The children were sleeping in their room, piled on one another in a nest of pillows and blankets. Frost covered the window as snow blanketed the ground outside. People around the settlement were bundled up in warm clothing and Maaya sat on the couch. A warm blanket was wrapped around herself and she smiled peacefully as the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room was decorated with ornaments. At the top of the tree was a wolf emblem in the place of the star.
A mug of hot cocoa was held in her hands and she blew on it a few times before taking a careful sip of it. This time of year was always her favorite and she usually spent it alone but this year was different. She had her babies to spend it with and Six had promised that he was going to actually spend the day with them. When she found out he had never actually celebrated a holiday before, she made it her personal mission to give him an experience he'd never forget.
Ren and Nora were going to arrive later, as were their little friends as well. Even Cinder was invited surprisingly and she had offered to bring something in exchange.
A knock on the door made her look towards it and set the mug down, sliding her feet into her slippers and making her way towards the door. She looked through the peephole and saw that Ren and Nora were on the other side. Both of them had something in their hands and she smiled as she opened the door. They were bundled in warm clothing and some snow clung to their boots.
"Hey, you two." She greeted.
"Hey, mom." Nora greeted back. The moment she started calling Six her dad is the moment she started calling Maaya her mom; not that the older woman minded. Nora was her energetic little pup and she loved her dearly.
"Nora got some Christmas turkey on sale." Ren said as he held up a bag.
"That makes two then. Oh well, at least we'll get to enjoy some before Nana eats all of the first one." Maaya hummed as she let them in and Ren set the bag in the fridge.
"They're not up, are they?" Nora whispered as she glanced at the direction of the room.
"Not yet. I've been trying to enjoy this quiet time before they wake up. You know how it is." Maaya whispered back. She stopped when the door opened and she looked down the hall to see Nana shuffle out of the room. Her tail slid across the ground lazily and she rubbed her eyes while adjusting the hood on her onesie.
"..." Nana tiredly spotted Maaya and shuffled up to her, rubbing her face in her knee while hugging it. She was picked up and nuzzled her face in the crook of her mother's neck before falling back asleep.
Maaya just held the back of her head and sighed quietly before sitting on the couch, wrapping herself and Nana in the blanket. Today was Christmas and it would be different this year. She'd actually spend it with people, the money that Six provided was enough to last a lifetime, and everybody in the settlement was having a little festival later on in the evening.
"Mom, where's dad?" Nora asked.
"I don't know. He said he would be here this year." Maaya said as she looked at the door. Now that she thought about it, she never did have a way to contact Six.
"He said that he was looking into something." Ren said as he sat down on the floor in front of the couch.
"..." Maaya looked a little downtrodden at that. If she had to guess, Six would probably be spending Christmas hunting some Grimm or bandits. He was never one to actually find enjoyment in holidays like normal people. There were times where she had to remember that Six wasn't normal by any standards. He was disconnected from the regular person and taking a life was as easy as breathing to him.
A knock on the door made them all look and Nora announced that she would get it. She opened the door and saw Cinder on the other side, awkwardly holding a bag full of sweets and scratching her cheek.
"Cinder!" Nora whispered loudly and engulfed the woman in a tight hug.
"Nora! Too... tight!" Cinder wheezed out. When she was let go, she gasped for air and coughed a few times. Out of everyone in the settlement, Nora's strength was freakishly absurd.
Cinder shuffled inside quietly and noticed that it was still quiet, thanking whatever deity was out there that she wouldn't immediately be swarmed by a pack of feral children. She babysat them on the side for a bit of extra money and to repay Maaya back. Not to mention Maaya was sort of a motherly figure at this point. Ever since she adopted Myne, she always called anyone younger than her honey, sweetheart, or pumpkin.
It was an endearing thing and nobody had the heart to tell her it was a little embarrassing.
"Cinder, have you seen dad?" Nora asked as she practically dragged her inside.
"Your dad?" Cinder asked.
"Yeah, dad." Nora nodded.
"She means Six." Maaya clarified.
"..." Cinder now understood why Nora was so damn strong now. She was the offspring of the Frontier's Phantom. Now everything was starting to make sense now...
Unbeknownst to her, she was so off from the mark.
Shuffling could be heard and Nana opened her eyes, looking up to see Maaya talking with someone. Her adorable little face popped out of the opening of the blanket and she gave a little smile when she spotted the others. If one didn't know that she could rip someone's face off with her teeth, they would have just assumed that she was a normal little girl.
Only Maaya was the one who hadn't been bitten too hard. She was nipped at once but after she bit her back, it was clear who was in charge. Not only that, she wouldn't dare bite her mama.
"Mama... food." Nana said as she gestured to her mouth.
"Food?" Maaya asked.
"Mmm." Nana hummed and she hugged Maaya's neck as she was lifted up. They made their way to the kitchen and she was sat on the counter while Maaya fished through the fridge. A few biscuits were heated up and given to her.
"Nana, can sissy have a biscuit?" Nora asked as she pointed to herself.
"No." Nana shook her head and set her hand on Nora's cheek, pushing her away a bit.
While they were interacting, the bedroom door opened up and several faces peered out, tiredly rubbing their eyes and leaving the room. The smell of hot cocoa reached their noses and it made their mouths water a bit. As soon as they spotted Cinder, they all pointed to her and looked at Maaya curiously.
"She's just visiting for now. Good morning to you all." Maaya said as she knelt down and kissed each of their foreheads. It was full of love and affection, something they lacked when they were on Merlot's island.
"What about us?" Nora asked towards herself and Ren.
"Good morning to you two as well." Maaya laughed gently as she kissed her their foreheads as well.
Cinder just looked awkwardly to the side and she scratched her cheek. Nobody's ever kissed her head in a motherly fashion before and she was honestly a little jealous of seeing such interaction. Before she could do anything, Maaya kissed her forehead as well when she saw that she was left out. Her face turned red with embarrassment and she found herself sitting in the living room.
Was... was this what it was like to have a family?
The door opened up and everyone turned to see Six standing in the doorway. His cloak was white and red, and over his shoulder was a sack stuffed with things. A series of excited squeals met his ears and he barely moved when all the children barreled into him, engulfing him into a group hug and ushering him inside. He didn't get a word out before he was at the edge of the living room, kneeling down.
Maaya just watched with a smile on her face as he reached down and opened the sack, revealing the contents inside. Instead of his usual supplies, it was a mass of presents that he had collected. Which is probably why he was gone for so long. Each one was separated by name and he handed them to each of the children, even Cinder. He then stood up and next to Maaya.
"Merry Christmas, Six." She smiled at him while leaning against his arm.
"Merry Christmas, Maaya." He responded back in his normal, calm tone. He never celebrated the holiday before and it didn't hold too much connection to him, but if they were happy with such a trivial holiday, then he guessed he could put aside some of his apathy and indulge them a bit.
Merry late Christmas, everyone.
