The Incarnation ポケモン
Resident Originshipper
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Daigo looked up from his excavation with a start. He suddenly recalled that his original reason for leaving home earlier had absolutely nothing to do with digging for rare stones. Rather, he had left on a very important errand that was very closely connected to this particular day, and this reminded him of the fact that he had spent almost the entire day being sidetracked from this errand.
Well, he thought to himself, it wasn’t entirely his fault. He had gone to the jeweler’s first thing that morning, only to be told that it would still be a few hours before the pendant was ready. So of course he had found something productive with which to while away the hours—except that he had become a bit too engrossed in it. Daigo reached into a pocket out of habit to check the time, only to discover that he had not brought his PokeNav with him.
Damn. This meant that Mikuri might have been trying to contact him all day with no success. Daigo knew that his spouse was a worrywart by nature, and doubtless their children were only adding to Mikuri’s anxiety with their own queries about when daddy was coming home. There was only one way to guess what time it was, and that was to leave this cave. He beckoned to his Pokemon to help him carry some of the stones they had dug up as they climbed out of the cavern.
The sinking feeling in his stomach began as soon as Daigo saw the dimming twilight of the sky around him. There was no question that it was past six in the evening, probably almost seven. He should have been home hours ago, helping Mikuri and the children set up the house for tomorrow. Skarmory crooned softly, sensing his trainer’s distress. Daigo turned to his Pokemon.
“Metagross, Aggron, thank you very much for your help. I’ve got to be my way now, so I’ll have to return you for the time being.” The two Pokemon nodded, returning to their Pokeballs along with the stones they were holding in place of more standard Pokemon items. Daigo then nodded to Skarmory, who calmly allowed his trainer to mount before spreading his wings and heading into the darkening skies in the direction of the jewelry store that had been established recently in Petalburg City.
Even before he saw the sign on the door, Daigo guessed by the unlit windows that he had come too late. And indeed, the store had closed earlier than normal because after all, this was Christmas Eve. Daigo mentally berated himself, thinking over and over again that this was the reason he had come out so early today. He had intended to pick up Mikuri’s pendant as well as gifts for the children, then return home, all before the sun set. The owner of the store had mentioned a delivery service that could send the jewelry when it was ready if Daigo would just leave his address, but Daigo hadn’t wanted to risk Mikuri or any of the children seeing it beforehand, and he had been confident that he would return in time to pick it up. So much for that. Now the store was closed, and it certainly wouldn’t be open tomorrow.
Daigo toyed for a while with the notion of going home, but in the end he couldn’t bring himself to go back empty-handed after having kept his family waiting for so long. And yet, he wondered, what good was it to keep them worried and waiting for longer when there was no way he could bring home anything at this hour? Perhaps some other stores were still open. Daigo wandered around town, passing by the empty Gym. He almost wished he hadn’t, because it only reminded him of the fact that even the Gym Leader—a father with a very serious and demanding job—had managed to return home in time to spend Christmas Eve with his family. Knowing Haruka and Yuuki, they probably had some big celebration planned with both their families together. And perhaps they had even called to ask if Daigo and his family would like to join them. Daigo cursed inwardly as he imagined Mikuri declining the offer, congenial tone belying the sadness in those blue eyes. The unhappy train of thought did not improve as Daigo saw “Closed” signs on door after door. Everyone seemed to have remembered the priority of being home on Christmas Eve—everyone except him. Frustrated, angry, and ashamed all at the same time, Daigo traveled aimlessly along the city streets, only to find upon looking up that he had wandered in a circle back to the door of the jewelry shop.
“Mommy… is daddy… is he coming home?” Little Yukito’s quiet voice trembled as he turned his large, pleading hazel-blue eyes towards Mikuri.
“Of course he’s coming home, stupid! ‘Else I’m gonna find him and kick his butt!” Nagisa declared in as ferocious a voice as a five year old girl could muster while she brandished a fist at her older brother, which caused Yukito to yelp and run for cover behind his mother.
“Haruko, I think the cookies have finished baking,” Mikuri addressed his other daughter, eldest of the three children and the only one who seemed to be unperturbed by her father’s prolonged absence.
“Yes mother,” Haruko answered promptly and politely, making her way to the kitchen with the stately air of a young lady. Mikuri allowed himself to sit for a moment in an effort to calm down. Yukito took this opportunity to crawl into his mother’s lap, all the while gazing nervously at Nagisa who was now kicking and punching at the air. Mikuri sighed and absently stroked his distraught son’s hair, trying not to think of how much the boy snuggling against him resembled the one member of the household who was still missing. Mikuri eyed the PokeNav lying on a nearby dresser and blamed himself for not remembering to tell Daigo to take it with him before he left.
Haruko walked back in, deftly balancing the tray of freshly-baked cookies that filled the air with the warm, sweet smell of vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. She carefully placed the tray on the table then sat down in a chair facing Mikuri.
“Thank you very much, dear,” Mikuri smiled at his daughter, who nodded dutifully in return. Haruko realized that her mother was watching her, probably to see if she betrayed any break in her composure. Mikuri smiled again, this time from a mix of pride and amusement at his unusually perceptive eldest child, aware that Haruko knew she was under scrutiny.
And they waited.
The sun had long set already, and Daigo was still loitering in front of the shop, as if expecting some miracle to occur and open the doors for him. He was glad the streets were completely empty and there was no one around to cast odd looks in his direction—though doubtless he deserved to be humiliated for the mess he had gotten himself in. Returning home seemed an increasingly inviting idea as the night wore on, but as soon as he pictured himself telling his family of how his selfish and irresponsible actions had ruined this year’s Christmas for them—Yukito with tears running silently down his cheeks as if it were all his fault, Nagisa clenching her fists as her face contorted in childish rage, and Haruko and Mikuri wearing identical icy expressions of disappointment and hurt—the very thought of it killed any inclination to return. But what good would it do to stay out here? What was he waiting for? He tightened his hand around Skarmory’s Pokeball, finger tapping on the switch. Not knowing what else to do, he began holding a one-sided conversation with the Pokemon inside.
“Well old friend, what I should do? I can’t go home like this, but I can’t force my family to spend Christmas without me…”
From inside his Pokeball, Skarmory could hear his trainer’s miserable voice. He knew Daigo didn’t expect a reply, and at any rate he wouldn’t have known what to say. His trainer’s dilemma was a decidedly human problem, which put it out of Skarmory’s realm of knowledge.
Daigo smiled apologetically at the Pokeball in his hand, but the smile was twisted at the corners into a bitter smirk of self-scorn. He knew why he couldn’t return home: It wasn’t any wild hope of a miracle to save his family’s Christmas at the last minute; it was just his stupid, stupid pride that couldn’t stand to admit failure and receive the scolding he deserved. Even now that pride was overcoming the conscience telling him to do the right thing and go home, and he placed the ball back on his belt. Complete in his state of abject shame, Daigo slumped back against the store’s quaint brick walls and allowed himself to slide down to a sitting position on the ground, scraping debris all over the back of his suit.
He had been sitting in that position for almost twenty minutes without so much as a twitch or a sound when a sudden noise from the roof caused him to turn look up, but he could see nothing there. Little did he know that as soon as he turned back, a sharp pair of black eyes resumed their observation of him from atop the roof of the jewelry store. The owner of this particular pair of eyes also possessed a very keen pair of ears as well, and had overheard everything. The Delcatty purred lightly to himself with a contented feline smile. He had taken a liking to this human who reminded him of a trainer he used to spend his Christmases with, and it wouldn’t do to leave such a nice—if rather silly—human in such a predicament. He swished the tip of his tail back and forth as he planned his course of action, noticing that the human below him had dozed off in the meantime. Daigo was still fast asleep when the Delcatty left to pay someone a late-night visit.
The jewelry shop owner’s Mightyena yawned and opened one eye to sleepily regard the familiar four-legged figure standing before him. What did that cat want this time? Just because they were friends didn’t mean it was very nice to wake him up from a pleasant snooze, especially on Christmas Eve. Delcatty purred amiably before stating his request very clearly: he needed to open the shop for a little while.
Mightyena rolled his eyes. Surely Delcatty knew that this request would be rejected given the hour and the day. But the feline Pokemon insisted, saying there was a human who had been waiting outside the shop since seven that evening and was still there at this time. Mightyena growled that Delcatty should have stayed there to keep an eye on the human who was probably a thief, but Delcatty assured the other Pokemon that if he had been a thief he would have broken in much earlier. This did not do much to assuage Mightyena’s fears, and in the end it was out of concern for the shop that he grabbed a key and followed Delcatty.
Back at the shop, Daigo was indeed still dozing in a rather uncomfortable position outside the entrance. Mightyena was a bit surprised to see that Delcatty had been telling the truth, but nevertheless he wasn’t about to open the door for any stranger, even if this particular stranger did have the aura of a strong and trustworthy trainer about him. Delcatty sauntered over and swiped his tail across Daigo’s nose, causing the man to wake with a sneeze.
“What in the…” Daigo rubbed at his eyes and blinked until he finally made out the dim image of the cat Pokemon eyeing him in an amused manner. It took him a moment to realize the Pokemon was talking. Not being particularly well-versed in the speech of unfamiliar Pokemon, Daigo decided to let his own Pokemon do the talking. A few minutes of conversation cleared up the situation, and Mightyena stepped forward to inform them that he would go fetch the pendant himself, provided he could get a good idea of what it looked like. Metagross quickly imparted a mental image of the pendant as Daigo had pictured it when he had placed the order, then all of them moved back to allow Mightyena to enter the shop without worrying that any of them had followed him.
Ten minutes later, the dark canine Pokemon reappeared with the pendant in its box along with the receipt verifying the order and payment. Daigo confirmed that the pendant was the correct one and thanked the Mightyena, to which the Pokemon nodded before adding that Daigo was lucky that Delcatty had seen him and decided it was worth the trouble to help, and that next time he ought to use the delivery service. Upon receiving the translation for this, Daigo nodded with a slightly abashed grin and thanked the Delcatty as well before it dawned on him that it must be past midnight by now. Mightyena had already double-checked and locked the shop and was heading home.
Home. Daigo didn’t think twice this time before hopping atop Metagross, pendant securely in his grasp. The only thing marring his relief was the realization that he had not managed to get anything for his children, and he could only hope that the rare stones he had found would suffice until he could get them more thoughtful gifts the day after Christmas. The important thing now was to get home and apologize to his family, and Daigo told Metagross to head at top speed due east for Mossdeep. He expected Metagross to move, but instead the great steel Pokemon asked him if he would allow a hitchhiker. Daigo looked around to find the Delcatty perched atop one of Metagross’s legs. Did he want to tag along? Daigo was almost about to say yes, because after all the Delcatty had saved him from complete disaster, but then he remembered that the trip to Mossdeep would be long and cold, and much closer by were a few trainers who would most certainly be able to take better care of such a deserving Pokemon. Delcatty said nothing and merely hopped aboard as Daigo had Metagross make a small detour south to Littleroot.
As Littleroot came into sight, the first thing Daigo noticed was that the Odamaki Laboratory’s exterior had taken on a very festive look, complete with multicolored lights, various window decorations, and artificial snow Pokemon placed around the entrance. What struck him as odder than that, however, was the fact that the windows in the lab were still lit at this hour, and as Metagross carried him closer he could hear sound coming from within. It sounded like rather excited shouting, and the voices were familiar.
“Yuuki! That doesn’t go there, it goes over here! No, no, you can’t hang it like that! It won’t give off the proper effect that way!”
“Good grief, if I’m doing everything wrong why don’t you just do it all yourself?”
“Because we have to get this done so we can catch some sleep before tomorrow morning!”
“You just want an excuse to boss me around!”
“Umm… Haruka-san, Yuuki-san… I think maybe we should be just a little quieter… it is the middle of the night and if we accidentally wake anyone—”
Knock. Knock.
“Oh dear…”
“Dammit, now we’re gonna be busted because you had to make us stay in here and put up all this crap!”
“What are you, still ten years old? In case you forgot, we’re twenty—well, Mitsuru’s still nineteen—now, meaning we’re adults and nobody can get on our case about staying up too late.”
“Then who’s at the door?” Mitsuru asked the question that was on everybody’s mind. Yuuki shrugged and wandered over to take a look at the figure standing outside.
“Holy crap it’s Daigo-san!” Yuuki was so stunned he forgot to open the door.
“Yuuki, you need to learn to watch your—Omigod no way! You’re-you’re kidding!” Haruka dashed over and yanked open the door, nearly flattening Mitsuru in the process. It was no joke. There was Daigo standing in the doorway holding what looked like a pendant box, with a Delcatty at his feet.
“I… I’m sorry to bother you all right now—you looked like you were in the middle of something, but this Delcatty, I mean—”
“Daigo-san! Where have you been all day? You know we called your house this afternoon to ask if you and Mikuri-san wanted to bring your kids to our Christmas party tomorrow, but then Mikuri-san answered the phone and said that you weren’t home so he couldn’t make a decision at that time and then he asked us if we’d seen you because you’d been gone since early that morning and he sounded awful worried and he just called us again at like ten o’ clock saying you still weren’t home and—”
“Aaaanyways,” Yuuki cut in to prevent Haruka from making everyone’s ears bleed, and also partly out of pity when he noticed Daigo’s face pale visibly at Haruka’s mention of the phone calls. “Shouldn’t you hurry up and go home instead of hanging out here? ‘Cuz it’s kinda way past midnight. Even Mikuri-san is probably freaking out by now.”
Daigo nodded with an awkward expression on his face. “Well, actually, I was going to go home, but then this guy—” Daigo indicated the Delcatty, who meowed affably in greeting, “—wanted to tag along, and I realized that it would probably be a lot better for him to stay with you guys than go home with me. It’s a pretty uncomfortable trip to Mossdeep, and I don’t think he’ll enjoy all the yelling that I’ll have to endure when I get back,” Daigo ended on a dejected tone as he glanced down at the elegant feline Pokemon who purred softly and rubbed against his ankles. Even shy Mitsuru finally hazarded to speak a few words of comfort to the unhappy man standing in the doorway.
“Umm… D-Daigo-san, I… I think that… your family will be very happy that you came back safely.”
“That’s right! Especially when they see the presents you got them!” Haruka chirped. “Lemme guess, that—” she pointed excitedly to the box Daigo was holding “—is for Mikuri-san, isn’t it? Can I see what you got him? I’ll bet it’s beautiful.”
Daigo smiled a little and opened the box to display the pendant. Haruka’s eyes grew wide and she drew in a sharp breath. “Omigodomigod THAT IS SOOO GORGEOUS!” The young woman practically squealed. Yuuki rolled his eyes and exchanged looks with Mitsuru, who laughed nervously and gave a little shrug.
“I wish someone would buy something like that for me, but noooo, these two would never think of something like that—”
“Because, y’know, we don’t exactly have connections to a multimillion-dollar company,” Yuuki muttered under his breath, throwing Haruka a glare.
“Yuuki! That is so rude!”
“Yeah well you started it.”
“You’re so immature!”
“So are you!”
And the bickering would have continued had Mitsuru not mustered his courage to ask in his loudest voice—which wasn’t far above a whisper—if it was all right for Daigo to show them what he had gotten for his children.
Daigo’s expression, which had lightened slightly from the antics of the two arguing trainers, instantly grew miserable again at this casual comment, causing Mitsuru to wince and wonder if he had done something wrong.
Yuuki and Haruka stopped sniping at each other long enough to notice the awkward silence.
“Daigo-san, Mitsuru, is something wrong?”
The green-haired youth seemed to shrink as he shook his head helplessly—he honestly didn’t know what he had done to offend Daigo. Daigo finally noticed that Mitsuru was misunderstanding his expression and decided it was time to admit his other failure of the day.
“Actually… you see… I… all the stores were closed by the time I got to them… and I… I didn’t manage to get my kids anything,” Daigo confessed brokenly, his expression having gone from miserable to utterly despairing.
Mitsuru coughed, and Yuuki shrugged and scuffed his shoe on the floor. Then suddenly there was the sound of a slap. Both young men looked up, thinking that Haruka has just done something unpleasant. To their surprise, Daigo was still standing perfectly unharmed but with a slightly puzzled expression.
As it turned out, Haruka had slapped her own forehead upon recalling something. “Of course! Duh, how could I almost forget! And you too, Yuuki, you didn’t even remind me! Or you, Mitsuru! One of us should have remembered!”
“Wha—”
But Haruka was already digging through a mountain of objects which upon closer inspection turned out to be a large stash of Christmas presents. “Here’s one! And… there’s one more! Now where’s the last one… found it!” Like a warrior dragging back the spoils of victory, Haruka marched away from the pile with a satisfied grin. She had something draped across one arm and was clutching two other items. “Hey you two, a little help wouldn’t hurt!” she shouted across the room.
It was then that Yuuki and Mitsuru realized what she was holding. They rushed over, and each took one of the items Haruka was carrying, leaving her the draped object.
“What… what are—”
“These,” Haruka chirped, “are the presents we bought for your kids! That’s right, I made Yuuki and Mitsuru go shopping with me to get something for those little darlings. It’s been a while since we’ve seen them and I wanted each of them to have something special to know that we’re still thinking of them.”
Daigo looked over at Yuuki and Mitsuru, who nodded in agreement.
“This is what I picked out for Haruko-chan—because after all, she is my namesake, so she deserves something lovely.” Haruka held out the dress she had been carrying. It was made of fine sky blue silk, with a pink sash and fluffy cream-colored trimming all around the edges. “Pretty, isn’t it? The trimming is made from real Mareep wool imported from Johto. The wool stays amazingly clean and soft even if you don’t wash it much, and it draws any static that builds up and releases it safely into the air, making the whole outfit static-proof!”
For the first time since he managed to get the pendant that night, Daigo smiled. Haruko would love that dress.
Not wanting to be outdone, Yuuki showed off his gift next. “And uh, since Yukito is named after me and all, I uh, got him these.” He held up a pair of gleaming silver rollerblades. “I always wanted them when I was little, but then my parents got me other cool stuff and I kinda forgot about these until I saw an ad for the newest models. They’re super-fast ‘cuz the frame is made from shed Skarmory feathers so it’s extra-lightweight but still super-strong. And it’s really flexible so it’ll fit him even when he grows. That’ll give him time to practice and get good enough for some of the really hardcore tricks you can pull in these.”
Daigo attempted to picture his timid son racing around in a pair of high-speed rollerblades. It was a bit like trying to picture a Ralts using Take Down. On the other hand, a certain other one of his children would kill to have such cutting-edge athletic gear. “Er… Yuuki-kun, would you mind if I gave those to Nagisa instead? Yukito… well, I’m sure you remember from the last time you saw him, how he was shy and frail and not very adept at physical activity… I’m afraid he hasn’t changed much…”
Yuuki raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Mitsuru. “Hey, this guy was wussy too until he got around to training Pokemon, but now he can almost beat me at the mile—almost.” Yuuki finished with a playful punch to Mitsuru’s arm. The latter flushed at suddenly becoming the center of unwanted attention.
“…Nagisa, on the other hand…” Daigo continued in an attempt to keep Mitsuru from further embarrassment. “Yuuki-kun, you’ll recall she was only four at the time and yet she tried to wrestle you to the ground every chance she got.”
Yuuki smiled and nodded at the memory of the tough, hyperactive little tomboy. “Hey, sure, as long as one of them likes these skates. I guess Yukito can wait until he becomes a Pokemon trainer to toughen up,” he added with a look in Mitsuru’s direction. Mitsuru coughed awkwardly, then realized that Yuuki was indicating it was his turn to talk.
“Oh, um, well… Daigo-san, I don’t know your family as well as Yuuki-san and Haruka-san do, but I-I felt it was… right to get something for your third child, since Haruka-san and Yuuki-san had already gotten something for the other two… and um… just going by the description of Yukito-kun that you gave, I-I guess he might… might like this?” Mitsuru held out what appeared to be a very well-crafted Ralts plushie, slightly larger than the real Pokemon. “It’s actually something they give kids at some of the children’s hospitals I stayed in when I was little—I-I mean, this one’s brand-new though—i-it’s not secondhand or anything…”
Daigo smiled and nodded, and Mitsuru managed to continue. “The toy, it’s temperature-sensitive so when it gets warm enough its cheeks will turn pink. I heard it’s especially good for, um, kids who get easily scared. It makes them feel like… like they’re hugging a real, live buddy.”
“Thank you very much, Mitsuru-kun. The gift sounds perfect for my little boy, and I’m sure Yukito will love his new friend.” The warm sincerity in Daigo’s voice seemed finally to put Mitsuru at ease.
“Well then let’s hurry up and get these gifts wrapped so Daigo-san can go home and let his family stop worrying!” Haruka had just run back over with rolls of shiny wrapping paper and ribbons.
“Smartest thing you’ve said all night,” Yuuki mumbled, causing Haruka to shoot him a look, though she was in too good of a mood to pick another fight with him. Mitsuru and Daigo just laughed, and Delcatty purred.
The gifts were wrapped in minutes, and Daigo was just about to leave after a few more thank-yous and goodbyes, when suddenly a plaintive meow caused him to look down. Delcatty was standing in the doorway, his expression indicating clearly that he wanted to go too.
“Umm… well… I guess you better take him then,” Yuuki shrugged. “I don’t think he wants to stay here.”
“Go on, Daigo-san, I can’t stand to see that adorable kitty looking so sad!” Haruka added.
Mitsuru nodded his agreement.
Daigo looked at the purring cat Pokemon and sighed. “All right, you win. Let’s go home.”
“Goodbye Daigo-san! Goodbye Delcatty! And tell your family Merry Christmas from all of us!” The three young adults waved at him from the doorway of the laboratory, illuminated by the bright lights.
Daigo turned and waved goodbye back as Metagross carried him, the gifts, and Delcatty east towards Mossdeep.
The horizon was just beginning to pale with sunrise when Metagross landed in front of the Tsuwabuki family residence, an elegant but unassuming two-story house where Daigo’s small villa had once stood. Both Daigo and Delcatty had dozed off during the long ride, and Metagross made sure to land just hard enough to wake them without causing them too much discomfort.
“Unnnh… Wha… Oh, we’re home. Thank you for you help, Metagross.” Daigo smiled at the great steel Pokemon who creaked its version of a “you’re welcome” before returning to its Pokeball.
Daigo couldn’t help but feel nervous as he stepped up to the door and fumbled for his keys. Delcatty meowed and rubbed himself against Daigo’s leg in reassurance. Finally, after taking a deep breath, Daigo slid in the key and listened, holding his breath, as the lock clicked open.
The door opened soundlessly as Daigo peered inside, chest tight with apprehension. He could see the living room, with the magnificently-decorated Christmas tree in all its splendor. A small pile of presents lay beneath the tree, no doubt having waited there all night for his share of the gifts to join them. No one appeared to be astir, at least not at the moment. He finally walked inside, Delcatty following silently. He turned around for just a moment to close the door, and that’s when he thought he heard the sound of movement. Daigo peered back over his shoulder without seeing anyone, but he noticed that Delcatty, who had been by his side all this time, seemed to have wandered off somewhere. A contented meow revealed the location of the Pokemon: Delcatty appeared to have settled himself onto a soft pillow on a nearby chair.
And then the “pillow” moved, and Daigo realized that Delcatty was curled up on someone’s lap. In particular, Delcatty had chosen the nightgown-covered lap of a slender man propped up on one elbow with a shawl draped over his shoulders and his face obscured by a curtain of sea-colored hair. Said man stirred at the sudden warm weight resting upon his legs, and in a few moments he had looked up and was gazing with exhaustion in his deep blue eyes at a very embarrassed Daigo.
“So…” came the soft voice. “You decided to come home after all.” An elegant hand rose to cover a yawn behind long, graceful fingers.
Daigo nodded, cheeks burning with shame—partly at being caught unawares without a chance to explain himself, and partly because he realized his first thought after keeping Mikuri waiting up for him all night should not be how incredibly attractive the man looked with that sleepy expression and thin nightgown emphasizing every perfect curve of his unusually feminine body.
“I suppose you must have a good reason for it… Perhaps you were out… rescuing this lovely fellow?” Mikuri reached down and gently stroked Delcatty, causing the Pokemon to purr like a motor.
Daigo flushed deeper. “A-actually…” he began, wondering just how soon he would have to reveal the truth. One look into that piercing azure gaze told him it would do no good to lie. Daigo sighed. Surely Mikuri would forgive him. Sooner or later.
“The truth is… The truth is that… Well, it’s more like he rescued me.”
“Oh?”
Daigo walked over to the tree and deposited his gifts under it before continuing to recount the events of the day. Not long into his story, there came the sound of footsteps on the stairs.
“D-daddy? Daddy, is that… you?” The quiet voice of a little boy still half-asleep.
“Yukito? Yukito, yes, I’m home. Daddy’s home.” Daigo beckoned to his son from the foot of the stairs. Yukito looked as if he were just about to descend when suddenly a neon-colored blur sped down one of the banisters and shot straight into Daigo’s arms with a loud shout of “DADDY!”, nearly knocking the man backwards.
“Daddy! Daddydaddydaddydaddydaddy!” Nagisa had grabbed onto her father’s shoulders and was shaking him back and forth with all her hyperactive-five-year-old might. Daigo wondered if his daughter might be trying to throttle him senseless for not coming home sooner and turned to give Mikuri a look of long suffering, to which the latter displayed not the faintest flicker of sympathy.
In the meantime poor Yukito had been scared nearly catatonic by his little sister’s display of violence and shuddered slightly when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder until he realized it was his elder sister offering to lead him downstairs.
Mikuri having refused to come to the rescue, Daigo could only wait until Nagisa had gotten bored of shaking him before he could do anything else.
“Daddy!” The little girl’s voice rang out not unlike a drill sergeant’s.
“Yes, dear?”
“You didn’t come home last night.” The accusatory tone was unmistakable.
“Yes, daddy knows. He made some very bad mistakes yesterday and made you worry—”
“And we stayed up way past bedtime waiting for you! And you didn’t come home still! And big brother cried again even though you made him promise not to cry right before Christmas!”
Yukito hid behind Haruko to avoid his father’s glance.
“He said it didn’t matter anymore ‘cuz you weren’t coming home!” Nagisa was practically shrieking.
From behind his older sister, Yukito began to whimper. Daigo could hear his son’s distress and wanted very much to console the boy, but the little bundle of fury currently in his arms was not about to let him get away so easily.
“And I hit him for saying that!” Here Nagisa slammed a fist into her father’s chest as if to show how hard she had struck her brother, ignoring the fact that the blow hurt her a lot more than it did her target. “And he cried harder! He was such a crybaby!” She thumped her fists against her father’s arms with every exclamation. Normally Daigo would have attempted some sort of disciplinary action, but in this particular situation he felt as if he deserved every moment of the little girl’s rage. Part of him was hoping that if he withstood enough of this, he wouldn’t have to receive any further grief. It was easier to face his youngest daughter’s wrath than his son’s tears, let alone the wordless admonition from Haruko’s penetrating sapphire stare—something she had inherited from her mother, whose reaction was the one Daigo feared most of all.
Meanwhile mother and eldest daughter exchanged a glance which must have been some sort of signal, for as soon as Haruko looked away she turned to the boy cowering behind her and spoke quietly to him for a few minutes, then took his hand and led him down the stairs until they were within a few feet of the noisy scene. Haruko let go of her brother’s hand and Yukito continued to stand there, trembling and looking as if he were about to burst into tears at any moment. Then suddenly he ran over and clung to his father’s leg, sobbing, “I-I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry! I’m sorry daddy! I-I didn’t m-mean it when I said y-you weren’t c-coming home! I r-really… I’m really s-s-sorry!” Tears were now flowing freely down the boy’s face.
“See! See daddy, he’s being a crybaby again! Wuss! Crybaby! I… I-I’m gonna hit you again!” Nagisa glared down at her brother, and when his crying didn’t stop she attempted to squirm out of Daigo’s arms to make good on her threat. Daigo kept a tight hold on his daughter to prevent her from doing anything other than fixing her brother with a poisonous look. In fact, exhaustion had begun to take its toll, and in a few seconds all the fight had gone out of her. Unable to express her frustration physically, even the tough little tomboy at last gave way to tears.
Daigo sighed, glad that Nagisa was no longer a danger to anyone but at the same time not particularly happy with the knowledge that it was his fault two of his children were now clinging to him and bawling. He bent down to pick up Yukito and carried both children over to the pile of presents under the Christmas tree. He then sat down with one child on either side of his lap, and spoke softly to each of them.
“Yukito, it’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“B-but daddy… I-I broke… my promise to you…” Yukito whispered between sobs.
“Shh, it’s okay, it was daddy’s fault you couldn’t keep your promise.” Daigo gently dried the tears off his son’s face. “Daddy broke his promise too. He didn’t come home all Christmas Eve even though he said he would, and even the best boys and girls would cry if their daddies did something as bad as that. Daddy is very, very sorry. Please don’t cry anymore? There’s a good boy.” Daigo affectionately ruffled his son’s pale blue hair and Yukito finally managed his first smile since Daigo had left home the morning before. The boy rested his head against his father’s shoulder while Daigo turned to address his daughter, who was now glaring in silence with tears still trailing down her cheeks.
“Nagisa, my brave little girl. I know you tried hardest of all to believe that daddy would come home last night, but daddy did a stupid thing and he let you down. He’s very sorry for what he did, and he’ll never, ever do it again. If he ever does it again, you can beat him up.” Daigo winked at his daughter, who pouted, obviously still not satisfied. “But just this once… just this once, do you think you can forgive him? He brought home something nice for you.” Daigo reached over to wipe off Nagisa’s tears, but the girl batted away his hand.
“Show me,” she demanded after she had finished drying her own eyes. Daigo smiled and pulled a large box from the stack of gifts. “Merry Christmas.” He watched as his daughter’s expression brightened slightly. “Go ahead and open it.”
The girl needed no second bidding as she tugged off the ribbon and tore at the wrapping paper. The instant she laid eyes on the shiny silver rollerblades, every last trace of her previous scowl was replaced by pure joy.
“Daddy! Daddy daddy daddy! You’re the best! These are the coolest! And oh yeah, Merry Christmas daddy!” Nagisa gave her father one very tight hug before dashing off to try on her new skates.
“Yukito,” Daigo turned back to the remaining child. “Would you like to see what daddy brought home for you?” The boy nodded, settling more comfortably into his father’s lap. Daigo leaned over to pick out Yukito’s gift, catching Mikuri’s eye along the way. The latter’s expression was inscrutable, which made Daigo slightly nervous again, but he quickly composed himself and brought over his son’s gift. “Merry Christmas to my little boy.”
Yukito gently pulled off the ribbon and removed the wrapping paper as carefully as he could, afraid of ruining it. His mouth formed into a little “o” as the top of the plushie’s head peeked out from the colored paper, and he quickly reached in and pulled it out as if he were picking up a baby. The plushie looked unusually large next to the boy, who was small for his seven years.
“Oh daddy, it’s so soft,” Yukito cuddled against the stuffed toy Ralts. “Thank you so much daddy. Merry Christmas. I love you.” He turned and gave his father a kiss on the cheek. Daigo smiled and kissed his son on the top of his forehead. “I love you too. And hey, look at your little friend.” Yukito turned back to the plushie to discover that its cheeks had turned a faint pink.
“It’s blushing!” The boy giggled.
“Just like you,” Daigo teased, causing his son to giggle even harder.
Yukito stopped laughing after a while to ask, “Did you get anything for big sister and mommy?”
Daigo tried to keep the worry out of his face as he smiled and nodded. “Of course. Haruko, would you like to open the gift I brought you?” He forced himself to look in the direction where his eldest child stood. The girl did not move, but rather continued to stare at her father in much the same way Mikuri was staring at him, mother and daughter wearing identical enigmatic expressions.
“I… I suppose I do owe you an apology first… Both of you…” Daigo swallowed nervously. “I—”
“Father,” Haruko interrupted, which was a bit unusual for the normally very polite girl. “Before you apologize, mother and I would like to know exactly what happened.”
Behind her, still sitting with Delcatty in his lap, Mikuri nodded his agreement. “You were explaining the situation to me before the children arrived. I believe they deserve to hear everything as well.”
Daigo sighed and nodded acquiescence. “But it’s kind of a long story… Haruko, wouldn’t you at least like to open your gift right now so you don’t have to wait until I’m finished?”
Haruko turned to look at her mother. For all her intelligence and maturity, a part of Haruko was still like any other eight year old girl.
“Will that affect her perception of the story in any way?” Mikuri raised an eyebrow.
“N-no, I don’t think so… I mean, I’m not trying to bribe her sympathy, if that’s what you mean…”
“All right, then. Go ahead, Haruko.”
“Thank you mother, father.”
Haruko walked over and took the gift that Daigo held out to her as he quietly wished her a merry Christmas and she responded in kind. She slowly and methodically unwrapped the present in a manner even more neatly than Yukito could manage. She realized the item was a dress even in its folded state, and thanks to countless hours spent learning about clothing and fabric from her mother, she quickly identified the blue material as very high-quality silk. As she carefully unfolded the dress and held it out for examination, Daigo took his chance to examine her face for any sign of the childish elation that had been so obvious with Yukito and Nagisa. In fact, he didn’t need to look very hard to see that her blue eyes were sparkling with delight, and slowly but surely her mouth was forming into a very clear smile.
“Thank you very much, father.” Even her voice was losing its usual neutrality as a tone of excitement began to creep into it. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, mother?” Haruko sounded slightly breathless as she held the dress to herself and spun around, watching the pink sash wave about.
Mikuri smiled—Daigo was only too relieved to see this—and nodded. “Yes indeed, it is a wonderful dress. So wonderful, in fact, that I suspect your father had a little help in picking it out. And perhaps now he may inform us as to how exactly he came by that help?”
Daigo felt his momentary relief disappear. “Er, um, yes…”
“And I suspect that whoever helped him find that dress might also have helped him find those other gifts?”
Daigo winced. “Yes, actually, I did have a little—or rather a lot of help… Well… let me start from the beginning—Mikuri, darling, before that, wouldn’t you—”
“After your story. You’ve postponed it quite long enough.”
Daigo drooped his head in defeat just as Nagisa whizzed by on her skates to quip, “Ooh, daddy’s in trouble~” She wasn’t going very fast due to the fact that she tripped and fell every few seconds, which allowed Daigo to reach over and sit her down before she could get away.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, but your mother insists that everyone hear the story. Don’t you want to know what kept daddy out so late?”
“…I guess. Yeah.”
In the end, Daigo related the whole incident, from how he lost track of time to the jewelry store incident—which also explained the Delcatty—to how exactly he came by the gifts for the children. By the time he finished, he was too embarrassed to look up for his audience’s reaction, but there was still the matter of the pendant that had started the whole escapade. He hadn’t revealed a great deal about it during his story, simply referring to it as the gift he had planned to get for Mikuri. “… And now, if he isn’t too angry with me, maybe the intended recipient of the gift that kept me out all Christmas Eve would be willing to accept it?” Without looking up, Daigo reached into the slightly smaller pile of presents until he found the pendant box.
“Wow, that’s pretty lame,” Nagisa commented. “You were gone all day and night for that little thing?”
“It is sort of small compared to our gifts, daddy…” Yukito whispered.
“I think I know what it is…” Haruko murmured, mostly to herself.
Daigo pretended not to hear his kids as he knelt down before Mikuri with the proffered gift in his hands, still staring fixedly at the floor.
All three of the children found this behavior worth a few giggles.
“Heehee. Daddy looks like he’s scared that mommy will hit him.”
“Is he going to be okay? I hope mommy doesn’t hurt him…”
“Shh, you two—Oh, look!”
Mikuri had reached a hand out to touch the velvet box, which was not wrapped, only tied closed with a shiny lavender ribbon in a fancy bow. Daigo’s hands were trembling, and he nearly lost his grip on the box when he felt one of Mikuri’s fingers brush against his own. Then suddenly Daigo felt the box leave his hands, and he slowly raised his head—trying not to stare too long at the incredible view he had of Mikuri’s lower body—until he could see the graceful hands untying the ribbon with effortless skill. And then the box opened, and Daigo held his breath.
Mikuri said nothing for a while as he tried to figure out what sort of gem served as the centerpiece amidst all the gold. The large teardrop-shaped jewel looked too green to be a sapphire and too blue to be an emerald, though Mikuri had been around Daigo long enough to know that sapphires and emeralds could come in varying shades and hues. Then again, he had also been around Daigo long enough to know that sapphires and emeralds did not have that sort of sparkle, nor those edges. In fact, there was only one gemstone capable of such brilliance.
“A diamond.”
“Y-Yes, it’s a d-diamond.” Daigo had nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mikuri’s voice.
“But it’s bluey-green! Diamonds aren’t bluey-green!” Nagisa pointed this out like a one-girl peanut gallery.
“Indeed, most of them aren’t…” Mikuri looked at Daigo, already guessing how Daigo had come by such a rare find.
“Th-that’s true, they need to have just the right chemicals in them—I had to dig around for a long time to find that one. I wasn’t sure if I would even find anything like it… And then I found this one during an excavation last month and thought it would make a nice Christmas present if I could find a trustworthy jeweler to cut and set it…”
“So you were loitering outside a jewelry store all night?”
“…Yes.”
“You do know that you might have gotten arrested?”
“…Maybe.”
And that was when Mikuri finally let the barest hint of a smile cross his features. “As stubborn as always. You realize that nothing you could have gotten me or the children would have compensated for your absence Christmas day?”
Daigo nodded, still kneeling in front of Mikuri. His knees were starting to hurt, but he didn’t dare to rise.
“And clearly you haven’t learned anything; otherwise you wouldn’t still be kneeling there hurting yourself for no good reason.”
“… Er, what should I be doing, then?”
Mikuri held out the pendant. “You went through all that trouble to obtain this, but you appeared to have forgotten its purpose.”
“It-It’s for you to wear, isn’t it?”
“It is, if I am not mistaken, a gift from a husband to his wife. Such a gift usually serves as a catalyst for a romantic moment.”
Realization suddenly dawned on Daigo’s face. He attempted to stand up despite his protesting knees, but in the end found himself relying on the help of Mikuri’s slender yet surprisingly steady arms. Daigo did not let go when he had finally gotten to his feet, but instead pulled Mikuri up to stand facing him after Delcatty had discreetly leapt off to one side. Once Mikuri was standing, Daigo took the pendant from his hand, taking the chance to stroke his soft, delicate fingers.
By now all three children were aware that their parents were about to have “a moment”. Nagisa pulled a grimace, declared the whole scene “gross”, and promptly dashed away on her skates before things got too mushy. Yukito hid his face in his plushie, and Haruko stifled a giggle behind the dress she was still clutching.
The two adults were standing with their bodies almost touching and faces just inches apart. Daigo lifted the pendant and placed it around Mikuri’s neck, gently brushing back a few strands of the turquoise hair that Mikuri had let grow long, and noting with satisfaction the matching color of the diamond. He reached around to hook the ends of the clasp together, then let his hands linger to caress the smooth, creamy pale skin of his lover’s supple neck and elegantly curved shoulders.
“Merry Christmas,” Daigo whispered, bringing his face closer until his lips were but a hairbreadth away from Mikuri’s.
“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Mikuri responded before closing his eyes to meet Daigo in a kiss.
------
This fic was really rushed, so excuse the inconsistencies and don't try to understand the reasoning behind Steven and Wallace having kids and sorry if the use of Japanese honorifics annoys anyone.
Well, he thought to himself, it wasn’t entirely his fault. He had gone to the jeweler’s first thing that morning, only to be told that it would still be a few hours before the pendant was ready. So of course he had found something productive with which to while away the hours—except that he had become a bit too engrossed in it. Daigo reached into a pocket out of habit to check the time, only to discover that he had not brought his PokeNav with him.
Damn. This meant that Mikuri might have been trying to contact him all day with no success. Daigo knew that his spouse was a worrywart by nature, and doubtless their children were only adding to Mikuri’s anxiety with their own queries about when daddy was coming home. There was only one way to guess what time it was, and that was to leave this cave. He beckoned to his Pokemon to help him carry some of the stones they had dug up as they climbed out of the cavern.
The sinking feeling in his stomach began as soon as Daigo saw the dimming twilight of the sky around him. There was no question that it was past six in the evening, probably almost seven. He should have been home hours ago, helping Mikuri and the children set up the house for tomorrow. Skarmory crooned softly, sensing his trainer’s distress. Daigo turned to his Pokemon.
“Metagross, Aggron, thank you very much for your help. I’ve got to be my way now, so I’ll have to return you for the time being.” The two Pokemon nodded, returning to their Pokeballs along with the stones they were holding in place of more standard Pokemon items. Daigo then nodded to Skarmory, who calmly allowed his trainer to mount before spreading his wings and heading into the darkening skies in the direction of the jewelry store that had been established recently in Petalburg City.
Even before he saw the sign on the door, Daigo guessed by the unlit windows that he had come too late. And indeed, the store had closed earlier than normal because after all, this was Christmas Eve. Daigo mentally berated himself, thinking over and over again that this was the reason he had come out so early today. He had intended to pick up Mikuri’s pendant as well as gifts for the children, then return home, all before the sun set. The owner of the store had mentioned a delivery service that could send the jewelry when it was ready if Daigo would just leave his address, but Daigo hadn’t wanted to risk Mikuri or any of the children seeing it beforehand, and he had been confident that he would return in time to pick it up. So much for that. Now the store was closed, and it certainly wouldn’t be open tomorrow.
Daigo toyed for a while with the notion of going home, but in the end he couldn’t bring himself to go back empty-handed after having kept his family waiting for so long. And yet, he wondered, what good was it to keep them worried and waiting for longer when there was no way he could bring home anything at this hour? Perhaps some other stores were still open. Daigo wandered around town, passing by the empty Gym. He almost wished he hadn’t, because it only reminded him of the fact that even the Gym Leader—a father with a very serious and demanding job—had managed to return home in time to spend Christmas Eve with his family. Knowing Haruka and Yuuki, they probably had some big celebration planned with both their families together. And perhaps they had even called to ask if Daigo and his family would like to join them. Daigo cursed inwardly as he imagined Mikuri declining the offer, congenial tone belying the sadness in those blue eyes. The unhappy train of thought did not improve as Daigo saw “Closed” signs on door after door. Everyone seemed to have remembered the priority of being home on Christmas Eve—everyone except him. Frustrated, angry, and ashamed all at the same time, Daigo traveled aimlessly along the city streets, only to find upon looking up that he had wandered in a circle back to the door of the jewelry shop.
“Mommy… is daddy… is he coming home?” Little Yukito’s quiet voice trembled as he turned his large, pleading hazel-blue eyes towards Mikuri.
“Of course he’s coming home, stupid! ‘Else I’m gonna find him and kick his butt!” Nagisa declared in as ferocious a voice as a five year old girl could muster while she brandished a fist at her older brother, which caused Yukito to yelp and run for cover behind his mother.
“Haruko, I think the cookies have finished baking,” Mikuri addressed his other daughter, eldest of the three children and the only one who seemed to be unperturbed by her father’s prolonged absence.
“Yes mother,” Haruko answered promptly and politely, making her way to the kitchen with the stately air of a young lady. Mikuri allowed himself to sit for a moment in an effort to calm down. Yukito took this opportunity to crawl into his mother’s lap, all the while gazing nervously at Nagisa who was now kicking and punching at the air. Mikuri sighed and absently stroked his distraught son’s hair, trying not to think of how much the boy snuggling against him resembled the one member of the household who was still missing. Mikuri eyed the PokeNav lying on a nearby dresser and blamed himself for not remembering to tell Daigo to take it with him before he left.
Haruko walked back in, deftly balancing the tray of freshly-baked cookies that filled the air with the warm, sweet smell of vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. She carefully placed the tray on the table then sat down in a chair facing Mikuri.
“Thank you very much, dear,” Mikuri smiled at his daughter, who nodded dutifully in return. Haruko realized that her mother was watching her, probably to see if she betrayed any break in her composure. Mikuri smiled again, this time from a mix of pride and amusement at his unusually perceptive eldest child, aware that Haruko knew she was under scrutiny.
And they waited.
The sun had long set already, and Daigo was still loitering in front of the shop, as if expecting some miracle to occur and open the doors for him. He was glad the streets were completely empty and there was no one around to cast odd looks in his direction—though doubtless he deserved to be humiliated for the mess he had gotten himself in. Returning home seemed an increasingly inviting idea as the night wore on, but as soon as he pictured himself telling his family of how his selfish and irresponsible actions had ruined this year’s Christmas for them—Yukito with tears running silently down his cheeks as if it were all his fault, Nagisa clenching her fists as her face contorted in childish rage, and Haruko and Mikuri wearing identical icy expressions of disappointment and hurt—the very thought of it killed any inclination to return. But what good would it do to stay out here? What was he waiting for? He tightened his hand around Skarmory’s Pokeball, finger tapping on the switch. Not knowing what else to do, he began holding a one-sided conversation with the Pokemon inside.
“Well old friend, what I should do? I can’t go home like this, but I can’t force my family to spend Christmas without me…”
From inside his Pokeball, Skarmory could hear his trainer’s miserable voice. He knew Daigo didn’t expect a reply, and at any rate he wouldn’t have known what to say. His trainer’s dilemma was a decidedly human problem, which put it out of Skarmory’s realm of knowledge.
Daigo smiled apologetically at the Pokeball in his hand, but the smile was twisted at the corners into a bitter smirk of self-scorn. He knew why he couldn’t return home: It wasn’t any wild hope of a miracle to save his family’s Christmas at the last minute; it was just his stupid, stupid pride that couldn’t stand to admit failure and receive the scolding he deserved. Even now that pride was overcoming the conscience telling him to do the right thing and go home, and he placed the ball back on his belt. Complete in his state of abject shame, Daigo slumped back against the store’s quaint brick walls and allowed himself to slide down to a sitting position on the ground, scraping debris all over the back of his suit.
He had been sitting in that position for almost twenty minutes without so much as a twitch or a sound when a sudden noise from the roof caused him to turn look up, but he could see nothing there. Little did he know that as soon as he turned back, a sharp pair of black eyes resumed their observation of him from atop the roof of the jewelry store. The owner of this particular pair of eyes also possessed a very keen pair of ears as well, and had overheard everything. The Delcatty purred lightly to himself with a contented feline smile. He had taken a liking to this human who reminded him of a trainer he used to spend his Christmases with, and it wouldn’t do to leave such a nice—if rather silly—human in such a predicament. He swished the tip of his tail back and forth as he planned his course of action, noticing that the human below him had dozed off in the meantime. Daigo was still fast asleep when the Delcatty left to pay someone a late-night visit.
The jewelry shop owner’s Mightyena yawned and opened one eye to sleepily regard the familiar four-legged figure standing before him. What did that cat want this time? Just because they were friends didn’t mean it was very nice to wake him up from a pleasant snooze, especially on Christmas Eve. Delcatty purred amiably before stating his request very clearly: he needed to open the shop for a little while.
Mightyena rolled his eyes. Surely Delcatty knew that this request would be rejected given the hour and the day. But the feline Pokemon insisted, saying there was a human who had been waiting outside the shop since seven that evening and was still there at this time. Mightyena growled that Delcatty should have stayed there to keep an eye on the human who was probably a thief, but Delcatty assured the other Pokemon that if he had been a thief he would have broken in much earlier. This did not do much to assuage Mightyena’s fears, and in the end it was out of concern for the shop that he grabbed a key and followed Delcatty.
Back at the shop, Daigo was indeed still dozing in a rather uncomfortable position outside the entrance. Mightyena was a bit surprised to see that Delcatty had been telling the truth, but nevertheless he wasn’t about to open the door for any stranger, even if this particular stranger did have the aura of a strong and trustworthy trainer about him. Delcatty sauntered over and swiped his tail across Daigo’s nose, causing the man to wake with a sneeze.
“What in the…” Daigo rubbed at his eyes and blinked until he finally made out the dim image of the cat Pokemon eyeing him in an amused manner. It took him a moment to realize the Pokemon was talking. Not being particularly well-versed in the speech of unfamiliar Pokemon, Daigo decided to let his own Pokemon do the talking. A few minutes of conversation cleared up the situation, and Mightyena stepped forward to inform them that he would go fetch the pendant himself, provided he could get a good idea of what it looked like. Metagross quickly imparted a mental image of the pendant as Daigo had pictured it when he had placed the order, then all of them moved back to allow Mightyena to enter the shop without worrying that any of them had followed him.
Ten minutes later, the dark canine Pokemon reappeared with the pendant in its box along with the receipt verifying the order and payment. Daigo confirmed that the pendant was the correct one and thanked the Mightyena, to which the Pokemon nodded before adding that Daigo was lucky that Delcatty had seen him and decided it was worth the trouble to help, and that next time he ought to use the delivery service. Upon receiving the translation for this, Daigo nodded with a slightly abashed grin and thanked the Delcatty as well before it dawned on him that it must be past midnight by now. Mightyena had already double-checked and locked the shop and was heading home.
Home. Daigo didn’t think twice this time before hopping atop Metagross, pendant securely in his grasp. The only thing marring his relief was the realization that he had not managed to get anything for his children, and he could only hope that the rare stones he had found would suffice until he could get them more thoughtful gifts the day after Christmas. The important thing now was to get home and apologize to his family, and Daigo told Metagross to head at top speed due east for Mossdeep. He expected Metagross to move, but instead the great steel Pokemon asked him if he would allow a hitchhiker. Daigo looked around to find the Delcatty perched atop one of Metagross’s legs. Did he want to tag along? Daigo was almost about to say yes, because after all the Delcatty had saved him from complete disaster, but then he remembered that the trip to Mossdeep would be long and cold, and much closer by were a few trainers who would most certainly be able to take better care of such a deserving Pokemon. Delcatty said nothing and merely hopped aboard as Daigo had Metagross make a small detour south to Littleroot.
As Littleroot came into sight, the first thing Daigo noticed was that the Odamaki Laboratory’s exterior had taken on a very festive look, complete with multicolored lights, various window decorations, and artificial snow Pokemon placed around the entrance. What struck him as odder than that, however, was the fact that the windows in the lab were still lit at this hour, and as Metagross carried him closer he could hear sound coming from within. It sounded like rather excited shouting, and the voices were familiar.
“Yuuki! That doesn’t go there, it goes over here! No, no, you can’t hang it like that! It won’t give off the proper effect that way!”
“Good grief, if I’m doing everything wrong why don’t you just do it all yourself?”
“Because we have to get this done so we can catch some sleep before tomorrow morning!”
“You just want an excuse to boss me around!”
“Umm… Haruka-san, Yuuki-san… I think maybe we should be just a little quieter… it is the middle of the night and if we accidentally wake anyone—”
Knock. Knock.
“Oh dear…”
“Dammit, now we’re gonna be busted because you had to make us stay in here and put up all this crap!”
“What are you, still ten years old? In case you forgot, we’re twenty—well, Mitsuru’s still nineteen—now, meaning we’re adults and nobody can get on our case about staying up too late.”
“Then who’s at the door?” Mitsuru asked the question that was on everybody’s mind. Yuuki shrugged and wandered over to take a look at the figure standing outside.
“Holy crap it’s Daigo-san!” Yuuki was so stunned he forgot to open the door.
“Yuuki, you need to learn to watch your—Omigod no way! You’re-you’re kidding!” Haruka dashed over and yanked open the door, nearly flattening Mitsuru in the process. It was no joke. There was Daigo standing in the doorway holding what looked like a pendant box, with a Delcatty at his feet.
“I… I’m sorry to bother you all right now—you looked like you were in the middle of something, but this Delcatty, I mean—”
“Daigo-san! Where have you been all day? You know we called your house this afternoon to ask if you and Mikuri-san wanted to bring your kids to our Christmas party tomorrow, but then Mikuri-san answered the phone and said that you weren’t home so he couldn’t make a decision at that time and then he asked us if we’d seen you because you’d been gone since early that morning and he sounded awful worried and he just called us again at like ten o’ clock saying you still weren’t home and—”
“Aaaanyways,” Yuuki cut in to prevent Haruka from making everyone’s ears bleed, and also partly out of pity when he noticed Daigo’s face pale visibly at Haruka’s mention of the phone calls. “Shouldn’t you hurry up and go home instead of hanging out here? ‘Cuz it’s kinda way past midnight. Even Mikuri-san is probably freaking out by now.”
Daigo nodded with an awkward expression on his face. “Well, actually, I was going to go home, but then this guy—” Daigo indicated the Delcatty, who meowed affably in greeting, “—wanted to tag along, and I realized that it would probably be a lot better for him to stay with you guys than go home with me. It’s a pretty uncomfortable trip to Mossdeep, and I don’t think he’ll enjoy all the yelling that I’ll have to endure when I get back,” Daigo ended on a dejected tone as he glanced down at the elegant feline Pokemon who purred softly and rubbed against his ankles. Even shy Mitsuru finally hazarded to speak a few words of comfort to the unhappy man standing in the doorway.
“Umm… D-Daigo-san, I… I think that… your family will be very happy that you came back safely.”
“That’s right! Especially when they see the presents you got them!” Haruka chirped. “Lemme guess, that—” she pointed excitedly to the box Daigo was holding “—is for Mikuri-san, isn’t it? Can I see what you got him? I’ll bet it’s beautiful.”
Daigo smiled a little and opened the box to display the pendant. Haruka’s eyes grew wide and she drew in a sharp breath. “Omigodomigod THAT IS SOOO GORGEOUS!” The young woman practically squealed. Yuuki rolled his eyes and exchanged looks with Mitsuru, who laughed nervously and gave a little shrug.
“I wish someone would buy something like that for me, but noooo, these two would never think of something like that—”
“Because, y’know, we don’t exactly have connections to a multimillion-dollar company,” Yuuki muttered under his breath, throwing Haruka a glare.
“Yuuki! That is so rude!”
“Yeah well you started it.”
“You’re so immature!”
“So are you!”
And the bickering would have continued had Mitsuru not mustered his courage to ask in his loudest voice—which wasn’t far above a whisper—if it was all right for Daigo to show them what he had gotten for his children.
Daigo’s expression, which had lightened slightly from the antics of the two arguing trainers, instantly grew miserable again at this casual comment, causing Mitsuru to wince and wonder if he had done something wrong.
Yuuki and Haruka stopped sniping at each other long enough to notice the awkward silence.
“Daigo-san, Mitsuru, is something wrong?”
The green-haired youth seemed to shrink as he shook his head helplessly—he honestly didn’t know what he had done to offend Daigo. Daigo finally noticed that Mitsuru was misunderstanding his expression and decided it was time to admit his other failure of the day.
“Actually… you see… I… all the stores were closed by the time I got to them… and I… I didn’t manage to get my kids anything,” Daigo confessed brokenly, his expression having gone from miserable to utterly despairing.
Mitsuru coughed, and Yuuki shrugged and scuffed his shoe on the floor. Then suddenly there was the sound of a slap. Both young men looked up, thinking that Haruka has just done something unpleasant. To their surprise, Daigo was still standing perfectly unharmed but with a slightly puzzled expression.
As it turned out, Haruka had slapped her own forehead upon recalling something. “Of course! Duh, how could I almost forget! And you too, Yuuki, you didn’t even remind me! Or you, Mitsuru! One of us should have remembered!”
“Wha—”
But Haruka was already digging through a mountain of objects which upon closer inspection turned out to be a large stash of Christmas presents. “Here’s one! And… there’s one more! Now where’s the last one… found it!” Like a warrior dragging back the spoils of victory, Haruka marched away from the pile with a satisfied grin. She had something draped across one arm and was clutching two other items. “Hey you two, a little help wouldn’t hurt!” she shouted across the room.
It was then that Yuuki and Mitsuru realized what she was holding. They rushed over, and each took one of the items Haruka was carrying, leaving her the draped object.
“What… what are—”
“These,” Haruka chirped, “are the presents we bought for your kids! That’s right, I made Yuuki and Mitsuru go shopping with me to get something for those little darlings. It’s been a while since we’ve seen them and I wanted each of them to have something special to know that we’re still thinking of them.”
Daigo looked over at Yuuki and Mitsuru, who nodded in agreement.
“This is what I picked out for Haruko-chan—because after all, she is my namesake, so she deserves something lovely.” Haruka held out the dress she had been carrying. It was made of fine sky blue silk, with a pink sash and fluffy cream-colored trimming all around the edges. “Pretty, isn’t it? The trimming is made from real Mareep wool imported from Johto. The wool stays amazingly clean and soft even if you don’t wash it much, and it draws any static that builds up and releases it safely into the air, making the whole outfit static-proof!”
For the first time since he managed to get the pendant that night, Daigo smiled. Haruko would love that dress.
Not wanting to be outdone, Yuuki showed off his gift next. “And uh, since Yukito is named after me and all, I uh, got him these.” He held up a pair of gleaming silver rollerblades. “I always wanted them when I was little, but then my parents got me other cool stuff and I kinda forgot about these until I saw an ad for the newest models. They’re super-fast ‘cuz the frame is made from shed Skarmory feathers so it’s extra-lightweight but still super-strong. And it’s really flexible so it’ll fit him even when he grows. That’ll give him time to practice and get good enough for some of the really hardcore tricks you can pull in these.”
Daigo attempted to picture his timid son racing around in a pair of high-speed rollerblades. It was a bit like trying to picture a Ralts using Take Down. On the other hand, a certain other one of his children would kill to have such cutting-edge athletic gear. “Er… Yuuki-kun, would you mind if I gave those to Nagisa instead? Yukito… well, I’m sure you remember from the last time you saw him, how he was shy and frail and not very adept at physical activity… I’m afraid he hasn’t changed much…”
Yuuki raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Mitsuru. “Hey, this guy was wussy too until he got around to training Pokemon, but now he can almost beat me at the mile—almost.” Yuuki finished with a playful punch to Mitsuru’s arm. The latter flushed at suddenly becoming the center of unwanted attention.
“…Nagisa, on the other hand…” Daigo continued in an attempt to keep Mitsuru from further embarrassment. “Yuuki-kun, you’ll recall she was only four at the time and yet she tried to wrestle you to the ground every chance she got.”
Yuuki smiled and nodded at the memory of the tough, hyperactive little tomboy. “Hey, sure, as long as one of them likes these skates. I guess Yukito can wait until he becomes a Pokemon trainer to toughen up,” he added with a look in Mitsuru’s direction. Mitsuru coughed awkwardly, then realized that Yuuki was indicating it was his turn to talk.
“Oh, um, well… Daigo-san, I don’t know your family as well as Yuuki-san and Haruka-san do, but I-I felt it was… right to get something for your third child, since Haruka-san and Yuuki-san had already gotten something for the other two… and um… just going by the description of Yukito-kun that you gave, I-I guess he might… might like this?” Mitsuru held out what appeared to be a very well-crafted Ralts plushie, slightly larger than the real Pokemon. “It’s actually something they give kids at some of the children’s hospitals I stayed in when I was little—I-I mean, this one’s brand-new though—i-it’s not secondhand or anything…”
Daigo smiled and nodded, and Mitsuru managed to continue. “The toy, it’s temperature-sensitive so when it gets warm enough its cheeks will turn pink. I heard it’s especially good for, um, kids who get easily scared. It makes them feel like… like they’re hugging a real, live buddy.”
“Thank you very much, Mitsuru-kun. The gift sounds perfect for my little boy, and I’m sure Yukito will love his new friend.” The warm sincerity in Daigo’s voice seemed finally to put Mitsuru at ease.
“Well then let’s hurry up and get these gifts wrapped so Daigo-san can go home and let his family stop worrying!” Haruka had just run back over with rolls of shiny wrapping paper and ribbons.
“Smartest thing you’ve said all night,” Yuuki mumbled, causing Haruka to shoot him a look, though she was in too good of a mood to pick another fight with him. Mitsuru and Daigo just laughed, and Delcatty purred.
The gifts were wrapped in minutes, and Daigo was just about to leave after a few more thank-yous and goodbyes, when suddenly a plaintive meow caused him to look down. Delcatty was standing in the doorway, his expression indicating clearly that he wanted to go too.
“Umm… well… I guess you better take him then,” Yuuki shrugged. “I don’t think he wants to stay here.”
“Go on, Daigo-san, I can’t stand to see that adorable kitty looking so sad!” Haruka added.
Mitsuru nodded his agreement.
Daigo looked at the purring cat Pokemon and sighed. “All right, you win. Let’s go home.”
“Goodbye Daigo-san! Goodbye Delcatty! And tell your family Merry Christmas from all of us!” The three young adults waved at him from the doorway of the laboratory, illuminated by the bright lights.
Daigo turned and waved goodbye back as Metagross carried him, the gifts, and Delcatty east towards Mossdeep.
The horizon was just beginning to pale with sunrise when Metagross landed in front of the Tsuwabuki family residence, an elegant but unassuming two-story house where Daigo’s small villa had once stood. Both Daigo and Delcatty had dozed off during the long ride, and Metagross made sure to land just hard enough to wake them without causing them too much discomfort.
“Unnnh… Wha… Oh, we’re home. Thank you for you help, Metagross.” Daigo smiled at the great steel Pokemon who creaked its version of a “you’re welcome” before returning to its Pokeball.
Daigo couldn’t help but feel nervous as he stepped up to the door and fumbled for his keys. Delcatty meowed and rubbed himself against Daigo’s leg in reassurance. Finally, after taking a deep breath, Daigo slid in the key and listened, holding his breath, as the lock clicked open.
The door opened soundlessly as Daigo peered inside, chest tight with apprehension. He could see the living room, with the magnificently-decorated Christmas tree in all its splendor. A small pile of presents lay beneath the tree, no doubt having waited there all night for his share of the gifts to join them. No one appeared to be astir, at least not at the moment. He finally walked inside, Delcatty following silently. He turned around for just a moment to close the door, and that’s when he thought he heard the sound of movement. Daigo peered back over his shoulder without seeing anyone, but he noticed that Delcatty, who had been by his side all this time, seemed to have wandered off somewhere. A contented meow revealed the location of the Pokemon: Delcatty appeared to have settled himself onto a soft pillow on a nearby chair.
And then the “pillow” moved, and Daigo realized that Delcatty was curled up on someone’s lap. In particular, Delcatty had chosen the nightgown-covered lap of a slender man propped up on one elbow with a shawl draped over his shoulders and his face obscured by a curtain of sea-colored hair. Said man stirred at the sudden warm weight resting upon his legs, and in a few moments he had looked up and was gazing with exhaustion in his deep blue eyes at a very embarrassed Daigo.
“So…” came the soft voice. “You decided to come home after all.” An elegant hand rose to cover a yawn behind long, graceful fingers.
Daigo nodded, cheeks burning with shame—partly at being caught unawares without a chance to explain himself, and partly because he realized his first thought after keeping Mikuri waiting up for him all night should not be how incredibly attractive the man looked with that sleepy expression and thin nightgown emphasizing every perfect curve of his unusually feminine body.
“I suppose you must have a good reason for it… Perhaps you were out… rescuing this lovely fellow?” Mikuri reached down and gently stroked Delcatty, causing the Pokemon to purr like a motor.
Daigo flushed deeper. “A-actually…” he began, wondering just how soon he would have to reveal the truth. One look into that piercing azure gaze told him it would do no good to lie. Daigo sighed. Surely Mikuri would forgive him. Sooner or later.
“The truth is… The truth is that… Well, it’s more like he rescued me.”
“Oh?”
Daigo walked over to the tree and deposited his gifts under it before continuing to recount the events of the day. Not long into his story, there came the sound of footsteps on the stairs.
“D-daddy? Daddy, is that… you?” The quiet voice of a little boy still half-asleep.
“Yukito? Yukito, yes, I’m home. Daddy’s home.” Daigo beckoned to his son from the foot of the stairs. Yukito looked as if he were just about to descend when suddenly a neon-colored blur sped down one of the banisters and shot straight into Daigo’s arms with a loud shout of “DADDY!”, nearly knocking the man backwards.
“Daddy! Daddydaddydaddydaddydaddy!” Nagisa had grabbed onto her father’s shoulders and was shaking him back and forth with all her hyperactive-five-year-old might. Daigo wondered if his daughter might be trying to throttle him senseless for not coming home sooner and turned to give Mikuri a look of long suffering, to which the latter displayed not the faintest flicker of sympathy.
In the meantime poor Yukito had been scared nearly catatonic by his little sister’s display of violence and shuddered slightly when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder until he realized it was his elder sister offering to lead him downstairs.
Mikuri having refused to come to the rescue, Daigo could only wait until Nagisa had gotten bored of shaking him before he could do anything else.
“Daddy!” The little girl’s voice rang out not unlike a drill sergeant’s.
“Yes, dear?”
“You didn’t come home last night.” The accusatory tone was unmistakable.
“Yes, daddy knows. He made some very bad mistakes yesterday and made you worry—”
“And we stayed up way past bedtime waiting for you! And you didn’t come home still! And big brother cried again even though you made him promise not to cry right before Christmas!”
Yukito hid behind Haruko to avoid his father’s glance.
“He said it didn’t matter anymore ‘cuz you weren’t coming home!” Nagisa was practically shrieking.
From behind his older sister, Yukito began to whimper. Daigo could hear his son’s distress and wanted very much to console the boy, but the little bundle of fury currently in his arms was not about to let him get away so easily.
“And I hit him for saying that!” Here Nagisa slammed a fist into her father’s chest as if to show how hard she had struck her brother, ignoring the fact that the blow hurt her a lot more than it did her target. “And he cried harder! He was such a crybaby!” She thumped her fists against her father’s arms with every exclamation. Normally Daigo would have attempted some sort of disciplinary action, but in this particular situation he felt as if he deserved every moment of the little girl’s rage. Part of him was hoping that if he withstood enough of this, he wouldn’t have to receive any further grief. It was easier to face his youngest daughter’s wrath than his son’s tears, let alone the wordless admonition from Haruko’s penetrating sapphire stare—something she had inherited from her mother, whose reaction was the one Daigo feared most of all.
Meanwhile mother and eldest daughter exchanged a glance which must have been some sort of signal, for as soon as Haruko looked away she turned to the boy cowering behind her and spoke quietly to him for a few minutes, then took his hand and led him down the stairs until they were within a few feet of the noisy scene. Haruko let go of her brother’s hand and Yukito continued to stand there, trembling and looking as if he were about to burst into tears at any moment. Then suddenly he ran over and clung to his father’s leg, sobbing, “I-I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry! I’m sorry daddy! I-I didn’t m-mean it when I said y-you weren’t c-coming home! I r-really… I’m really s-s-sorry!” Tears were now flowing freely down the boy’s face.
“See! See daddy, he’s being a crybaby again! Wuss! Crybaby! I… I-I’m gonna hit you again!” Nagisa glared down at her brother, and when his crying didn’t stop she attempted to squirm out of Daigo’s arms to make good on her threat. Daigo kept a tight hold on his daughter to prevent her from doing anything other than fixing her brother with a poisonous look. In fact, exhaustion had begun to take its toll, and in a few seconds all the fight had gone out of her. Unable to express her frustration physically, even the tough little tomboy at last gave way to tears.
Daigo sighed, glad that Nagisa was no longer a danger to anyone but at the same time not particularly happy with the knowledge that it was his fault two of his children were now clinging to him and bawling. He bent down to pick up Yukito and carried both children over to the pile of presents under the Christmas tree. He then sat down with one child on either side of his lap, and spoke softly to each of them.
“Yukito, it’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“B-but daddy… I-I broke… my promise to you…” Yukito whispered between sobs.
“Shh, it’s okay, it was daddy’s fault you couldn’t keep your promise.” Daigo gently dried the tears off his son’s face. “Daddy broke his promise too. He didn’t come home all Christmas Eve even though he said he would, and even the best boys and girls would cry if their daddies did something as bad as that. Daddy is very, very sorry. Please don’t cry anymore? There’s a good boy.” Daigo affectionately ruffled his son’s pale blue hair and Yukito finally managed his first smile since Daigo had left home the morning before. The boy rested his head against his father’s shoulder while Daigo turned to address his daughter, who was now glaring in silence with tears still trailing down her cheeks.
“Nagisa, my brave little girl. I know you tried hardest of all to believe that daddy would come home last night, but daddy did a stupid thing and he let you down. He’s very sorry for what he did, and he’ll never, ever do it again. If he ever does it again, you can beat him up.” Daigo winked at his daughter, who pouted, obviously still not satisfied. “But just this once… just this once, do you think you can forgive him? He brought home something nice for you.” Daigo reached over to wipe off Nagisa’s tears, but the girl batted away his hand.
“Show me,” she demanded after she had finished drying her own eyes. Daigo smiled and pulled a large box from the stack of gifts. “Merry Christmas.” He watched as his daughter’s expression brightened slightly. “Go ahead and open it.”
The girl needed no second bidding as she tugged off the ribbon and tore at the wrapping paper. The instant she laid eyes on the shiny silver rollerblades, every last trace of her previous scowl was replaced by pure joy.
“Daddy! Daddy daddy daddy! You’re the best! These are the coolest! And oh yeah, Merry Christmas daddy!” Nagisa gave her father one very tight hug before dashing off to try on her new skates.
“Yukito,” Daigo turned back to the remaining child. “Would you like to see what daddy brought home for you?” The boy nodded, settling more comfortably into his father’s lap. Daigo leaned over to pick out Yukito’s gift, catching Mikuri’s eye along the way. The latter’s expression was inscrutable, which made Daigo slightly nervous again, but he quickly composed himself and brought over his son’s gift. “Merry Christmas to my little boy.”
Yukito gently pulled off the ribbon and removed the wrapping paper as carefully as he could, afraid of ruining it. His mouth formed into a little “o” as the top of the plushie’s head peeked out from the colored paper, and he quickly reached in and pulled it out as if he were picking up a baby. The plushie looked unusually large next to the boy, who was small for his seven years.
“Oh daddy, it’s so soft,” Yukito cuddled against the stuffed toy Ralts. “Thank you so much daddy. Merry Christmas. I love you.” He turned and gave his father a kiss on the cheek. Daigo smiled and kissed his son on the top of his forehead. “I love you too. And hey, look at your little friend.” Yukito turned back to the plushie to discover that its cheeks had turned a faint pink.
“It’s blushing!” The boy giggled.
“Just like you,” Daigo teased, causing his son to giggle even harder.
Yukito stopped laughing after a while to ask, “Did you get anything for big sister and mommy?”
Daigo tried to keep the worry out of his face as he smiled and nodded. “Of course. Haruko, would you like to open the gift I brought you?” He forced himself to look in the direction where his eldest child stood. The girl did not move, but rather continued to stare at her father in much the same way Mikuri was staring at him, mother and daughter wearing identical enigmatic expressions.
“I… I suppose I do owe you an apology first… Both of you…” Daigo swallowed nervously. “I—”
“Father,” Haruko interrupted, which was a bit unusual for the normally very polite girl. “Before you apologize, mother and I would like to know exactly what happened.”
Behind her, still sitting with Delcatty in his lap, Mikuri nodded his agreement. “You were explaining the situation to me before the children arrived. I believe they deserve to hear everything as well.”
Daigo sighed and nodded acquiescence. “But it’s kind of a long story… Haruko, wouldn’t you at least like to open your gift right now so you don’t have to wait until I’m finished?”
Haruko turned to look at her mother. For all her intelligence and maturity, a part of Haruko was still like any other eight year old girl.
“Will that affect her perception of the story in any way?” Mikuri raised an eyebrow.
“N-no, I don’t think so… I mean, I’m not trying to bribe her sympathy, if that’s what you mean…”
“All right, then. Go ahead, Haruko.”
“Thank you mother, father.”
Haruko walked over and took the gift that Daigo held out to her as he quietly wished her a merry Christmas and she responded in kind. She slowly and methodically unwrapped the present in a manner even more neatly than Yukito could manage. She realized the item was a dress even in its folded state, and thanks to countless hours spent learning about clothing and fabric from her mother, she quickly identified the blue material as very high-quality silk. As she carefully unfolded the dress and held it out for examination, Daigo took his chance to examine her face for any sign of the childish elation that had been so obvious with Yukito and Nagisa. In fact, he didn’t need to look very hard to see that her blue eyes were sparkling with delight, and slowly but surely her mouth was forming into a very clear smile.
“Thank you very much, father.” Even her voice was losing its usual neutrality as a tone of excitement began to creep into it. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, mother?” Haruko sounded slightly breathless as she held the dress to herself and spun around, watching the pink sash wave about.
Mikuri smiled—Daigo was only too relieved to see this—and nodded. “Yes indeed, it is a wonderful dress. So wonderful, in fact, that I suspect your father had a little help in picking it out. And perhaps now he may inform us as to how exactly he came by that help?”
Daigo felt his momentary relief disappear. “Er, um, yes…”
“And I suspect that whoever helped him find that dress might also have helped him find those other gifts?”
Daigo winced. “Yes, actually, I did have a little—or rather a lot of help… Well… let me start from the beginning—Mikuri, darling, before that, wouldn’t you—”
“After your story. You’ve postponed it quite long enough.”
Daigo drooped his head in defeat just as Nagisa whizzed by on her skates to quip, “Ooh, daddy’s in trouble~” She wasn’t going very fast due to the fact that she tripped and fell every few seconds, which allowed Daigo to reach over and sit her down before she could get away.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, but your mother insists that everyone hear the story. Don’t you want to know what kept daddy out so late?”
“…I guess. Yeah.”
In the end, Daigo related the whole incident, from how he lost track of time to the jewelry store incident—which also explained the Delcatty—to how exactly he came by the gifts for the children. By the time he finished, he was too embarrassed to look up for his audience’s reaction, but there was still the matter of the pendant that had started the whole escapade. He hadn’t revealed a great deal about it during his story, simply referring to it as the gift he had planned to get for Mikuri. “… And now, if he isn’t too angry with me, maybe the intended recipient of the gift that kept me out all Christmas Eve would be willing to accept it?” Without looking up, Daigo reached into the slightly smaller pile of presents until he found the pendant box.
“Wow, that’s pretty lame,” Nagisa commented. “You were gone all day and night for that little thing?”
“It is sort of small compared to our gifts, daddy…” Yukito whispered.
“I think I know what it is…” Haruko murmured, mostly to herself.
Daigo pretended not to hear his kids as he knelt down before Mikuri with the proffered gift in his hands, still staring fixedly at the floor.
All three of the children found this behavior worth a few giggles.
“Heehee. Daddy looks like he’s scared that mommy will hit him.”
“Is he going to be okay? I hope mommy doesn’t hurt him…”
“Shh, you two—Oh, look!”
Mikuri had reached a hand out to touch the velvet box, which was not wrapped, only tied closed with a shiny lavender ribbon in a fancy bow. Daigo’s hands were trembling, and he nearly lost his grip on the box when he felt one of Mikuri’s fingers brush against his own. Then suddenly Daigo felt the box leave his hands, and he slowly raised his head—trying not to stare too long at the incredible view he had of Mikuri’s lower body—until he could see the graceful hands untying the ribbon with effortless skill. And then the box opened, and Daigo held his breath.
Mikuri said nothing for a while as he tried to figure out what sort of gem served as the centerpiece amidst all the gold. The large teardrop-shaped jewel looked too green to be a sapphire and too blue to be an emerald, though Mikuri had been around Daigo long enough to know that sapphires and emeralds could come in varying shades and hues. Then again, he had also been around Daigo long enough to know that sapphires and emeralds did not have that sort of sparkle, nor those edges. In fact, there was only one gemstone capable of such brilliance.
“A diamond.”
“Y-Yes, it’s a d-diamond.” Daigo had nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mikuri’s voice.
“But it’s bluey-green! Diamonds aren’t bluey-green!” Nagisa pointed this out like a one-girl peanut gallery.
“Indeed, most of them aren’t…” Mikuri looked at Daigo, already guessing how Daigo had come by such a rare find.
“Th-that’s true, they need to have just the right chemicals in them—I had to dig around for a long time to find that one. I wasn’t sure if I would even find anything like it… And then I found this one during an excavation last month and thought it would make a nice Christmas present if I could find a trustworthy jeweler to cut and set it…”
“So you were loitering outside a jewelry store all night?”
“…Yes.”
“You do know that you might have gotten arrested?”
“…Maybe.”
And that was when Mikuri finally let the barest hint of a smile cross his features. “As stubborn as always. You realize that nothing you could have gotten me or the children would have compensated for your absence Christmas day?”
Daigo nodded, still kneeling in front of Mikuri. His knees were starting to hurt, but he didn’t dare to rise.
“And clearly you haven’t learned anything; otherwise you wouldn’t still be kneeling there hurting yourself for no good reason.”
“… Er, what should I be doing, then?”
Mikuri held out the pendant. “You went through all that trouble to obtain this, but you appeared to have forgotten its purpose.”
“It-It’s for you to wear, isn’t it?”
“It is, if I am not mistaken, a gift from a husband to his wife. Such a gift usually serves as a catalyst for a romantic moment.”
Realization suddenly dawned on Daigo’s face. He attempted to stand up despite his protesting knees, but in the end found himself relying on the help of Mikuri’s slender yet surprisingly steady arms. Daigo did not let go when he had finally gotten to his feet, but instead pulled Mikuri up to stand facing him after Delcatty had discreetly leapt off to one side. Once Mikuri was standing, Daigo took the pendant from his hand, taking the chance to stroke his soft, delicate fingers.
By now all three children were aware that their parents were about to have “a moment”. Nagisa pulled a grimace, declared the whole scene “gross”, and promptly dashed away on her skates before things got too mushy. Yukito hid his face in his plushie, and Haruko stifled a giggle behind the dress she was still clutching.
The two adults were standing with their bodies almost touching and faces just inches apart. Daigo lifted the pendant and placed it around Mikuri’s neck, gently brushing back a few strands of the turquoise hair that Mikuri had let grow long, and noting with satisfaction the matching color of the diamond. He reached around to hook the ends of the clasp together, then let his hands linger to caress the smooth, creamy pale skin of his lover’s supple neck and elegantly curved shoulders.
“Merry Christmas,” Daigo whispered, bringing his face closer until his lips were but a hairbreadth away from Mikuri’s.
“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Mikuri responded before closing his eyes to meet Daigo in a kiss.
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This fic was really rushed, so excuse the inconsistencies and don't try to understand the reasoning behind Steven and Wallace having kids and sorry if the use of Japanese honorifics annoys anyone.
