Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Fuuma/Kamui, Seishirou/Subaru, Kamui/Subaru,
Karen/Yuuto, Satsuki/Yuuto, Yuzuriha/Kusanagi,
Sorata/Arashi, Suoh/Nagisa, Akira/Utako, others
The characters and setting do not belong to me. They're Clamp's.
A Silent Night in Tokyo: Part 1
by Beth
It was late December, and no earthquake had shaken Tokyo for more than a week. The denizens of the city were getting suspicious. And rightly so.
"There! It is finished!" Sorata exclaimed as he placed the last silver star on the tree. "Behold my masterpiece!"
And a masterpiece it was. The large spruce tree in the main hall of the Imonoyama mansion was bedecked with enough glittering objects to blind a more sensitive observer. The multitude of ornaments weighing down the branches ranged from intricate origami constructions (courtesy of Subaru) to cute fluffy figures from a popular magical-girl anime, including (at Yuzuriha's insistence) one of the main heroine's brother and his best friend in wedding clothes.
"It's wonderful," Akira agreed. "Rijichou, how many people will be coming for Christmas dinner?"
Nokoru pondered this. "Me, you and Utako-chan, Suoh-kun and Nagisa-chan, Yuzuriha-chan, Karen-san, Kishuu-san, Kamui-kun, his friend Keiichi-kun, Sumeragi-san, Sorata-kun, Aoki-san with his wife and daughter and Daisuke-kun. I think that's it, unless any of you invited someone else?"
"Yeah," Sorata said. "I invited that Yuuto guy."
"What?" Daisuke winced. "He's a Dragon of Earth!"
"Um," Yuzuriha muttered, blushing. "I sort of invited Kusanagi-san..."
Karen grinned. "I ran into Nataku yesterday at the mall, and it turned out the poor thing didn't have anywhere to go for Christmas. I said it could come here, and it promised to, if its father agrees."
"He will," Kamui muttered, immersed in wrapping up the last of the presents. "Fuuma promised to come anyway."
"What?!" Daisuke clearly had trouble believing his own ears. "But- you all- all-" He looked around frantically. "Sumeragi-san?"
The onmyouji didn't even deign the young windmaster with a look, though his cheeks tinged slightly pink. "I might have mentioned it to Seishirou-san..."
"-Kishuu-san?" Daisuke tried next.
The shrine maiden shrugged. "Both of the Angels' Dreamgazers appeared in my dream this morning and wanted to know what was the party everyone kept talking about. Kanoe-san will show up for sure, and Kakyou-san said he'll try to make it."
Nokoru cackled. "The more, the merrier!"
Daisuke slowly keeled over.
"Woooow! This place is cooooool!" Keiichi's eyes glittered. This was partly due to his amazement at the grandeur of the Imonoyama mansion, and partly to the three glasses of eggnog he had managed to consume since arriving thirty seconds before.
"I'm glad you came," Kamui said. "I'll introduce you to everyone-"
"No need, I already meet most of them around the campus," Keiichi explained. "By the way, on my way here I ran into that guy who's always standing on rooftops and watching Sumeragi-san. He was buying candy. His name's Seishirou, right?"
Kamui gaped. "How do you know?"
"He introduced himself when I fell on him while hanging up the decorations for the school festival."
"What kind of candy?" Subaru enquired.
"Dark chocolates with brandy."
The Sumeragi blushed slightly. "Oh, so he remembered..."
"Remembered what?" Akira wanted to know.
"Nothing," Subaru, Kamui and Keiichi chorused.
The black-haired secretary shrugged and set down another plate of cookies.
The doorbell rang again.
"You get it," Subaru said to no-one in particular. He sat down in a chair by the wall.
The bell rang again, but no-one moved. Finally Suoh sighed and opened the door. One of the persons standing behind it had clearly chosen looks over warmth, neglecting both hat and scarf. As a result Fuuma now bore a close resemblance to an icicle (albeit a somewhat attractive one). Contrastingly, the other figure was wrapped up so tightly that only a pair of wide lavender eyes showed over a rather familiar scarf.
Nataku curtsied gracefully. "Merry Christmas," it said.
Fuuma grunted something that could have been the same, but the clatter of his teeth rendered it unintelligible.
Suoh helped the bioroid unwrap itself while Fuuma and Kamui glared half-heartedly at each other. The leader of the Angels did not move from the door, seemingly impervious to the cold wind outside - or perhaps just frozen solid. The androgyne's attention was in the meantime riveted to the gigantic tree in the middle of the hall.
"It's beautiful..." it breathed. "Sparkly..."
Karen wrapped a motherly arm around Nataku's shoulder. "There'll be gifts under it later," she explained.
"When?"
"After everyone arrives, we'll go look for the first star in the sky. When it appears, Santa Claus will come and bring everyone's presents."
"Oh..." Nataku's eyes lit up, an angelic smile on its face.
"It's a beautiful story, ma'am," someone said from the doorway.
Yuzuriha squealed and launched herself into Kusanagi's arms, knocking Fuuma aside. She laughed as she was whirled around.
"Crazy cat girl," a half-amused, half-bored voice echoed to Daisuke's thoughts. He turned around to see a short girl with large glasses and a streak of blonde in her black hair.
Suoh froze. "You are not on the guest list, Yatouji-san."
"Oh, give it a break!" Yuuto said, closing the door behind him and helping Satsuki out of her coat. "We could hardly leave her alone in that cold room!"
Akira nodded as he came into the hall again, distributing glasses of eggnog. "Like Rijichou says, the more the merrier!"
"You look radiant today, Kasumi-san," Yuuto said smoothly, bowing to kiss Karen's hand.
"Please, call me Karen," she said, smiling.
"Then call me Yuuto."
Their eyes met and the background music suddenly included a whole lot more violins. The sparkles on the tree seemed to extend their glitter to where they stood, separating them from the rest of the world as he still held their hand-
"ITAI!" Subaru yelped as he fell off his chair, clutching his hands.
He paid no attention to the general surprise, but stalked to the door and flung it open.
"Next time, ring the godsdamned doorbell," he informed the snow-covered Seishirou.
"I didn't have a free hand to do it," the Sakurazukamori pointed out reasonably. Then he ruined that argument by shifting all six boxes of chocolates to one hand and seizing Subaru's chin with the other. He brushed his lips against his prey's briefly. "Merry Christmas, Subaru-kun."
Subaru slammed the door shut.
After a moment of silence, Yuuto tentatively opened the door again. Seishirou breezed in, unruffled, and barely paused to deposit his coat on the rack before trailing the younger onmyouji into the kitchen.
The silence was broken by a soft chuckle.
"Aren't they sooooo cute together??" Keiichi veritably squealed.
"They go back a long way," Kamui muttered. Then he twitched as a large hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Introduce me," Fuuma said. He still looked a little under the weather, but no longer frozen solid.
"Uh, Keiichi, this is Fuuma. My best childhood friend, but he wants to kill me. I think," Kamui added. "Fuuma, this is Keiichi. He's the president of my class, and he's too genki for his own good."
"Glad to meet you!!" Keiichi trilled.
Fuuma grinned back, and bowed to kiss Keiichi's hand. This made the Genki One blush slightly, and Kamui got a decidedly annoyed gleam in his eyes.
Before mayhem and explosions could ensue, the doorbell rang again.
Fuuma opened the door and grinned sweetly at Seiichiro, Shimako and Yuka Aoki. "Merry Christmas! Do come in."
Seiichiro seemed frozen in place while Shimako bustled in and allowed the leader of the Angels to help her with taking off her coat. Then she saw Karen.
She blinked. "Karen-chan? Is that you?"
The fire-mistress turned from her conversation with Yuuto. "I'm sorry- Shimako-chan?! Oh my, so you're the one lucky enough to have snagged Seiichiro-san!"
Shimako giggled. "And you're the one he keeps talking about! Way to go, Sparky!"
"Sparky?" Yuuto raised an eyebrow.
"School nickname," Karen explained. "We went to junior high together. I'm so happy to see you, Shimako-chan!"
The women embraced, paying no attention to the still-unmoving Seiichiro. Finally the windmaster was dragged inside by his nephew.
"What are... they... doing here?" Aoki muttered.
"They were all invited," Daisuke sighed. "More's the pity."
"I wasn't invited," Satsuki pointed out. She grabbed Daisuke's arm. "Show me around."
Yuuka walked quickly through the maze of corridors on the mansion's first floor. She rather hoped she would find a staircase soon - it was pretty scary, the way the passages twisted, and she didn't think she could trace her way back-
She ran smack into someone much, much taller than herself. Seeing as she was just under four feet, it could have been anyone, so she looked up from where she had fallen to the floor. She saw a pale-skinned, white-haired boy - or maybe girl, she wasn't sure - who helped her up.
"Hi!" she said. "I'm so glad I met you because I got lost and I didn't know the way out and I didn't want to scream because my parents would worry and not let me go anywhere alone and I should be allowed to because I'm already eight years old and my name is Yuuka Aoki and what's yours?"
She was prepared for the usual pause as grownups tried to divine what she'd just said. Instead, the person smiled. "I'm Kazuki."
"Cool!" Yuuka smiled back. "You've got a pretty mark on your head - is it a stick-on tattoo? I had one, but it washed off and daddy said I was prettier with just my hair in braids like it is and he bought me ribbons to tie them, do you like them?"
"Yes. I've got a scarf and my daddy says it's pretty, too." The bioroid showed Yuuka the scarf currently wrapped around its shoulders.
"Oh, I love it!" Yuuka giggled. "And daddies are the best, aren't they? My daddy always says I'm a princess!"
"Mine says so, too..."
"Is there any sweets around here?" The youngest member of the Aoki family shifted to a businesslike attitude. "Growing children need feeding!"
Kazuki nodded. "In the kitchen. Ijyuin-san will give us some, if we ask nicely - I asked and he gave me cookies."
"Come on then!"
"By the way," Yuuto said as they settled themselves in the assorted armchairs and sofas around the Christmas tree, "Kanoe-san is very sorry, but she won't be able to make it."
"Then I believe Kakyou-san isn't coming either?" Nokoru asked from where he was fussing over the buffet.
A loud thump startled everyone; a heavy table had risen into the air and fallen back down.
Seishirou lifted his head from where he was talking softly to an unresponsive Subaru. "Oh, I forgot."
He snapped his fingers and whispered a few words under his breath. The white-haired, cat-eyed dreamgazer materialized by the table, looking more than a bit miffed.
"Sorry, Kakyou-san," Seishirou said insincerely.
Akira looked nonplussed. "What's going on?" he asked Suoh quietly.
"I think Sakurazuka-san provided Kuzuki-san with an illusory body for tonight," Nagisa answered him.
"The lady is as insightful as she is pretty," Seishirou agreed gallantly.
Suoh glared at him. Subaru noticed it and pushed the Sakurazukamori off towards the buffet before a fight managed to erupt.
There, the assassin met Karen, Fuuma and Nokoru.
"A splendid party, Imonoyama-san," he remarked.
"I agree," Karen nodded. "But something's missing from the traditional decor."
"Mistletoe?" Fuuma hazarded a guess.
"Arashi-san took it down," Nokoru sighed.
"That," Seishirou grinned deviously, "can be fixed."
He disappeared in a cloud of sakura petals. Karen giggled and followed him in a gust of flame. Moments later they reappeared, their arms full of mistletoe branches.
"Put one over Kamui-kun's head," Fuuma suggested quickly.
"And over Arashi-san's," Nokoru prompted.
A bit of deft telekinesis, courtesy of Seishirou and Fuuma, placed the branches accordingly. Immediately, mayhem ensued.
Kamui noticed it first. He tried to head towards Subaru, but before he moved from his place, Keiichi seized him. In his hurry, the leader of the Ten no Ryu had not realized he was standing under a piece of the new decoration himself.
"Mistletoe," the blond giggled before kissing the other boy deeply.
Fuuma gritted his teeth as he watched it.
In another corner of the hall, Sorata put his arms around a startled Arashi.
"Arisugawa-san-" she began threateningly.
"Shh, nee-chan. Look up."
She barely managed to register the green leaves and white berries hanging from the ceiling before he kissed her.
Subaru was forewarned enough to glare at the Sakurazukamori as he approached.
"Don't even think about it."
"But Subaru-kun... Why?"
Suddenly long fingers caught Seishirou's chin.
"Because, Seishirou-san," Subaru purred as he tugged the other onmyouji's head down, "you're the one standing under mistletoe."
They kept their eyes open, gold staring into green when their lips met. Then their eyes fell shut at the same moment, and Seishirou's arms closed around the younger man's slender form.
In another corner Kamui and Keiichi finished snogging. Kamui looked a bit dazed, but apparently aware enough to notice the looming Fuuma and jump out of mistletoe range. The Chi no Ryu was evidently disappointed.
Then he looked at Keiichi. They both looked up at the mistletoe above their heads.
Kamui looked at them kissing, sighed and slunk towards the buffet.
Daisuke looked around the room full of embracing pairs (including a hyper Yuzuriha with an embarrassed, though almost as enthusiastic, Kusanagi) and started to back away. He stopped in the doorway to the dining room when he bumped into someone.
Satsuki stood behind him. She pointed up. "I believe mistletoe is a traditional Christmas custom," she said impassively before pulling him down for a kiss.
Subaru and Seishirou finally broke away. The Sakurazukamori noted their audience - a rather sulky Kamui. Right under another branch of mistletoe.
"What's with the sad face?" he asked with mock concern.
Then he caught Kamui in his arms, lifting the slight body so that their faces were on the same level.
"'Tis the season to be jolly," he murmured before kissing the boy.
Kamui considered blowing the whole mansion up, no matter how good a kisser the Sakurazukamori was, but then he felt gentle hands freeing him from the embrace.
"Merry Christmas, Kamui," Subaru whispered and kissed him gently as well.
Kamui noted Fuuma and Keiichi's angry glares. He blew them a kiss and hid behind the two onmyouji, who both laughed.
Author's Notes:
"A popular magical-girl anime" is, of course, Cardcaptor Sakura ^_^
"First star in the sky" - I'm not sure where this tradition is from, but it's always been practiced in my family.
Oh, and... *glares at Subaru and Seishirou* No, I am absolutely not writing a threesome with you two and Kamui! Honestly, I expected this of Sei-chan, but you, Subaru??
And I do believe I can claim the title of the first person who paired Daisuke with Satsuki ^_~