~*~

Chapter Fifteen: Creating Miracles

~*~

An interesting, sweet smell, and some giggling by two very effeminate voices awoke Francis. He opened his blue eyes to the world, and the voices paused for a brief moment. He realized that he was under a rather strong body, and blinked. "Alfred… we have an audience…" he purred quietly.

Alfred blinked awake, only realizing the situation when Katyusha giggled lightly when Matthew walked in to the living room from the kitchen. "I made… Francis! Alfred has a boyfriend!"

Francis chuckled as Alfred screeched and jumped off the couch. Alfred's scream awoke Arthur, who emerged from Mattie's room. The whole situation made Natalia and Katyusha giggle violently. "So… Alfred is cheating on Yao with Francis, and now Arthur and Mattie are cheating on Ludwig and Lovino with each other? How will this episode of the Gilmore House end?" Katyusha asked.

"When did we become the Gilmore House? Aren't Matthew and his little friends Kiku and Feliciano the Gilmore Boys?" Francis asked.

"Oh?" Katyusha said, glancing that the aforementioned male.

Matthew smiled, "I'm Lorelei, Feli is Rory, and Kiku is Lane…"

"How cute!" Katyusha said, giggling, "Then fine. It's Desperate House-Husbands."

"Owwww…" Arthur groaned, "I hate that show. That, and Gossip Girls make my stomach churn."

"Yeah. You really can't beat Gilmore Girls," Alfred replied.

"Monty Python's Flying Circus comes close," Arthur said, pointing his index finger at his friend. Alfred and Arthur nodded and began to think a little about it all.

"And I wasn't cheating on Lovi with Arthur. We were wrapping your gifts last night and we fell asleep coincidently in my room," Matthew whined in the girls' general direction.

"Is that what you're calling it nowadays?" Natalia quipped, giggling.

Matthew rolled his eyes, "Breakfast is ready. Come eat before you get too childish about your gifts. I may switch out yours with coal, Nat…"

"You wouldn't dare. Toris taught me Tae Kwon Do~!" Natalia said, running after the other's as they switched gears into breakfast mode.

~*~

After their morning meal of pancakes and (real) maple syrup, the group went back in the living room to open gifts. As was custom, Arthur and Alfred showed the other four what they did every year, which was to split up the gifts into personal piles, and then go around in a circle and wrap them when one's turn came up.

Alfred went first. Then Arthur, then Francis, then Matthew, and then Katyusha and Natalia, respectively. Around and around they went, until the very last present was unwrapped. There was much squealing and laughter as presents were opened and enjoyed. The girls were impressed with Arthur and Matthew's gift choices, and cooed when they had found that the two men had included Francis's and Alfred's names in the 'From' box on their gifts, even though the aforementioned two had been fast asleep instead of up and helpful.

When all the presents were unwrapped, and the wrapping paper picked up, Arthur got dressed to take out the trash and recycling. "Hold on a minute, Arthur," Francis called.

Oh no… Arthur thought. He had a sneaking suspicion this would be about the other night when he and Francis had… well…

"What, Francis…"Arthur spat, his hands full of both a black trash bag and the recycling bin.

Francis was in and out of Matthew's room as quick as lightening, going in with just a pair of pajama bottoms, and coming out fully dressed. Arthur was… ah, no he wasn't. "How the hell do you do that?" Alfred asked.

"How do I dress so quickly?" Francis asked, a hint of a smirk on his face.

Alfred nodded, not sure if he wanted to know the answer now.

"It is a skill all great romancers should learn…" Francis replied, going over to a burdened Arty. He took the recycling bin from him and said, "Let me take that…"

"Not like I can say no now you bloody twit," Arthur snapped, and opened the door without another word. Francis simply smiled at the others and followed Arthur out the door.

~*~

"Morning, Lovino~" Feliciano said as his brother opened a dark brown eyes to look around. It was Christmas morning, and Lovino had the bright idea of staying over at his brother's to wait for Tino. Tino knew that the brothers stayed with each other only on Holidays, and he could find them at Feliciano's, because he actually lived in a cozy house as oppose to a lonely apartment with a grouchy Swiss landlord.

So it would be the Sicilian's usual Christmas of eating pastries in the morning before opening three or four gifts from his brother and Tino, and then he would go home and read or watch TV. Then he would bring dinner to his aforementioned Swiss landlord and his adorable little sister (who Lovino would have asked out before he met Mattie, but… there was the problem with her cranky older brother…), and then he would go to bed. Yes, even his Holidays were boring.

"Mattie gave us presents this year…" Feli sang from the kitchen.

Lovi blinked and sat up, stretching out the odd kinks he got from sleeping on his younger brother's couch, "Oh?" he asked.

"Don't be cranky, Lovi. And Merry Christmas," Feliciano replied, coming out of the kitchen and kissing his brother's cheek.

Lovino couldn't help but blush a bit, but Feliciano was already back in the kitchen, getting the pastries set up for them to enjoy while they opened the still too few gifts under the small tree Feliciano had picked up because it was on sale. Lovino looked to the fireplace. That was his job that morning. So he knelt in front of the fireplace and began making a fire to warm them that morning.

After everything was ready, the two indeed began opening gifts. Feliciano, though, seemed more excited about a gift he asked his brother to open last. Lovino sighed as went through his usual gifts of books and oddball things from both his brother and Matthew. But the gift that Feliciano had asked for him to save was bigger than a book or an oddball trinket. It was square and flat… Finally, he was finished with the others, and Feliciano was done with his. He was staring at Lovino intently.

Lovino reached for the present, wrapped in plain brown paper with a cute bow colored with the Italian flag's colors. He gently pulled the bow off and tore into the present. There was gold, and then…

"Feli!" Lovino hissed, turning the picture frame around to see the image.

It was a picture of Feliciano and Lovino at the prom, painted in oils with Feliciano's flowery signature at the bottom. "You… you didn't!" Lovino said, gazing at the picture with tears in his eyes.

"I did," was Feli's answer. "Do you… like it, Lovi?"

Lovino stared at his brother, and then at the painting. Then he threw his arms around his adopted brother and pulled him close, the painting resting, propped against his hip, "I love it," Lovi replied.

Feliciano smiled, "Good."

They pulled away, and Lovino went to gaze at the painting for another minute before picking up the wrapping. He took up the bow and stared at it for a minute. Then he glanced at his brother and put the bow on his brother's head. "There. Now you're a Christmas present…" he said, a hint of smile on his face.

Feliciano smiled and hugged his brother, "Then Merry Christmas, Lovi. It's for you~"

~*~

Ludwig was having another crazy Christmas. (Anything involving Gilbert and a tape dispenser was crazy.) So it was a relief to hear the doorbell ring. Perhaps it was the Hungarian woman, here to be deliriously cuddly with his older brother… that would be worse than the tape dispenser incident…

But Ludwig found no one at the door, just a simply wrapped package. He picked it up, thinking it was for Gilbert or something. He read the note, though: Merry Christmas, Ludwig. From: Kiku Honda.

Ludwig blinked and opened the gift, placing the paper in the recycling bin right outside the door. Opening the box, he saw that the cardboard protected a wooden wind-chime. On the disk where the wooden pipes hung were carvings of the sun, moon, and stars. Ludwig smiled and brought it inside, walking past his brother to the stairs to his room. He opened the window and hung the beautiful instrument on a small poll that struck out over his window. It was too cold to keep the door open the listen to it, so he shut the window sadly.

Then he heard a deep, throaty sound even with the window closed. The wind was blowing, making the instrument play for him, and he could hear it clearly, even with the window closed. He smiled. "Thank you, Kiku…" he breathed.

~*~

"What do you want, Francis?" Arthur said, hating the Frenchman's closeness as they walked down the driveway to the place where the garbage and recycling were kept.

"Nothing," Francis replied.

"Don't give me that. You've been wanting to catch me alone since the party," Arthur replied.

"No," Francis replied, "But I think you want me to have wanted to catch you alone since the party."

Damn that wine bastard. Arthur exhaled sharply and threw the garbage bag into the green bin while Francis opened the blue recycling bin and dumped the rather large pile of paper and cans into it. "It's not true."

"Whatever," Francis replied calmly. He took a wrapped box out of his pocket. It was small and thin. "But I'm still giving you this."

Arthur took it, eying is suspiciously, "Wh-Why?"

"Just open it…" Francis replied, putting his un-gloved hand back into his pocket.

Arthur glared at the Frenchman, but tore open the paper, throwing the ripped paper carelessly into the recycling bin. There was a black velvet box, and Arthur opened it carefully. He gasped lightly as he looked at what lay inside. It was a golden pen, and from the looks of it, it must have cost a lot. Francis didn't have much in terms of money, so this must have taken a long time to acquire…

"I… I can't take this… this must have cost so much for you…" Arthur said, looking back at Francis.

"Don't think about the price. Merry Christmas, Arthur…" Francis replied.

Arthur froze, "This better not be a way to get into my pants…"

Francis chuckled, "Not today, Arthur. Now, if you will excuse me…" he pushed past Arthur to walk to his house. Arthur turned quickly to catch his arm.

"Do you want a ride home, Francis?" Arthur asked.

Francis smiled, "No. But this was fun. I'll see you Monday…"

And with a quick smile from the Frenchman, he was gone. Arthur stood on the end of his driveway, gaping as Francis walked away. He held the velvet box in his hands, green eyes wide.

"M-Merry Christmas, Francis…" he whispered, his bushy eyebrows now furrowed with confusion.

~*~

Let's just say, I needed to write this. I have been through so much these past few days that a little humor was needed. And here is some of it. But it's mostly cute. I think. I mean, I hope.

So here you are:

Please review. Please, oh please, oh please?

Adieu~