Dia Kurosawa has a Christmas confession.
Kurosawa Dia smiled at the sparkling, smiley star ornament in her hand. Her sister Ruby had made it when she was a toddler and great care had been taken care of it through the years.
"Thinking about Ruby?" Watanabe You watched her girlfriend from the sofa, enjoying a rare moment when Dia was too absorbed in an activity to be self conscious and honest emotions raced across her usually stoic face.
Dia turned, her smile wider, "We always had so much fun at Christmas."
"Yeah, your family is Christmas crazy." You glanced at her phone, "I think the cookies are almost done."
"We have to remember to leave some for Santa."
You chuckled awkwardly, "Really?"
Dia frowned, her posture tensing, "Really." Dia marched over to the couch, "How long have we been dating, Watanabe You?"
You did quick math. Was this one of those anniversary things? "Nineteen months."
"I think it's time you were told a family secret."
Dia sat down next to You, no longer looming, but the atmosphere continued intense, "Okay."
"I'm Santa's daughter." Green eyes gleamed with trust.
Dia said it so seriously You was too stunned to immediately react, then her brain kicked into three parsecs a minute mode. Was this a prank? Was Dia serious?
"So your Mama's…"
Dia shook her head.
Ah, Nico, that makes sense. Nico was Prankmaster General, Teller Of The Tallest Tales, Giver of GIfts Extraordinaire, surely Dia had misinterpreted something as a child.
"You?" Worried Dia, worried Dia was so cute.
You shook herself back into the conversation, making sure to keep her voice teasing, "So when I didn't get a windsurfing board when I was seven, that was you?"
"You're not being serious."
You was running on parallel mental tracks for survival, amusement so far in the back of her brain it never neared her face, "I was really serious about that windsurfing board."
"Bzzzt." Dia snapped, "If you're not going to listen, Santa's not going to be happy."
"Aye Aye." Dia only let You get away with that once a year or so and You had been saving it for the right moment.
Dia's stress face eased, forehead wrinkles now barely lines, "Thank you."
You wanted to see how far Dia would take this. "So your Mom…"
Dia's grin was broad, proud, and completely guileless "Yeah, some of my first memories are Mom in a red suit, with presents, and the chimney."
Would Nico have actually come down a chimney? Maybe, You thought, but if Dia had been very young, she might have just assumed.
"So was there a beard?"
Dia frowned, leaning forward, You trying desperately not to just steal as many kisses as possible before Dia recovered. "No…maybe…sometimes…I never wore one."
You was taken aback, "You never wore one."
"No." Dia shook her head earnestly.
"You were Santa?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Well," Dia fidgeted, "The first time, when I was ten, Mom had a flight cancelled so I had to take care of the local folks."
"Folks?"
"Mari and Kanan helped me." Dia was saying all these things with such an innocent earnestness that You really had no responses ready and suited to this situation. But she wanted to know more. And Dia seemed talkative today. She must be missing her family.
You was very careful to keep her voice neutral as she leaned forward, hugging Dia tight before the push for more details began, "So what'd you do, Santa-san?"
Dia couldn't be fooled. "If you don't watch your tone, you'll end up on the naughty list."
You shrugged, flopping so her head was in Dia's lap, so Dia could run her fingers through You's hair, a favorite Dia activity, "I seem to be dating Santa so I think I'll be fine."
"Hmmmm." Dia considered that, her sea green eyes thoughtful. "Santa doesn't really have a cute list."
"Start one." You winked.
"So you're still just after that windsurfing board?"
"Nope." You shook her head with a chuckle, "Apparently, I'm after Santa's oldest daughter."
"You have very fashionable tastes." Dia smirked.
You swooned, again, and pulled the Champion of Cheekiness down into a kiss, "Only the best for the best."
You could feel Dia's grin. "You're so smug."
"You're so..." You shivered dramatically, "Icy hot."
"Fiery cool."
You pushed Dia up, and Dia fell back into the couch, guiding them to a safe landing, "Vocabulary quizzes disguised as flirting is so not sexy."
"Liar." Dia winked.
It was as contrived a cuteness as You had ever seen and yet the most honestly adorable action in the universe. You flumped next to Dia, shoving the taller woman over to make room, then rolling onto her side. "You're irresistible. Even in the beard."
"Of course," Dia pleased meant confidence rolled through her body like a purr and she pulled You closer, "But we'll save that for breakfast."
"I expect you and Mari and Kanan to reenact everything."
"I expect you to be exhausted." And then Dia, somehow, turned awkward into charming and touching into caressing and two into one, while night sailed into dawn.
You woke up believing in Santa again. Even before unwrapping the windsurfing board.
A/N: At some point, I planned a New Year's Eve sequel to Christmas Kissing The Kurosawas that got DiaYou back on track. But here I am, skipping ahead in the timeline. Enjoy!