InsaneJournal

Tiki was awakened bright and early on Christmas morning by a knot of human bodies slamming themselves onto the end of his bed, complete with a chorus of screams and excited cries. All three of the little monsters were dressed in their new Christmas pajamas, bouncing up and down and all around the mattress like flannel comets. Tiki rolled over with a groan as Rhode started jumping, pulling the pillow over his head and trying to hide from the morning for at least a few more minutes. The children had no intention of letting him do so, however, pulling the pillow out of his grip with a team effort before proceeding to bludgeon him with whatever down-filled weapons they could find. Crawling off the mattress with an incoherent snarl of profanities, Tiki found his way to the bathroom with only a few stumbling steps, fumbling with the sink for a few moments before finally getting some cold water for his face. Debitt, Jasdero, and Rhode seemed thoroughly entertained beating each other with pillows for the time being, so Tiki took his precious time filling the basin. Just as he got ready to turn off the water, Debitt went flying off the bed with a loud crash and a shout, whining about something hurting while the other two cackled maniacally. One look in the mirror showed a very worn man, Tiki thought, plunging his face into the icy water with no hesitation whatsoever. Perhaps if he managed to drown himself he wouldn’t have to deal with the rituals of the day… or his ghastly hangover.

His body asked for oxygen too much. Tiki was quite certain of the fact as he settled into his chair in the family room, a mug of black coffee in hand as he looked over the massive pile of presents beneath the tree and strewn across the room. Santa had certainly brought a haul for the Family this year, and as always it seemed he had favored Rhode. There was much running about before the Earl finally arrived, still in his nightclothes as he called the clan to order and sat down with a broad grin of anticipation on his face. Rhode went first, as always, being the little princess that she was. Tiki had only known about half of the gifts she opened, dress after dress and toy after toy piling up in the stack the akuma made in the aftermath of the unwrapping. Shoes, dolls, petticoats, new bedsheets, a promise of a new paint color for her room, stockings, stuffed animals, a charm bracelet, two charms, books, pencils and pens for school, a new vanity set, a mug with a crown painted on the side, new curtains for her bed, several hats to wear to and from school with matching coats and mittens, and so much more that Tiki’s head was spinning by the time it was all done. Each gift was opened carefully, boxes opened with that determined expression, and then her joyous gasp and squeals of delight would follow as she held the item in question up to show everyone in the room. They’d all voice their approval, or dissent, in the case of the twins, and she’d set it aside for an akuma to pick up.

By the time the excitement of Rhode’s gifts had started to fade, Tiki was staring at the bottom of his mug with a fiercely thoughtful expression, pondering the worth of another dosage of coffee in comparison to a glass of brandy. Even if it was a bit early, more alcohol had the slightest probability of helping the pain throbbing behind his eyes. He was almost ready to get up and get some when a maid swept in, helpfully taking his mug and replacing it with another that contained even blacker coffee than the last. The Earl was grinning at him from across the room, ignoring Tiki’s disappointment. He knew the man all too well, unfortunately, and Tiki was well aware that getting up to try and get his own drink would be a wasted effort. Jasdebi was starting in on their presents with identical enthusiasm, shrieking like little girls as they opened boxes containing two brand new guns. The little ribbons hanging from the handles were shiny and freshly cut, several beads sewn on to make a design that sparkled in the light. It took a bark of threat from Tiki to keep them from shooting the tree down with their new toys, crashing down on top of each other and lunging for new boxes to desecrate. They weren’t very enthusiastic about their new suits, but the vests and pants were welcome additions to their wardrobes. They had a significantly smaller number of presents than Rhode, but they were quite content with all of it.

Tiki was ready to get up and get breakfast when the twins had finished, but the Earl clapped his hands as he began to rise, watching the man freeze in place as he spoke. “Tiki-pon, you’ve yet to open your presents~!”

“I’ve got presents?” He sounded a bit stricken, repeating things just like that, but he sat down as the stack of boxes was shoved at him, towering ominously on the ottoman a few feet in front of the chair. Tiki wasn’t quite sure why he was so hesitant about opening the first box, ripping the paper away slowly until it was just a small brown box in front of him. Another box, this one made of wood, was nestled inside, and as he opened it carefully he found himself confronted with a pair of beautiful ruby cufflinks. The metal they were nested in glinted with the highest quality of gold, begging for him to run his fingers across them and appreciate how fine they were. He almost didn’t see the matching ear studs above them, perfectly cut gems and metal summoning a warm sensation of anticipation in his chest at the prospect of being able to wear them. Tiki closed the box carefully, looking a bit taken aback by the costly gift, but the Earl stopped him as he opened his mouth to thank him.

There was still more… A pair of new shoes, polished and shining black in the light of the fire; a box of the highest quality cigars one could find, accompanied by a bottle of fine brandy and a drinking set for his room. A new bottle of cologne and bath necessities was next, encouraging some mocking remarks from the twins as they saw the soap in Tiki’s hand. He ignored them, a smile tickling at the corners of his mouth as he came to the last present. It had both of their scratchy names on it, written as carefully as they could manage and wrapped just the way Jasdero had packaged all the doors in the house. The ribbon slid away easily enough, and the paper came away with a slight tug at a loose end, revealing a dark, hardwood piece of craftsmanship that would take any man’s breath away. It had his initials carved into a metal plate on the top, obviously done by a professional, and the lock was secure enough to avoid almost any form of damage. He slid his fingers over the side of the box carefully before moving to open it, inhaling the rich scent of wood polish as the contents were disclosed. It was partially a jewelry case, partially open- something secure to keep his cufflinks and earrings inside, with enough space to put things he wanted to keep secure and out of the hands of others. It was somewhat beyond him why the twins would get him such a thing, but they were waiting for his response with baited breath, watching his every motion anxiously. Tiki smiled, looking at the boys with a grateful expression. Their denials were as loud as ever, but the both blushed in appreciation, obviously glad that he liked their present.

He thought he was finished as he set Jasdebi’s present aside, sitting back with a content expression. “Well, that was unexpected. Thank you, Earl, and Jasdebi. I was-“

Rhode cut him off with a squeak of protest, scrambling to pick something up from under the tree and get to her feet. She picked her way across the room carefully, setting the final present in his lap carefully and sitting back on the ottoman expectantly. “You’re not done yet, Tiki.”

He took care to be delicate as he opened her gift, smile growing as he saw the corner of several books through the rips in the paper. It caught him off guard to find a stationery set, though, a thick stack of papers and envelopes tied together with a neat little ribbon. A pen was caught up in the base of the bow, shining with the quality of its price. Oliver Twist, Calderon the Courtier, and Crichton sat beneath the papers, scented of fresh binding and ink and crisp with their newness.

“I got papers so you can write me when you’re not home.” Rhode was almost shy in her announcement, staring at the stationery with a rather intense gaze and hands folded stubbornly in her lap. The room was silent as they all awaited Tiki’s response, watching his expression shift from thoughtful to happy to affectionate throughout the course of a few minutes. He set the gift down carefully, leaning forward to press a kiss to Rhode’s forehead and pat her on the hair as he sat back.

“It’s lovely, Rhode.” She looked up at him hopefully as he spoke, doubt turning to a smile as he tucked a piece of his hair behind an ear. “I’ll have to write at least once a week if I want to use that all up before next Christmas, though.”

Rhode beamed at him, ignoring the jeers of the twins behind her. Her blue eyes were sparkling with relief, giving the strange impression that she was about to cry despite the smile on her face. “Twice a week, actually. I ordered extras in case you want to write more than that.”

Tiki’s laughter echoed through the room at that, reaching out and dragging the girl to sit in his lap in the midst of his amusement. “You’re just a little bundle of mischief, you know that?”

She responded with an enthusiastic nod, snuggling up against him like a kitten with its mother. “I know. All the same, Tiki… It’s hard being so much trouble all the time, so I try to take a break whenever you come home.”

The Earl wibbled back and forth happily as he watched the family enjoying their company, hands held together with something akin to joy as a tear wavered at the corner of one eye. “Come, come, now, everyone~ It’s time for our Christmas breakfast! Cinnamon and gingerbread for all!”

Rhode squealed as Tiki stood, slinging her over one shoulder and starting across the family room as though he were carrying a sack of potatoes. “Merry Christmas, brats!”

“Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!” Jasdero and Debitt began chanting at the top of their lungs, finding themselves abruptly cut off as Tiki picked the blonde half of the pair up under his free arm and spun around carelessly on his way to the hall. Rhode clung to the back of his shirt with both hands, closing her eyes as the world spun around in a flash of green and red.

“Merry Christmas, Tiki.” Rhode wasn’t even sure the other Noah heard the words, she said them so quietly, but by the time he set her down at the table and stuck a cinnamon stick in her mouth it had fled her mind completely. She only had a few days left to spend with the entire family, and she fully intended to make the most of it. After all… There was no way to know when Tiki would come back to see her again.