, on Christmas eve. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

A vague plan had begun to take form in his head. Now all he needed to do was figure out how to execute it without raising anyone's suspicions.

Which meant…

Fuji pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, looking for a certain name. He would need a partner.

He put the phone to his ear, and waited. He could hear the phone ringing on the other side. Finally, someone picked it up.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Yukimura?"

"…Fuji?"

Fuji smiled vampirishly. Next week was going to be fun.

This was so much fun to write.

Anyway, please review!