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Gift. Rated T

Yuletide was Yuurei and Yuuku’s favourite time of year.

The fire roaring in the corner, the attic search for decorations driving rats from their nests…The fact that the oven is always going.

“Mira the cookies are ready.” Yuurei murmurs sleepily and uncoils from the oven door and gets out the cookies.
Her brother yawns then also uncoils from the warm metal.

“Bored now.” Yuuku states as he stretches. “We’re going to go find Kaze-sama. Do you need us for anything Mira?”

“I’m just about done here. Go ahead.” the Firestarter replies, focusing on fitting another pie into the oven while trying to ice cookies at the same time.

With two identical smirks of doom on their faces the serpent twins slither off.

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“Are you sure this is o.k.?” Kaze asks, examining the glass.

“It’s just eggnog.” Hayato says, trying to hide a grin. “It’s just egg and spices and stuff.”

“It’s the stuff I’m worried about.” Kaze mutters under his breath as he downs the glass. “I swear I can taste alcohol in here…”

Hayato refills Kaze’s glass.
“I’m sure it’s nothing…”

Yuuku then takes his opportunity to drop down from the ceiling and curl around Kaze’s shoulders (much to Hayato’s dislike)

“Kaaaaze-saamaa” Yuuku croons in Kaze’s ear. “We’re bored now.”

Hayato grips the serpent by the back of his neck and lifts him off Kaze.

“Then go bother someone else.” Hayato says firmly.

“O.k. Hayato-Nii-san~!” Yuurei says, hugging him instead.

“I didn’t mean bother me!” Hayato snaps, putting down her brother to try and remove the other serpent.

Kaze starts to laugh.

“Awwww they’re just bored little snakes, leave them alone Hayato.”

Kaze turns to Yuuku who has taken advantage of Hayato’s situation to also coil around the hawk. “Why don’t you help decorate the tree?”

“Sure thing Kaze-Sama~!” The two pipe up then quickly release the hawk and dart away.

Hayato watches them go.

“…Please tell me you never want to have kids…”
“I can’t make any promises”

Kaze takes another sip of eggnog and Hayato resumes trying to get him drunk.

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Yuurei ties a length of tinsel to the end of her tail then begins to coil around the tree until the branches start to crack under her weight.

“Is this high enou-hey a birds nest!”

“Hey! Don’t keep all the eggs for yourself!” Yuuku says, tying a string of lights to his tail then following his sister.

When at the top he unties the string and throws the last few loops higher up in the tree.

Yuurei does the same then the two start to squabble over the three light blue bird eggs left abandoned in woven nest.

“Mine!”

“Mi-aaargh!”

The two fall from the tree and land heavily on the ground, each others tails thankfully preventing major injury but leaving them both nursing new bruises.

The birds nest lies forlornly to one side. It now contains two eggs and one puddle of yolk and shell fragments.

The two serpents pluck one egg from the nest at the same time and smile at each other then swallow them whole.

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Yuletide was Kaze’s favourite time of year. He always loved the festivities and traditions and the wonderful warm golden misty feeling of acceptance that surrounded everyone and everything.

A very misty feeling indeed...

Kaze leans back more firmly into Hayato’s shoulders. He’s feeling a little light-headed.

Hayato merely grins and refills Kaze’s glass.

At some point about three drinks ago the eggnog has been replaced entirely by sake.

“Are you feeling o.k. Kaze-sama?” Hayato asks, pulling the white haired shinobi closer to him.

“Hng.” Kaze says indistinctly, burying his head in Hayato’s chest.

There is a soft rustle and a single thud sound.

Hayato looks up. Yuuku returns his gaze blankly and tries not to drop the small hammer.

“Oh look mistletoe.” Kaze says distantly, completely ignoring the serpent.

Yuuku blinks his milky white second eyelids slowly then quickly darts off into the shadows.

“Well I suppose it is tradition.” Kaze says wrapping his arms around Hayato’s neck.

From somewhere in the back of the bar someone wolf whistles as Kaze kisses Hayato deeply.

Behind them Yuurei and Yuuku hi-five each other in victory then strive to look innocent. Hayato turns his head around to glare at them and they flinch.

“K-Kaze-Sama this is for you.” Yuurei stutters, nervously offering her superior a small green-wrapped parcel. Immediately Kaze’s eyes light up.

“Present…” he says breathlessly and lightly plucks the parcel from Yuurei’s hands.

“Indeed.” Hayato says, hiding a smile at how excited Kaze is. “But remember you can’t open it until tomorrow.”

Kaze pouts and Hayato laughs.

“Here you can have a candy cane now.” Hayato says, unwrapping and handing over the candy then turning around and making a shoo-ing motion at the snakes.

“Run along before the food’s all gone…And no bothering the summons, got it?”

Yuurei and Yuuku both nod and run off while there is still warmth from the metal oven to be had. Exercise is tiring for both of them.

Hayato watches them go and rolls his eyes before turning back to Kaze who is apparently still transfixed on the small box.

“Kaze…” Hayato says softly then pulls the other man into a deep hug.

Warm with the feeling of alcohol and the nearby fireplace

Kaze snuggles into Hayato’s chest and kisses him softly on the cheek.

Yuletide always was Kaze’s favourite time of year.

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The rest of the night passes in a blur of good food, rousing carols, a rather poorly thought out Twister contest and Yuurei’s attempt at Christmas cake that more closely resembles a concrete paperweight with dried fruit in it.

The Yule log begins to softly crumble to ashes as the fire dies down in the late hours of the night.

Slowly in little groups the residents of Dansho drift off to bed, some of the younger ones complaining about not being able to stay up longer, some staggering slightly from the drink and some snagging the left over cans of whipped cream on their way upstairs.

Yuurei and Yuuku coil up on the hearth beside the last dying embers and fall asleep without much ceremony, the tips of their tails twitching occasionally like that of a content cat.

A warm midnight falls.

Asleep tangled in tinsel in a corner Hayato blinks, stretches then looks around to see where Kaze has gotten to.

His present still clutched tightly in his hands Kaze has fallen asleep curled up under the Christmas tree.

Hayato gives a small bemused grin.

Someone, presumably the serpent twins, has taken it upon themselves to strip Kaze and tie a bright red ribbon around him.

A tag tied to the shinobi’s pinky finger with red string clearly reads. “To Hayato. Happy Yuletide.”

Grinning Hayato looks at the clock.

It is, technically Yule morning.

Gently he gathers his “present” in his arms, being careful not to wake it.

“’Yato.” Kaze mutters sleepily, nuzzling into Hayato’s arms.

Hayato grins.

He can’t wait to get upstairs and unwrap his Yule gift.

Yuletide was definitely Hayato’s favourite time of year.