A/N: Right, so… I'm back, this time bearing Christmas fluffies. I know it might be a bit early, but that's alright. I'm actually quite proud of myself for doing this because I usually lack the foresight to produce in-season holiday-themed works but this time I thought of it ahead of time. Hurray! And for those of you who, like me, are sick to death of Christmas fics involving mistletoe, take heart! I didn't resort to such clichés this time (unlike the, ahem, last Christmas fic I wrote way back in '06). Double hurray!
Dictionary. com says: Venerable /vénərəbəl/ adj. 1 impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc. 2 extremely old or obsolete; ancient. 3 a venerable person.
Oh, and another quick note for those who don't study Japanese: jiisan and jiji both mean something like "grandpa" or "old man". Just thought I'd clear that up before I started.
Venerable
Kurogane sighed irritably and lowered his magazine when the pair of eager blue eyes that he had felt watching him intently for the past few minutes continued to burn into the side of his head. Fai was perched, monkey-like, on the arm of the couch. When the gym teacher looked at him, he smiled in what he clearly hoped was a jaunty, winning manner. In reality, the only thing it was winning him was Kurogane's intense desire to punch him in the face.
"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" Kurogane demanded. "If you want something, then say so. Don't waste your time sitting there, grinning like a dumb ass and waiting for me to notice you."
"Kuropii," Fai said in his sweetest, most persuasive voice, "it's snowing outside."
"Tch. I'm not blind, moron," the dark-haired man snarled. "I can see that."
"Isn't the snow pretty?" Fai continued, hopping down from the armrest and onto the couch cushion next to his companion. "Doesn't looking at it make you want to go outside and…"
"No," Kurogane interrupted bluntly, turning back to his magazine as if the matter was irrefutably closed.
"Eh? But I didn't even tell you what I wanted yet!" the chemistry teacher pouted.
"You don't have to," Kurogane snorted. "I already know I'm not gonna like it."
"But I wanna go outside and play!" Fai complained. "It's boring staying cooped up inside all day!"
"Go outside, then!" the gym teacher snapped. "I'm not stopping you!"
"But I want Kurosama to come with me," he begged, giving Kurogane his best puppy face.
Kurogane immediately turned his head away, knowing that if he looked into Fai's eyes, he would find himself bending instantly to the slippery blond's will, whether he wanted to or not. As much as he hated to admit it, he was no match for Fai's wide, pleading, sparkling blue eyes and his curled, trembling lower lip. Every time Fai made that face, Kurogane could never help bringing a hand to Fai's soft, pale cheek, kissing his perfect silken mouth and then proceeding to do whatever the other man asked of him. Fai knew all of this, naturally, and that was why he used this tactic. Never once had it failed him. As hard as Kurogane tried to resist, he always looked eventually, and when he did, not only did Fai get a kiss but he also got his way.
Kurogane could feel his head starting to turn back in Fai's direction, seemingly by supernatural force. He clamped his eyes shut determinedly but Fai purred and nuzzled against him cajolingly. The same force that had caused Kurogane to turn his head in Fai's direction was now prying apart his eyelids. Fai was right there in the gym teacher's face, his perfectly schooled puppy expression waiting to greet him. Kurogane all but pounced on him, pinning the slender body to the couch as he kissed him hungrily. Fai returned the kiss without complaint. His smile brightened when Kurogane reluctantly heaved a sigh and helped the blond to his feet so that the two of them could get their coats, gloves and scarves on.
"Hyuu! I'm so excited!" Fai chirped, bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet. "I haven't been outside to play in the snow in such a long time!"
"Me neither," Kurogane muttered sullenly. "Not since I was a middle schooler."
"That long ago?!" Fai yelped, sounding thoroughly scandalized. "Poor Kurochii! No wonder you're so grumpy all the time!"
"That's got nothing to do with it, idiot," Kurogane snarled as he pulled on his boots.
"Sure it does," the blond insisted. "If you never let yourself have fun, you'll turn into an old man way before your time. Everyone knows that, silly Kurotan!"
"I'm not turning into an old man!" Kurogane snapped.
"No?" Fai asked with a grin. "Wasn't it just earlier this school year that you stuck your head out the window and yelled at some kids to get off your lawn?"
Kurogane flushed slightly. "Their massive dog was about to take a shit in my yard! Do you have any idea how much that would suck to step in?!"
"Either way, Kuropon, that's one of the tell-tale signs that you're becoming an old man," Fai told him amusedly. "Plus you like to ramble on about the war. Face it, Kuro-jiisan, you're about two years away from people starting to call you 'grandpa'."
"I'm in the army reserve, dumb ass!" the gym teacher reminded him acidly. "Of course I'm gonna talk about war! Anyway, who are you to talk, you bastard?! You're even older than I am!"
"Well, if you don't wanna get old and wrinkly at age twenty-six, you're gonna have to learn how to have a little fun once in a while," Fai said easily, ignoring Kurogane's point about him being older. He finished dressing in his winter clothes and looked expectantly over at the other man. "Ready?"
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted irritably. Fai giggled and took his colleague's hand as he threw open the front door and led him outside. Once the door was closed behind them, Fai sighed happily and hugged Kurogane's arm.
"Isn't it beautiful?" he asked softly. "I love snow, especially right before Christmas like this."
Kurogane remained silent, though he had to admit that he could kind of see where Fai was coming from. There was certainly something nostalgic about the first snowfall of the year arriving so close to Christmastime. Fai looked up at him with a sweet smile.
"Wanna build a snowman?"
Kurogane rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be pulled farther from the house and out onto the thick blanket of fresh snow. Fai dropped to his knees and began to gather the snow into a ball.
"Come down here and help me, Kurokuro," the chemistry teacher requested. Kurogane squatted down beside him reluctantly and began helping him pack the snow.
"We have to build the tallest one we possibly can," Fai said, rounding the edges on their snowball. "Let's try to use all the snow in the whole front yard."
"Are you serious?" Kurogane growled. "That'll take all day!"
"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere, Kuropyon?" the blond asked with a smile. "We've got all the time in the world, right? It is Christmas break, after all."
Fai had a point; Kurogane's agenda for the day was completely blank. And if truth be told, he had been trying to think of some way to hint to Fai that he'd like to go on a Christmas date with him without actually coming out and saying it. Even though the two of them had been an official couple for about three months already, he still had a hard time being open with his feelings towards him. Of course, it didn't help that every time he tried, Fai would tease him for being shy or cute. This setup actually worked out quite well for him.
It took a surprisingly short amount of time for them to get a snowball so big that Kurogane had to help Fai push it around the yard in order to build it up larger. By the time they had finished with the bottom segment of the body, it was almost as tall as Kurogane. Fai wiped the sweat from his brow and flopped down on the ground on his back for a rest.
"Hyuu, that was hard work!" he panted as Kurogane plopped down beside him. "Look at how big it is, though! This is going to be the biggest snowman I've ever seen!"
"Yeah, that thing'll probably still be around in June," Kurogane agreed, surveying their work-in-progress with apparent disinterest.
"Let's make snow cream when we're done," Fai suggested, stretching his arms above his head luxuriously.
Kurogane's face contorted in disgust. "Are you freaking serious? Don't you know how disgusting snow is with all the pollution and crap?"
Fai shrugged. "I ate it all the time as a kid and I haven't died yet," he pointed out lazily. "It'll be fine; don't be such a worrywart."
"Who's worried?" Kurogane replied defensively, sitting down on the ground beside Fai. "Anyway, it's been ages since you were a kid; pollution's worse now than it was back then."
"It hasn't been that long," Fai pouted, tugging Kurogane down on to his back so that they two of them were lying side-by-side, staring up at the gray winter sky. "I'm only thirty. Oh, but Kuropin is probably just trying to get me back for when I called him a grandpa before, right?"
"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. The blond giggled, turning his head so that he could rub their chill-flushed noses together in a playful Eskimo kiss. Kurogane rolled his eyes and moved in for a proper kiss, tangling his gloved fingers into Fai's snow dampened blond hair.
"Ooh, your lips are cold, Kurochuu," Fai noted softly with a smile. "If we're not careful, we might just freeze together like that."
"That's impossible, moron," Kurogane growled, kissing his mouth again. Fai sighed happily once they broke apart and eventually sat up.
"Why don't we keep going on Snowman san?" he suggested, brushing the snow off of his pants as he stood up and offered his hand to help Kurogane to his feet. "He still needs a head, after all."
"Yeah, yeah," the gym teacher grumbled. He bent down reluctantly to begin gathering snow to form the head when he felt two cold hands rest themselves unexpectedly on his butt cheeks and squeeze lightly. Kurogane squawked indignantly and straightened up, spinning around to glare at the blond with blazing red eyes. Fai giggled unconcernedly, only succeeding in making his lover even angrier.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurogane hissed dangerously, trembling with barely suppressed rage.
"Nothing," the chemistry teacher chirped. "Just giving Kurokuro's cute little butt a bit of encouragement, that's all. You presented it so nicely, I just couldn't resist."
"JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DATING DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO GROPE ME WHENEVER YOU WANT!!" Kurogane roared, his cheeks blazing.
Fai arranged his face into a very convincing impression of genuine puzzlement. "It doesn't?"
"NO!!" the dark-haired man raged.
Fai blinked a few times and tilted his head as if he was thinking. "Then… why am I going out with Kurotan again?"
Kurogane didn't even dignify that question with a verbal answer; he just scooped up a large handful of snow, packed it deftly into a ball shape and whipped it at the blond's forehead.
"Ouchy!" Fai whined, though he couldn't conceal his laughter any longer. "How mean, Kuropyun! That was way too hard!"
Kurogane threw another snow grenade which exploded against Fai's chest.
"Help! Someone!" Fai called, squealing with delight as he scampered away from a furious Kurogane. "The big mean doggy is attacking me! Help! Domestic abuse!"
"I'll show you domestic abuse!" Kurogane snarled, tackling Fai to the ground once more (though he made sure to cushion Fai's head with his arm so that he wouldn't hurt himself as he fell). He stuffed a handful of snow down the front of the slender blond's shirt, muffling Fai's shrieks of laughter with another rough kiss.
"See? I told you I wasn't an old man," Kurogane said smugly, holding Fai's delicate hand as the two of them trudged, cold and wet, back to the house.
"I guess not, huh?" Fai grinned, hugging his boyfriend's arm joyfully. "Kurochan still remembers how to play after all."
"Damn right, I do," the gym teacher smirked, tilting Fai's chin back gently with the intention of kissing him again, but to his surprise, the other man stopped him.
"Not a good idea, Kurowanwan," Fai advised with an apologetic smile. "My nose is running from being out in the cold for too long. Plus my lips are starting to get a little bit chapped."
"Tch," Kurogane scoffed, digging into his coat pocket and fishing out a tube of chap stick which he tossed to Fai. The chemistry teacher caught it and applied it gratefully to his stinging lips as Kurogane ushered him inside.
The two of them removed their damp coats and Fai came over to nuzzle Kurogane tiredly. Kurogane frowned slightly as he took the slim, shivering body into his arms and held him tight, worry flaring up in his chest when he felt how chilled Fai's skin was. He repositioned his arms, trying to warm Fai's insubstantial form with his own body heat. Kurogane touched his lips lightly to the bright pink rim of Fai's ear. He snorted when Fai yawned and laid his head against his chest.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Kurogane growled. "Don't tell me you're tired! It's only four in the afternoon!"
"I'm sorry…" Fai said quietly, rubbing his eyes. "…Maybe I'm the old man here, huh?"
Kurogane rolled his eyes and snorted doubtfully. "You're more like a little kid than anything else." The gym teacher considered him thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe you had another nightmare last night."
The chemistry teacher allowed a small smile to find its way onto his slightly chapped lips.
"…I can't hide anything from you, can I, Kurowanta?"
"I told you to let me know when that happens, idiot," Kurogane growled softly, something akin to muted hurt and disappointment in his crimson eyes. "And don't even waste your breath trying to tell me that you forgot. You may be immature but I know you're not stupid."
Fai smiled sadly at him again in an attempt to at least ease the pained look on his lover's face. "Kurorin just looks so sweet and peaceful when he's sleeping that I can't bring myself to wake him…"
Kurogane let out a quiet growl as he swept Fai off his feet, drawing a surprised squeak out of him, and deposited him on the couch. Fai watched the dark-haired man inquisitively as he stomped off to their bedroom and returned with a small, round, thin, gift-wrapped package in his hand. He dropped it in Fai's lap and folded his arms, looking away stubbornly as Fai turned the present over in his hands.
"What's this, Kuromyuu?" the blond asked curiously.
"What's it look like, dumb ass?" Kurogane grumbled, still not meeting his eyes. "Your Christmas present. Or one of them, anyway."
"But Christmas isn't until tom—"
"I know that, but if you're gonna insist on being a moron and not tell me whenever you've had a nightmare, then I feel like I should at least give you this."
Fai unwrapped it slowly and stared at the unfamiliar object in his hands. It appeared to be a hard, tea saucer-sized ring with string crisscrossing through the middle of it in a shape that was vaguely reminiscent of a poinsettia. Strings of leather hung from the bottom of it, terminating in beads and feathers. Fai tilted his head questioningly as he looked up at Kurogane, waiting for him to explain.
"It's a dream catcher," Kurogane mumbled. "There's an old Native American belief that bad dreams have jagged edges, so if you hang one of these near your bed the nightmares will get caught in the strings in the middle and won't be able to reach you. I don't know if it'll actually work or not, but…"
Fai's smile returned, this one more authentic. He adored the shy pink blush that had crept onto Kurogane's cheeks and he knew that his embarrassment was due in part to the fact that he felt stupid admitting that he put any stock in old superstitions like this one. The other part was probably because the reason he had decided to take his chances with superstition was that he was concerned about the beautiful blond's wellbeing. Fai took Kurogane's hand and persuaded him to sit beside him on the couch so that he could sit on his lap and touch a tiny kiss to the spot where Kurogane's ear met his jaw bone.
"Hmm, leave it to Kurojiji to know all about old legends," the chemistry teacher breathed teasingly against Kurogane's skin.
"Fine! If you don't want it, then I'll give it to someone else!" Kurogane huffed, his face reddening further.
Fai laughed softly at the other man's embarrassment and stroked his blushing cheek lovingly. "No need to get so defensive, Kurorun; I was only joking. I love it. Thank you."
"Hmph," Kurogane said grumpily, nuzzling his nose into Fai's blond hair. "Did I tell you that those things were traditionally only used for children?"
Fai laughed again and flicked Kurogane in the forehead playfully. "Are you trying to keep this fight going, Kuropii?"
"No, but like hell I'm gonna let you have the last word," the gym teacher replied obstinately, shifting Fai so that he could cradle him in his arms like an infant.
"Stubborn old man," Fai grinned.
"Insolent child," Kurogane growled. Their good-natured insults gave way to a smooching cuddle fest rather than further argument. They only broke apart when the two of them yawned almost simultaneously. Fai's expression became one of lethargic amusement.
"What's this? Is Kurotan sleepy, too?"
"Must've rubbed off from you," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
The blond smiled and kissed his forehead. "How does a nap sound? That's something that old people and little children both enjoy."
Kurogane sneered at his suggestion, but after a moment he got to his feet and stomped off to their bedroom. Fai watched him go curiously, wondering what his lover was up to. He smiled when Kurogane returned, carrying their couple-sized futon and several fleecy blankets which he spread out in front of the Christmas tree. The gym teacher gathered Fai into his arms and brought him over to their love nest where he set him down carefully. Kurogane turned off the overhead lights and pulled the shades so that the room was lit solely by the red and white bulbs on the tree. Fai sighed happily as he draped himself with a warm blanket and snuggled into Kurogane's embrace.
"I hope Santa Clause will still come with us sleeping in front of the tree like this," the blond mumbled tiredly against Kurogane's chest.
Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation at this statement, though he couldn't resist smiling slightly at Fai's childish comment. He did his best to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch the sweet, slender blond fall asleep in his arms. His efforts were fruitless, however. Fai's warmth and closeness and the light, pleasant scent of peppermint in his silky hair quickly lulled the crimson-eyed teacher to sleep.
A/N: Merry Christmas (or whatever equivalent holiday you celebrate), everyone! (P.S. I'm still working on that request about the elves; I swear. I've even made a bit of progress since the last chapter I posted.)
