Merry Christmas

Christopher lay awake in his futon. He was hot. Anko’s big shaggy head lay on top of him. The dog was snoring deeply. Hitomi lay on top of Anko curled up in a ball, a small night cap adorning her head. Smokin’ Sexy slept on a stained couch he’d fished out from Godknowswhere. He was fast asleep. Christopher checked his phone. 3am. Dammit. He had to be awake in 3 hours for PT. He looked at the dojo’s ceiling, he tried counting the water stains. “1, 2, 3, 4…”

“...98” His phone vibrated. Christopher sighed. Probably Inigo on a new… Faith? Why was she still up? Christopher opened LINE.

fides1104: So, the girls and I are going to be having a get together at Hailey’s penthouse on the 25th, no big deal if you can’t make it! And you don’t have to bring anything!

Christopher frowned. She was talking in complete sentences on the phone, something was wrong. Wait, the 25th… Christmas. Shit. This internship had worse timing than he thought. He had to go shopping, hope dad would give him some money for a special occasion and talk Smokin’ Sexy into giving him the day off.

LookingGlass: I will be there.
fides1104: Cool! So, Inigo’s invited and if u wnt Kaylee cn cme 2.

Christopher smiled. Faith and Kaylee were on… okay terms, but talking Hailey into letting Kaylee in her home must’ve been quite the feat. More to the point, Faith wasn’t speaking in complete sentences anymore, so all was well.

… Christopher frowned.

LookingGlass: Who all’s going to be there?
fides1104: The class! Kinna infrml, ppl’ll cme & go, dn’t knw if H’ll b thr @ all.
LookingGlass: When are you getting back to Kyoto?
fides1104: Like 2000?

Christopher looked at the ceiling. Hitomi stirred. … what was he feeling right now? The idea of other people seeing her before he did on Christmas rubbed him raw. It shouldn’t, but it did. He started typing.

LookingGlass: I’m calling it in.
fides1104: ?
LookingGlass: My birthday present. I want you on the 24th.
fides1104 is typing...

Christopher raised an eyebrow. Why was she taking so long to typ-- he reexamined his words. He blinked. He hadn’t said THAT right? He had. He colored and typed furiously.

LookingGlass: I MEANT A DATE
fides1104: oh…

Christopher’s already crimson face darkened. He continued typing, trying to put whatever she may have been typing out of his mind.

LookingGlass: I’ll meet you at 2200 okay? At the Crimson Ronin Memorial Park?
fides1104: k
LookingGlass: It’s a date then, I really should go to sleep. Gn.

Christopher began to put his phone away, trying desperately to ignore the fire in his… stomach. Then his phone vibrated.

fides1104 started a video call

Christopher turned the volume down as low as he could, then answered. The screen was dark, her lights must be off, but he heard her voice over the phone.

“Hey.” She sounded exhausted.

“Hi.” Christopher answered in a quiet whisper. His eyes wandered to Ryusei making sure he hadn’t woken the man up. Ryusei was still snoring softly. He was in the clear.

“…”

“What’d you want to talk about?”

“Umm…” Faith didn’t know herself. She’d just done it on impulse.

Christopher smiled. He didn’t hate this side of her. He placed his phone next to his pillow. “Trouble sleeping?”

“Yeah,” Faith responded groggily. “You?”

“Yeah.”

“Want to be insomniacs together?” Faith yawned.

“That sounds nice. What do you wanna do on the date?”

“I dunno, you’re the one who asked me out, that’s your job.”

“You invited me out first, I just rescheduled”

“Ice rink then.”

“Won’t you just be getting off the plane?”

“I can rent skates.”

Christopher smirked. He felt his eyelids grow heavy. She must really want to skate if she was willing to rent. “I can’t skate.”

“I can, I’ll teach y--”


BRR, BRR, BRRR Christopher’s alarm woke him on vibration mode. Why would it do that? Christopher in his groggy state hadn’t the foggiest.

Blinking against the horrid sensation of waking, Christopher sat up. The heavy black dog, Anko, was still nestled against his chest, snoring happily, oblivious to the phone’s ministrations. Hitomi shook her head groggily as she woke. Ryusei was nowhere to be seen.

Christopher rolled over towards his phone. Anko mumbled some complaints as he rolled off Christopher to resume his snooze.

Picking up his phone, Christopher silenced his alarm, only to see Faith sleeping soundly displayed on his screen. He blinked. What the fuck? Had he called her-- the memories of last night came flooding back. He’d fallen asleep while she was talking. He’d have to say sorry for that.

Christopher watched her a moment, the sun wasn’t long in rising now. The gray light of pre-dawn illuminated her horrible mess of a room, strewn with discarded electronics, discarded clothes and a computer tower turned clothing rack in the background. He couldn’t find the monitor among the detritus of Faith’s room.

Faith was half shrouded in gray light. He could just make out her face. Her mouth was half open a trickle of spittle flowed onto her pillow. Her hair was undone falling in curtains of black down her shoulders until her form disappeared into shadow.

Christopher found himself smiling. He shook his head, then glanced to the side. Hitomi was tapping her claw on Anko’s head, looking at Christopher smugly.

“Shut up.” Christopher grumbled. Hitomi grinned widely.

Christopher reached to end the call, but stopped. He looked at Faith one last time. He should at least say something before ending the call with his girl friend right? He couldn’t just hang up! Besides, Faith was clearly still asleep, he could… say it, get it out of his system so that Hitomi couldn’t make him blurt it out when he saw her.

Christopher leaned close to the phone and cupped his hands over his mouth.

“Love you.” He whispered.

“Damn.” An unheralded voice sliced Christopher’s stomach open. He closed the call on reflex, but it was a fruitless gesture. Hitomi snickered at her master’s new color. He’d been caught. He looked behind him, towards the dojo’s bathroom hall. There standing at the entrance of the hall stood a tall man dressed in a fresh white shirt and dirty jeans drying his hair off with a towel.

Smokin’ Sexy grinned at Christopher. “Guess I need to learn to knock~”

Christopher felt his cheeks descend to a color beneath crimson.


Christopher and Inigo sat at a tiny table in Thanks A Latte. They were both dressed in their work uniforms. Inigo’s green helmet lay on the table between them. Christopher’s goggles and jacket hung on the back of his chair.

“—working with Popsy’s a dream dude!”

“Oh?”

“Seriously, she’s got me using Gigan in ways I couldn’t have imagined!”

“Like?”

“Two words, Banana Cream Pie.”

“That’s three words, and I’ve seen you turn Gigan into a pie.”

“A pool sized pie?”

“… oh God.”

“Into a house sized seltzer spray. It’s great! She’s even got me working on more lifelike constructs. I mean, can you imagine? I could turn Gigan into a giant firefighter! Or maybe a straw to suck up a flood! Anyway, what’s new with you?”

“Not much, you saw the bank robbery right?”

“Yeah! Congrats dude! Hoge thought you’d gone rogue.”

“No, Ryusei was there. He just gave me the spotlight.” Christopher grumbled. “He’s the one who solved it. I was just… there.”

“I doubt that.” Inigo teased.

Christopher shook his head. “I wasn’t dead weight but… you ever see someone so good at something it makes you realize how shit you are at it?”

“… yeah, I feel that. But that just means we’ve got a place to get to man! It’d be boring if we were already as good as the pros!”

Christopher smiled. “Fair.”

“Anyway! We have something more important to talk about.”

“More important than our careers?”

“IMMENSELY! This is a matter of life and death!”

Christopher leaned forward. His stomach in a knot. If Inigo was this serious... “What’s going on?”

“CHRISTMAS IS IN TWO DAYS!”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you forgot!”

Christopher hung his head. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen for that.

“Oh shit! You did?”

“No I didn’t forget. Jesus dude, I thought you were going to tell me you were leaving school or something.”

Inigo’s face fell. Christopher’s eyes narrowed, what the Hell was that look?!

“You ok—”

“What’re you getting Faith?”

Christopher wanted to fight this abrupt change in topic, but he didn’t have the strength. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was behind that particular look.

“A keyboard.” Christopher answered. He felt like a coward.

“Bro…” Inigo shook his head.

“What?! She needs a new keyboard!”

“Bro, no, you can’t just get her something she needs, it has to be something from the heart. Something you put a lot of thought into!”

“… I played skee ball for for it.”

“What? You won it? Dammit, if you’d done it while she was there it’d be different!”

“It’s a really good keyboard!”

“Bro, no. That’s it, get up!”

“Eh?”

“We’re going shopping!”

“… I don’t want to?”

“You should’ve thought of that before you tried to give a girl a keyboard for Christmas!”

Christopher was dragged out of Thanks-A-Latte by his hoodie. His plastic cup of iced coffee still in hand.


The sun had long set, the lights of Kyoto illuminated the night with their brilliant yellow light. In the center of Kyoto’s North is an outdoor skating rink surrounded by the white stocks of cherry blossom trees. Their barren branches struck like glowing boney fingers against the night sky. The skating rink was sparsely populated with scattered couples leisurely flying in a tight circle. Outside the rink were a line of benches. On one of those benches, bundled tightly in three layers of coats, was a young man staring perplexed at a pair of skates in his lap.

Christopher looked at his phone. The time was 2140, he was more than a little early. He checked his bag, Ensconsed within were two gifts. One was the keyboard he’d played skee ball for several hours for. The other was… a kindle with a few dozen books on it. Inigo had suggested jewelry, but it didn’t really… fit them. So, Christopher got her something electronic, something that would remind her how she got herself into this relationship.

Christopher didn’t know what ended up happening to that locket he’d rejected as a gift idea. He hoped Inigo was able to get his money back.

Christopher heard footsteps just behind him, he felt Hitomi stir in his bag as he began to turn. Then his world went dark. The icy claws of a girl’s hands in winter covered his eyes.

“Guess who~!” An all too familiar voice sing-songed.

Christopher restrained a smile. “Oh fuck who could it be? Bella?”

“… who the fuck is Bella?”

“I’m kidding, of course I know it’s you Joan.”

“Keep joking and you’re going to be single.”

“I thought it was funny.”

“You still haven’t guessed.” Ice crept into her voice, her icy hands tightened. Christopher felt his life hang by a thread.

“Faith.” Christopher answered with no humor left.

Faith released his eyes and put her hands on his chin. She lifted his chin till the top of Christopher’s head met her stomach and his eyes met her own. She wore a bright orange toboggan. Her makeup was sparse today, just enough to highlight her eyes and her lips. She was smiling.

“3 guesses? What am I going to do with you?” She teased.

Christopher relaxed. “Guess you need to keep a closer eye on me.”

“Eh~ I don’t know if you want that, I’d have to bug your phone.”

“… Inigo’d be in more danger than me if you did that.”

Faith grinned, “afraid I’ll share guy talk with Hoge?”

Christopher remembered the last 30 minute video presentation of Hoge’s virtues Inigo had sent him. “She’d be embarrassed.”

“Would I be?”

“Yes.” Christopher answered without hesitation.

Faith grinned happily. She glanced at Christopher’s skates. “You gonna put those on?”

Christopher sighed grumpily.

“What?”

“Can’t we just hang out a litt--”

“Nope!” Faith walked around the bench and pulled Christopher up by his hands.

“I don’t have my skates on!”

“Multitask!”

Swept along by sudden urgency, neither Christopher nor Faith noticed the bag left behind at the bench. Nor did they see the little black dragon peek her tiny head out of the bag’s opening and salute her master and his date. Hitomi would guard the bag. Christopher need not fear for it.

Christopher put on his skates against the rink’s wall while an impatient Faith skated in tight circles on the ice in front of him. She was graceful on the ice, like she was raised on it.

Christopher doubted he would be. He finished putting on his skates and entered the rink. As soon as his skate’s blade hit the ice the ground flew out from under him and his face met ice.

“Are you okay?!” Faith cry-laughed.

“Peachy.” Christopher moaned. He got up quickly and fell again. Faith couldn’t stop herself from laughing. He crawled to the wall and used it to prop himself up. He stood shakily. His skates threatened to tear themselves out from under him at any moment.

Christopher felt like a cold rat clinging to a life preserver in the ocean. He didn’t dare move from this spot, fearing he’d only incur the wrath of his skates and meet the cold hard ground again. Warm hands wrapped around his own.

Christopher watched as Faith guided him back onto the ice, too nervous to resist. She was smiling broadly.

“Bend your knees.” Faith ordered.

Christopher obeyed.

“Just wiggle your hips at first.” Faith demonstrated. People parted around them, as if they were used to the spectacle of first time skaters being led by the hand. Christopher’s cheeks were so numb he didn’t know he was blushing. Faith certainly was.

Christopher mimicked Faith’s movement. He went forward slightly under his own power. The ice slid under him like a polished floor. It wasn’t a bad feeling.

“Now try to kick your foot lightly against the ice.” Faith ordered.

Christopher obeyed, but he didn’t know what lightly meant. His skate’s toe pick dug into the ice. He shot forward like a rocket straight into Faith. She yelped as he collided with her and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Christopher’s arm shot out on instinct and wrapped around the back of Faith’s head. What should’ve been a solid crack became a dull thump.

“Ow.” Faith moaned.

“Shit! Are you--” Christopher stopped talking when he noticed their position. He was on top of Faith. His arm was wrapped around her head like he was holding her in an embrace. Faith opened her eyes at that moment. Their eyes met.

There was a moment when there was nothing else in the world than these two. Christopher felt something inside him stir. His face approached Faith’s by an inch. Faith closed her eyes and leaned forward.

“Are you two okay?” An old man holding hands with a giggling old woman asked as he skated past.

Christopher was snapped back to reality by those words. His cheeks flared. He wasn’t sure what color his face turned, but if it was anything like Faith’s, he invented new shades of red.


Hitomi seethed. She held a handkerchief between her teeth and tugged on it. ‘Damn old man! It was getting good!’ Hitomi watched disappointed as Christopher struggled to his feet and tried to help Faith up, only to be pulled to the ground during the attempt. She heard Faith laugh.

Hitomi perked up at this development. Her tail whipped behind her. The way Faith was smiling… she’d fallen on purpose. Hitomi gleamed. ‘Sly girl~! Now just one push--’

Hitomi squealed as her bag, her kingdom, launched into the air. She fell backwards among Christopher’s belongings with a crash. The bag jostled violently, in one moment Hitomi would slam against the heavy keyboard, the next she would crack her little skull against the e-reader.

Hitomi didn’t know how long her kingdom was carried for, but eventually her bag came to rest on the cold hard ground. She heard voices, a high pitched voice of a boy just going through puberty and the low deep voice of a man leading a youth astray. Neither were Christopher.

Hitomi let loose a low growl on reflex. The voices outside stopped.

“Wh-what the fuck?!” The young voice stammered.

The little dragon smiled devilishly. She reached for the zipper.


Christopher held onto Faith’s shoulder for dear life as they skated around the rink. His skates scrabbled against the ice uncertainly, much to his girlfriend’s amusement, but at least he hadn’t fallen for a whole lap now.

“This is humiliating.”

“Really? I think you’re getting better.”

“You’re carrying me.”

“You’re like 90kilos, no I’m not.”

“86.” Christopher mumbled.

Faith sighed, then grabbed Christopher’s hand. She pulled his arm over her shoulders like a shawl. The action pulled them close together. Too close.

“Better?” She asked.

“… different.”

Faith giggled. “We can always get closer.”

Christopher avoided eye contact, much to Faith’s delight.


The young man who’d earlier absconded with Christopher’s backpack put it gently down on the bench where he’d ‘found it.’ He was shaking in terror. A horrible monstrosity stared out at him out of the bag’s open zipper.

“I-is this okay?”

Hitomi, in the form of an eyeless head staring out the top of the bag nodded slightly. The young man backed away.

Hitomi groaned.

“I-I promise I won’t say anything!” The young man swore.

Hitomi, by way of answer, zipped the bag closed again. The young man scambled away without another word.

Hitomi pat herself on the back. She’d done a good job protecting her castle! She deserved a treat~. She unzipped the bag slightly. Growled when she realized she didn’t have a good view of the rink. She jumped up and down inside the bag until her view was better situated to see the rink. She looked around for a moment before she found Christopher and Faith skating in a half embrace. Hitomi huffed in satisfaction.

“Look there dear.” An old woman’s voice came from the side of the rink just outside of Hitomi’s view. “Don’t they remind you of us?”

“Eh~ That girl’s nothing like you oba-san, she’s cute!”

“HMPH! See if you’ll get breakfast in the morning.”

“Come on, I was joking! You know you’re the only one for me!”

“I suppose fair’s fair, that young man is much more handsome than Oji-san ever was.”

“You’re going to make this old man cry.”

Hitomi listened to the old couple’s fading conversation as they walked away into the night. She felt… strange. Jealous? No, that wasn’t right, she liked Faith nearly as much as Christopher did. She felt a longing. Hitomi sat in her little home, her eyes left Christopher. She felt empty.


Christopher exited the rink, quietly thankful to be on solid ground again. Faith bounced out of the ring just behind him, beaming. He hadn’t exactly learned how to skate in this brief lesson, but… he had enjoyed Faith’s attempts to teach him.

They returned to Christopher’s bench.

Christopher hissed at the sight of his bag unattended. He’d completely forgotten about it. Thank God this was Japan. If this had been back home he’d have to accept it was gone forever. He vaguely felt Hitomi stir in the bag at his approach. … or maybe he’d have to drive whomever tried to steal Hitomi’s territory to the hospital.

Christopher sat on the bench and began to take off his skates. Faith sat beside him. Christopher frowned. He really should thank her for tonight, he couldn’t imagine watching her boyfriend fall all over himself was very fun, but she’d been patient throug--

“Thanks for tonight.” Faith whispered.

Christopher blinked. “Huh?”

Faith smiled shyly. “For doing this I mean. Learning to skate probably wasn’t your idea of a date, but I had a blast teaching you.”

“I… liked it.”

“You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not.”

Faith stopped untying her skates.

“I came here knowing I was gonna fall on my ass, but… it was your first suggestion so I thought, maybe, you liked ice skating so, I… wanted to learn it?” Faith looked at him. Christopher’s tongue tightened. “I just thought--” ‘God please save me, I have no idea what I’m trying to say!’

Faith’s phone beeped. Both teenagers jumped out of their skin at the sudden interruption. Faith scrambled for her phone. Christopher silently thanked the phone for saving him from his awkward soliloquy. He heard a nearby Church’s bells ring.

‘Midnight, huh?’ Christopher thought. Something tickled the back of his mind at the thought of it being midnight. Something he needed to do.

Faith retrieved her phone, she began to lift it up.

Christopher tensed. ‘Midnight!’ His hand shot out like lightning, covering Faith’s phone screen before she could see the message.

“Wh—Chris?!”

“Merry Christmas!” Christopher declared. Faith blinked. Christopher colored. He removed his hand from Faith’s phone and looked away.


Faith looked at her phone. It was blowing up with an avalanche of Christmas well wishes. She checked the time. It was midnight, Christmas. If she’d looked at her phone, she’d have seen all these messages wishing her a Merry Christmas before Chris--

Faith grinned. She elbowed Christopher. Christopher didn’t look at her.

“Why’d you want the date today Chris~?”

“Impulse.” Christopher lied.

“You sure you didn’t want to wish me Merry Christmas first?”

Christopher hid his face. Faith beamed. She rose to her knees then kissed Christopher on the cheek.

“Merry Christmas!”

Edit Report
Pub: 25 Dec 2023 04:57 UTC
Edit: 25 Dec 2023 14:53 UTC
Views: 498