Spreading cheer

by 16440322

Summary:

Nine holiday-themed domestic Kaito/Meiko ficlets for the month of December. Prompts are as follows:

1. Caring for them when sick
2. Day at the market
3. Playing with their hair
4. Just can't sleep
5. Saying 'I love you' without saying it
6. Stopping them from overworking
7. Holidays
8. Singing together
9. Good night kisses

Notes:

If you're interested, the prompts are from comp-lady's Domestic December prompt collection and can be found here.

Chapter 1: Caring for them when sick

The lump of blankets on the bed sniffed pitifully.

That lump of blankets was, in fact, her husband. When she approached, it grunted and shifted in discomfort, and several moments later a pair of unfocused blue eyes met hers blearily. Meiko nodded in greeting, her smile tinged with worry as she seated herself next to him on the mattress.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, laying a hand against his forehead. Instinctively, he leaned into the coolness of her touch and sighed.

He hesitated briefly. "A little better." Another pause. "I can take the twins today, if you'd like."

"You will do no such thing," Meiko snapped, and he flinched. A vague sense of guilt settled in her stomach at that, and she evened her tone, threading her fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. "Sorry. But surely you remember how you found yourself in this situation in the first place. You have to look after yourself more, Kaito." Her words bordered on chastising, but they were hardly accusatory.

He averted his eyes. Though it was difficult to tell with his cheeks already flushed from fever as they were, he seemed vaguely ashamed.

"I just..." He traced along the edge of his blanket, the motion betraying his own agitation. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the right phrasing. "I feel like I'm letting you down, and I don't want to ruin the holidays for everyone."

Meiko's expression softened, and she slipped her hand into his, stilling his restless fidgeting. "Please, Kaito—the only way you could possibly ruin things for us is if you don't focus on getting better. We can't celebrate properly without you, after all." His fingers were clammy and cold, but she tightened her grip nonetheless. His breath hitched.

For a few moments, he said nothing, his gaze drawn to something faraway above her shoulder. "I wanted to take the twins to a concert," he finally said, not meeting her eyes. "And maybe to the park, so they could see all the lights they've put up. And I wanted to help them write their letters to Santa, and then we could bring them over to the mailbox together. I wanted to take you out for dinner, and then afterwards I wanted to window shop along the side of the road with you. I didn't want to spend what little time we have together doing...this." Kaito gestured to himself in frustration.

Meiko scowled, a fierce indignation taking root in her chest. "If you think for even a second that I don't enjoy taking care of you—that I don't enjoy simply being by your side every bit as much as I enjoy going out for dinner and taking the twins to concerts, then you're sorely mistaken. Not that those things aren't wonderful and special," she amended, noticing his troubled expression, "but there's always later. We have to focus on the present, and right now that means you getting better, instead of insisting on actively making your condition worse."

Still looped with her own, Kaito's hand tensed. He rolled his lower lip between his teeth. Then he sighed in resignation. "It's impossible for me to win against you, isn't it?"

"I'm told I can be rather difficult," she replied cheerfully, and the corners of his mouth quirked upward.

"Whoever said that is wrong. I think you're quite sweet, really," he said, and Meiko blinked. Then she let out an incredulous breath, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"And you say I'm impossible to win against." She shook her head in exasperation.

With that, she rose to her feet, smoothing out the fabric of her pants. "Well, let me know if you need anything, all right?"

He gave a nod, already turning to wrap himself in blankets, and she paused on her way out the door, her hand hovering over the light switch. "Oh, and," Meiko added, prompting him to look up once more, "I might use your suggestion of helping Rin and Len write to Santa for today. That way, we'll be around for you just in case, and maybe we can even have you proofread their letters for us once we're done." She winked at him conspiratorially, and he huffed out a hoarse laugh.

"I'll look forward to reading them, then. And, um..." He glanced down at his pillow, a soft smile overtaking his features. "Thank you, Meiko."

Her eyes widened in surprise as his words registered, and she felt incredibly, unspeakably fond. "What are you thanking me for? This is just what we do for one another." At last he relaxed, and she found herself smiling as she shut the door behind her.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading!

Because I love this time of the year and I also love domestic fluff, I dug around for prompts and found myself super inspired by these. I chose two from each week and I plan to post biweekly until the end of this year, which totals to nine ficlets through 12/31. I'm new to working with prompts, so while I'm a little uncertain about pulling this off, I'd like to focus on spreading (and immersing myself in) some holiday cheer! I hope you enjoy and have a wonderful and safe month of December!

Chapter 2: Day at the market

Summary:

(slightly changed from the original prompt, day at the fair)

The holiday market was bustling with activity. People milled about and made idle chatter, and twinkling lights of every color were strung between the lampposts, casting a soft glow against her flushed cheeks.

The bricks of the walkway passed beneath her feet. Breathing heavily, Meiko weaved her way through the crowd, muttering half-hearted apologies to her fellow shoppers along the way. After all, she only had so much time before Kaito asked after her whereabouts, so she had to hurry.

In terms of holiday shopping, it had been a productive day—for the most part, at least. She and Kaito had spent hours combing through various booths and choosing gifts for Rin and Len and the others, small things that the two of them had thought their loved ones might enjoy. Then they had tangled their hands around the bag handles and supported them together as they walked. Because they each wore a set of mittens she hadn't been able to feel through to his skin, but a smile crossed Meiko's face as she recalled how even so the indirect contact had left a faint impression of warmth.

She made a sharp turn, her heart pounding in her chest as her destination came into view. She was so close, and the thought propelled her to move faster.

Unbidden, another image from earlier in the day came to mind. At one point, they had stopped for food. Meiko remembered how she had cupped her hands gratefully around her apple cider, allowing the sweet, tangy flavor to warm her up from the inside and watching the steam form patterns in the cold air. In stark contrast, Kaito—despite being bundled in his warmest clothes with his woolen hat drawn down low over his ears—had been shivering as he valiantly ate his way through his ice cream, and she had thought wryly to herself that no one would even think to buy such a thing in the dead of December but her unbelievably ridiculous husband.

Even so, Kaito had seemed happy. She pictured the way his cheeks had been flushed from both cold and excitement, the way his eyes had been filled with fascination as he took in the sights of the holiday market, and how because of it all he had appeared somehow more youthful. The past year had been stressful for them both, but in that moment her worries had felt very, very far away.

...And yet, there had been one problem.

At last, Meiko all but stumbled through the door, prompting a tired, but friendly nod from the vendor running the booth. She breathed a sigh of relief, pausing to give her legs a brief rest before turning to scan the shelves with focused efficiency.

It was already well into December, and she had nothing to give to Kaito.

She had hoped to find something among the shelves of colorful goods, but to her dismay she had hardly a moment alone, and now it was evening. Over the course of the day, a number of items had caught her eye—one in particular, really—but to make a purchase would require her to slip away from him, and she had been reluctant to risk losing her husband amidst the chaos of the market.

However, with the sky rapidly darkening and both of them ready to head back, several minutes ago Meiko had gathered her courage, asking him to watch their bags and wait for her before melting into the crowd and veering off in a different direction entirely. Thankfully, Kaito must have been too absorbed in his surroundings to take notice of the uncharacteristic nervousness in her voice, and to her knowledge he was still blissfully unaware to her true intentions. For now, at least.

Her footsteps finally halted as Meiko came to a stop. Hanging from the shop display was a pair of necklaces, each unassuming and relatively inconspicuous on its own, yet there was a small trick to them, she recalled seeing.

She turned them over in her hands. Indeed, one of them had a distinctive raised pattern, and its counterpart had an odd series of indents, and when paired together they would complete one another. It was exactly the simple, sappy type of thing Kaito would fawn over and wear tucked underneath his scarf close to his chest like the softhearted fool he was.

Absently Meiko smiled to herself as she pictured his reaction, but she remembered he was still outside, undoubtedly waiting for her, and so she hastened to make her purchase before returning to where she had left him. To her surprise, Kaito was nowhere to be seen.

She frowned, feeling around in her coat for her phone. Just then, she heard someone call her name, and she spun around to meet his relieved expression.

"There you are, Meiko—I thought I'd lost you!" he exclaimed, leaning on his knees to catch his breath with their things pooled around his feet.

"You thought you'd lost me? I thought something must have caught your eye and had you wandering off to who knows where!" she responded in kind, reaching out for his hand despite her words. Gratefully, he gave her fingers a squeeze.

And if she realized there was an extra bag hanging in between their legs, or if he noticed the obvious lump in her pocket, neither of them said a single thing about it. Instead they simply headed for home, where it was warm and cozy and safe.

Notes:

Thank you for reading! This and one other prompt are probably the hardest ones for me to write, so I hope you don't mind the non-chronological order of events in this ficlet (which was a last-minute change). If you do end up getting something for your loved ones this holiday season, please don't overthink it—I'm sure they'll be happy no matter what it is!

Chapter 3: Playing with their hair

Meiko woke to the sound of her husband's voice and the distinct impression that she was freezing.

She frowned, feeling around with her hands. Now that it was December, mornings had become bitterly cold, and she was accustomed to waking up beside Kaito with their limbs a tangled mess. Except today, apparently. The mattress around her was empty, with no trace of his characteristic warmth. Her frown deepened.

Reluctantly, Meiko opened her eyes. Propped against the far edge of the headboard and half-sitting up was Kaito, who was holding his phone to his ear with a serious expression on his face and the blankets pooled messily in his lap. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his wife was watching.

She rolled down the bed towards him, and the shifting and creaking of the mattress caught his attention. At her questioning look, he mouthed apologetically, Work stuff. It came up suddenly—nothing I can do.

Meiko nodded to show her understanding, laying by his side and tracing mindless patterns into the back of his hand. It gave a small twitch from where it rested against the pillows, then relaxed. They were supposed to have the day off for the holidays, but she supposed some things were simply out of his control, so although it was unfair she didn't complain.

Indulgently, she allowed the familiar intonations of his voice to wash over her. Even when he was droning on about reports and damage control, it was a nice voice, Meiko thought idly to herself—gentle and soft in all the right places and stronger in others, and in a fit of sentimentality she decided she wouldn't mind waking to it every morning.

After a few minutes, she grew bored of waiting. She tapped twice on his hand, and he looked down to meet her eyes. Slowly, deliberately, she traced out I'm cold, and his brow furrowed adorably as he tried to simultaneously listen to the person on the other side of the phone line and make sense of what she had written.

At last, Kaito nodded in understanding. Sorry, Meiko, he mouthed. Just a little longer, I promise.

She huffed petulantly, and with a grunt she pulled herself up so she was also resting against the headboard. Immediately, she shivered as the blankets fell from her shoulders, and in response she pressed herself against his frame and tried to tug the covers upwards.

He glanced over. Meiko froze, wondering if she had been making too much noise with her shifting and squirming, but Kaito didn't seem bothered. In fact, he hardly reacted at all. Feeling suddenly emboldened, she leaned in closer. When she ducked under his phone and tried to press kisses in against his cheek, he turned and fixed her with his most unimpressed look, which—all right, fair enough. She smiled sheepishly.

After a moment's consideration, she switched to playing with his hair instead. She had noticed after moving in with him that he tended to cut it less frequently and wear it just a fraction longer in the colder months of the year, whereas in the summer he usually kept his hair cropped close to his neck. As a result, it was now short, but not so short that it would be impossible to do anything with. In fact, like this it was the perfect length.

Mind made up, Meiko started on a simple braid. Her expression pinched in concentration, she divided out a section of hair into three, then began winding her way down the side of his head towards his jaw. Several times she fumbled with fingers made clumsy from drowsiness, but at last she established a rhythm. Kaito's eyes flickered over towards her briefly, but he didn't seem to be upset. If anything, he only lifted his free hand to wrap it around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. She smiled in contentment.

She had just finished tucking the braid behind his ear when he set his phone down on the nightstand and turned to face her. "Sorry about that—I swear, things always break down at the most inconvenient of times," he said, and Meiko shook her head agreeably.

"It's okay. Let's go back to sleep now?" she suggested, patting down the flyaway strands of his hair to give a sense of finality.

Kaito paused, running a hand along the braid at the side of his head, and then a small smile broke across his face, conveying his appreciation without words. He nodded, sliding back down onto his pillow and using the grip he had around her to drag her down with him. Meiko yelped in surprise, but soon dissolved into laughter—and despite the earlier unwelcome interruption to their morning, as he pulled her into his arms and she tangled her legs with his, everything felt unbelievably perfect.

Notes:

While having Kaito play with Meiko's hair felt like the more intuitive choice, I decided doing things the other way around would be more fun, and I also enjoyed trying to write the mostly wordless communication that takes place between them here. Thank you for reading, and I hope you're able to spend some time with those you care about this month!

Chapter 4: Just can't sleep

Next to him, Meiko shifted on the bed and turned onto her back.

Kaito, predictably, said nothing, keeping his eyes firmly shut and his arms crossed over his chest in order to preserve body heat. Unlike Meiko, who could be dead to the world in a manner of minutes, he tended to sleep rather poorly—and Meiko knew this all too well. As a result, her presence was usually welcome, and over the years he had grown used to drifting off by synchronizing his breaths to her deep, steady breathing.

But not tonight.

She fidgeted restlessly, moving back and forth, and at one point she rolled over into him, prompting an involuntary oof. His lips thinned.

At last, she sighed. "I'm keeping you awake, aren't I?" she said, looking over her shoulder to face him.

Knowing the act was up, Kaito opened his eyes and smiled helplessly at her. "It's okay, Meiko. I don't mind."

"Hey, stop that—you know I don't like it when you sugarcoat things for my sake." Even in the dark, he could make out her troubled expression, but he didn't respond.

Outside, the night was still, the cold having warded off the birds and insects that usually made their rounds at this hour. With a decisive heave, Kaito swung his legs over the side of the bed and headed for the door, and accordingly Meiko pulled herself up from the mattress to flick on the lamp. He gave an appreciative nod.

Quietly, he headed for the kitchen, losing himself in the familiar motions of putting the kettle on and steeping the tea. Doing so somehow settled his nerves, and soon a gentle herbal fragrance filled the room, providing the cue for him to pour out two mugs and ferry them back to where Meiko was waiting.

He passed one to her and then situated himself once more on the bed. "So, what has you unable to sleep tonight?" he prompted.

Meiko frowned, looking at the ripples forming across the amber surface of her tea, and Kaito wondered if she could see her own reflection in the liquid. She seemed to weigh her options before opening her mouth. "It's going to be the holidays soon," she finally said.

Slowly, he nodded, not quite understanding what she was getting at.

"We agreed," she tried again, "that, well, we would give Rin and Len the best holiday experience possible, and I most certainly plan to, don't get me wrong. But it's just that..."

Realization dawned on him. "You're worried you might not be able to deliver on that promise," he finished for her.

Hesitantly, she nodded, hands tightening around her mug.

Kaito paused to take a thoughtful sip of his tea. He supposed that made sense. But... "Meiko, you don't have to be a master decorator or the best gift-giver in the world to make someone's holidays special," he pointed out. "And as long as you try your best, I'm sure Rin and Len will be happy."

Still she looked unconvinced, so he added, "Besides, you have me, and between the two of us I'm sure we can figure something out."

Meiko rotated her cup in her hands, her lips curling inward. "How come you blush and stammer whenever I so much as kiss you on the cheek, but then you can turn around and say things like...like that without any hint of embarrassment?"

He pulled a face. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm only speaking truthfully."

For a few moments, she didn't respond, having stopped to take a long drink from her until then-untouched tea. She exhaled slowly, allowing the steam to waft into her face. Kaito's eyebrows knitted together.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" he said, and she looked up in surprise before ducking her head.

Meiko sighed. "Of course you would be able to tell." Resigned, she folded her legs beneath her. "I was thinking about giving Rin and Len their perfect holiday season, full of excitement and good cheer, and you know, one moment I'm thinking of how grateful I am to have all of you, and the next I'm imagining how dull things would be otherwise, and then I just feel...I don't know. Empty? Afraid?" Her words began to run into each other as she barreled on, until they came to an abrupt stop as she cut herself off.

"Meiko..." A note of sadness crept into Kaito's voice. Somewhere within him he understood exactly her sentiment, which made her words sting all the more.

In vague agitation, she picked at a chip in the rim of her cup. "Forget it—I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she said at last with a sigh. "It's just been a rough week for me, I suppose, and I let my doubts get the better of me."

"Don't downplay it like that, Meiko," Kaito cut in, frowning. "That's what you say to me, right? It sounds like you've always had these worries, and it's just that your present circumstances have made them harder to ignore." He set his empty mug on the nightstand before continuing. "But look. I'm confident that one way or another, you would have surrounded yourself with those who care for you. You're naturally cheerful, after all—I know you, and the kind of person you are."

Her frown deepened. "It's not that simple, I think."

"And it's not that complicated, either," Kaito countered. "I mean, even someone like the Grinch or whoever from that picture book was able to find some holiday cheer for himself, wasn't he? I know he's fictional, but he's got to be a thousand times harder to get along with than you." He found himself snickering at the mental image of Meiko as a green, cat-faced old man, and reading him correctly, she gave him a shove, which—all right, he could admit he probably deserved.

His expression grew more serious. "Look, we can't spend our lives concerning ourselves purely with what ifs, lest we forget the things that we have," Kaito said at last, drawing a sharp intake of breath from her. "If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be able to celebrate the holidays the way I can now. Maybe I would even be a completely different person—but we're here, and isn't that what matters? I'm glad I met you, Meiko."

A beat of silence. Overcome with some unidentifiable emotion, Meiko shut her eyes and drained the last of the liquid in her cup. Her hands trembled minutely as she set it back down in her lap.

"You always know what to say," she murmured, eyes fixed on something distant he couldn't see.

He smiled hopefully. "Does that mean you'll quit worrying and head to bed?"

She sighed, moving her cup to the nightstand and shutting off the lamp before lying down. "Okay. I promise I'll try to stop thinking about it." The sudden rush of relief left Kaito feeling somehow lightheaded, and his smile broadened. Carefully, he lowered himself beside her and pulled the blanket back over, shielding the two of them from the all-encompassing coldness of winter.

She hesitated, like there was something weighing on her mind, then said, "Could I make just one request of you?" Wondering if there was a cue he had missed, Kaito hummed in acknowledgement.

"Could you please hold me, for tonight?" Meiko asked in a small voice, and his expression softened impossibly more.

Without wasting a moment he reached over to tug her closer, wrapping her securely within his arms, and she exhaled shakily, then all but melted against him in quiet contentment. Though they usually slept beside one another or tangled together, he was happy like this too. Yes, he was happy, Kaito thought as he tightened his grip and buried his face into her hair, inhaling deeply as at last the beginnings of sleep took hold.

Notes:

I hope the dialogue reads okay—these long conversations are always some of the hardest things for me to write! Thank you for reading, and please get some rest this holiday season!!

Chapter 5: Saying 'I love you' without saying it

Someone had already removed the ice from her car.

The thought struck Meiko suddenly, and she came to a stop next to the driver door, her fingers hovering over the handle. December nights were cold and long, and she had grown accustomed to finding her car being caked in a tough layer of ice each morning. Clearing her windows with the scraper was tedious, and it became particularly troublesome when she was already running late for work.

The twins probably wouldn't think of doing such a thing, and besides, they were far too short to reach the windshield. Then as far as potential culprits went, that left only her husband. She turned her head thoughtfully, gazing at the empty spot in the driveway where Kaito usually parked. He had left early that day, claiming that he wanted to get as much work done at the office as possible so he could spend more time with his family once the holidays began in earnest.

Subconsciously, Meiko found herself smiling as she took a seat behind the steering wheel and started up the engine. It was such a small thing, but it meant she didn't have to start her day by straining her back or being soaked in sweat, and she was helpless to the warm affection that bubbled up from within her.

Love was in the small things, the minute gestures and unspoken actions, she realized. Sometimes, it didn't have to be the grand displays of devotion, the flowery declarations of admiration or the exciting date nights that had made her heart pound in nervousness when she was younger. It was the feeling of unwavering support, the assurance that no matter how many years went by, there would always be someone by her side to hold the door open for her and make her coffee in the morning. It could be as simple an action as her husband freeing her car of ice even when he himself was busy.

To them, it was the mutual effort to find time in between their busy schedules to spend together. It was the promise to work through their challenges, the commitment to always love each other, no matter what—in sickness and in health, through thick and thin, regardless of the circumstances. Even though they argued sometimes and even if they spent many moments apart, it was the underlying agreement that they would always be there for one another when it truly did matter.

And she was so, so incredibly grateful to be able to share in this sort of love with her husband.

Meiko came to a stop at a traffic light, with only the ever-present humming of the engine and her fingers drumming absentmindedly against the steering wheel to fill the relative silence. Kaito's simple act of kindness left her feeling softer—somehow almost gooey—inside. Even if he never expected anything in return and only acted out of his own thoughtfulness, she wanted to make it up to him in some way. Perhaps she would stop to buy him some of his favorite sweets on her drive home, she mused. He would probably love that. Or she could wake up early one of these mornings to make him coffee instead.

After all, these sorts of things went both ways, didn't they?

Notes:

Today's ficlet is a bit short, since I was busy this weekend getting in some somewhat last-minute holiday shopping. But that aside, I've come to just adore depictions of long-term established relationships, with this understanding that love is a commitment that they've agreed to put in the continual effort for. So although this ficlet is short, I wanted to express that sentiment here.

If there's someone out there whom you care about, and not necessarily romantically, I hope you can take a few moments this holiday season to show them that you appreciate them, or at least take a few moments to appreciate and take care of yourself :) Thank you for reading!

Chapter 6: Stopping them from overworking

"Will Mom not be coming with us again?"

Len looked up at him with round, hopeful eyes, and Kaito stopped in his tracks. After taking a brief moment to gather his thoughts, he returned to helping Len into his warmest winter coat and mittens.

"I'm afraid your mother is busy today," Kaito said, choosing his words carefully, "and as much as she would like to, she won't be able to come along."

"Aww." Rin's lower lip stuck out in a pout. She looked positively tiny bundled up in layers and layers of clothing. "But she's been busy all week!"

He smiled apologetically, running a hand over her head as he rose to his feet. "I'm sorry, Rin, Len. But she has work she needs to finish, and the sooner she's done the sooner she can join us, okay? So let's not badger her about it. She has enough on her plate as things are."

Neither twin seemed particularly satisfied, but they nodded anyway, and Kaito tried to ignore the guilt settling in the pit of his stomach. The twins deserved their happy—perfect—holiday season, full of excitement and good cheer, and even if Meiko was busy, that only meant he had to step up and make things twice as wonderful for them. So instead, he forced his brightest smile. "Then let's go!"

 

That evening, Kaito crept nervously into their bedroom, trying to suppress the instinct to leave Meiko alone and head to sleep without so much as a word. But when he saw his wife sitting at her desk under the pitch-black sky, eyes bloodshot and shoulders hunched and in all respects oblivious to the world around her, something inside of him snapped, and he found himself gathering his courage.

"Meiko," he said, announcing his presence. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, just let me finish up this last part and I'll..." With a start, she spun around. Her eyes were wide with surprise. "Kaito? You're home already?"

Kaito smiled, troubled. "It's evening," he replied shortly, and her eyes darted to the unobscured view of the sky through the window. The curtains hadn't been drawn, after all, and below the windowsill an empty glass had been shoved into the corner of the table. He wondered if Meiko had eaten, let alone stepped outside. Worry gnawed at him.

She looked down, suddenly ashamed. "I didn't realized it had grown so late," she murmured. "How was your day?"

Kaito paused, recalling the day's events. First he had brought the twins to the shopping mall, where he had made silent note of all the items that had caught their attention for later reference, and then he had driven them to the schoolyard with the big hill that was good for sledding, before returning home and warming up together over hot chocolate. All in all, it had been good.

He voiced the sentiment aloud, and Meiko's face softened. "I'm glad," she said. "It sounds like they had fun."

He nodded, trying to articulate the words that had been weighing on his mind since the start of the week. They tasted like a confession, like uttering them would brand him as guilty of failing his family and going against the wishes of his wife—but surely that was irrational, and he pressed on. "Meiko," he finally said, "our kids miss you."

Her eyes widened, and somehow Kaito found it in him to hold her gaze. He remembered how Len had stopped over the ruby necklace in the jewelry rack that resembled the one Meiko often wore, the troubled expression Rin had made when Kaito had been occupied with pushing Len down the hill and there was no one else to assist her, the way his heart had twisted in his chest both times at the realization, and miraculously, his voice came out steady.

"I understand that you're busy. Believe me, I understand more than anyone." His hand tightened into a fist at his side. "But you can't keep doing this—if not for yourself or even me, then for Rin and Len. Didn't we agree that as parents, we would always try to give our children the best we possibly could? They miss you terribly, Meiko, they miss their mother—I can tell."

Now Meiko seemed well and truly ashamed, and he could hear the thickness in her voice. He hated making her feel this way. She was his incredible, wonderful wife, whom he loved more than anything, and she deserved to be smiling and radiant, not looking miserable and defeated as she did now.

"I'm sorry." Her words came out in little more than a whisper. "I've been an awful mother. What kind of parent can't even be there for her kids on the holidays? Not to mention I've been unfair to you as well, asking you to do everything in my place—you, of all people, whom I promised myself I wouldn't do such a thing to. I feel terrible."

She looked so wretched that he almost wanted to take everything back, to reassure her that everything was all right and that he understood her situation and was willing to manage by himself. When he opened his mouth, though, something stopped him. He snapped his jaw shut, and then said another thing entirely.

"Work is important, and it follows us everywhere, over the holidays and on our birthdays and everything." Kaito unclenched his hand and reached out to lay it atop hers on the desk, and she inhaled sharply. Her skin was cold. "But this past week, um...it wasn't very good. I didn't like it."

There. He had said it. A great pressure eased itself from his chest.

For a few moments, Meiko said nothing, her eyes fixed on where their hands rested together. Beside them, the desk lamp cast long shadows across the room. "What can I do to make up for this?" she asked quietly.

"Just be with us, please?" he suggested. "Tomorrow I'm going to take the twins to that neighborhood that puts up lovely holiday decorations each year, and they would love it if you came along."

She hesitated. "That sounds like fun. You don't think they'll be upset with me or anything?"

Kaito shook his head vehemently. "They'll be too overjoyed to have their mother there to be upset." Feeling suddenly spiteful, he added, "And tell that company of yours they're a bunch of exploitative good-for-nothings, and that these are your vacation days and you're sure as hell not going to spend them working yourself half to death. You do know that if you keep taking on all this work, they're going to see it as an opportunity to let go of more people and then you'll be even busier, right?"

Meiko sighed, rotating her head in an attempt to restore sensation to her neck, but the corners of her lips quirked up the tiniest fraction, and internally Kaito cheered at the sight. "I'm sure that will go over well."

He grinned childishly. "Hey, we have to draw the line somewhere."

She ducked her head in laughter, conceding his point, then rose from her chair to pull him into a hug. He winced at the sound of her joints popping—she must really have been sitting there for hours.

"Thank you, Kaito," she said against his ear, and he relaxed, allowing the tension to drain from his form for the first time in days, which was quickly replaced with a feeling of relief at finally having his wife here—in his arms and present in the moment. "I needed that."

And the next morning when Meiko joined them at the doorway and helped Len bundle up to beaming expressions and elated cheers from the twins, Kaito found himself smiling. Perhaps it wouldn't quite be perfect, but it was shaping up to be a wonderful holiday season after all.

Notes:

Like the third ficlet, for which I had originally imagined Kaito playing with Meiko's hair, my first instinct here was to have Meiko stop Kaito from overworking before I decided it might be more interesting to switch things around. Also, I originally had Kaito use, well, stronger language throughout his dialogue near the end, but it just didn't feel like him. Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone has some time to relax this holiday season!

Chapter 7: Holidays

Notes:

Ran into a small glitch into while posting the previous ficlet (chapter 6), so fingers crossed everything shows up normally now!

The twins stirred, and in a panic Kaito dove behind the Christmas tree.

He hardly dared to breathe as Rin and Len rose from the couch, rubbing their eyes and approaching where he was hidden. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his arms tightened instinctively around the packages in his hold.

"Hey, did you hear something just now?" Len said blearily.

"There was definitely someone here. I mean, the stockings were empty when we fell asleep." A gasp. "Wait, you don't think it was Santa Claus?"

"Santa Claus?" A note of excitement crept into Len's voice. "He's here? Maybe we'll even get to meet him this year!"

The lighter set of footsteps—that would have to be Rin, then—made its way towards the tree, and as quietly as he could Kaito shifted to his left to stay out of her field of vision. To his horror, in doing so two of the ornaments hanging from the branches knocked together.

His breath caught in his throat.

"There's someone here!" Rin whispered. "I heard them!"

A bead of sweat rolled down Kaito's cheek, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the way the plastic pine needles scratched horribly against his skin and, worse, how the dust gathered behind the tree tickled at his nose. His face contorted in agony as he tried to suppress the urge to sneeze.

He was just about to call it quits and reveal himself when miraculously he was rescued from his predicament.

"Rin? Len?" a voice called from the hallway, materializing like the patron saint of household gift-bringers everywhere. That was his wife—he was saved! His knees nearly collapsed from relief. "What are you doing up? It's far past your bedtime."

"Mom, you won't believe it! Santa's here!" Rin cried.

He heard another set of footsteps as Meiko joined their children. "Santa? Don't be ridiculous. Are you sure the two of you aren't just imagining things because you're tired?"

"But he was here! Look!" Len protested. "Those stockings were empty last we saw them. Plus, we heard a noise just now, and it wasn't either of us."

A slight pause. Kaito gulped, praying to any higher powers that might be listening that she would be able to save the situation. He had to place his faith in her. "Well, even if that's true," Meiko conceded slowly, "that doesn't mean he's still here now. Santa has the power to disappear in a flash, you know. As for the noise you heard earlier, it was probably just me."

"Oh." Len sounded disappointed, and as much as Kaito hated hearing him that way, it was preferable to the alternative—crushing his childhood dreams and innocence. This was for the greater good, he tried to convince himself.

"Now then, let's get you two into bed, or you'll be too cranky tomorrow to celebrate anything." Ignoring the chorus of protests and aww, Moms and Rin's complaints about how Santa hadn't even eaten any of the cookies she left out, Meiko herded them back down the hall to their respective rooms before returning to where Kaito stood in wait.

"...You can come out now." Her voice was amused.

Finally allowing himself to inhale deeply, Kaito emerged from his hiding place, stray pine needles stuck in the fabric of his shirt. Disgruntled, he set the packages in his arms underneath the tree and tried to brush them off.

"Thank you, Meiko," he said wearily. "That was far too close for comfort."

She gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before reaching up to adjust the silly Santa hat she had forced him to wear on his head—which, much like the pine needles, itched terribly. "You did great. It wasn't easy, but you toughed it out! I think we can count this Christmas as another success, don't you?"

"If you count nearly giving up the whole act as a success, then I suppose." Kaito pouted. "But next year it's your turn to play Santa, all right?"

"Only if you beat me at thumb wrestling, remember," Meiko replied smoothly, and he groaned. At this rate, he would be Santa every year until the twins aged out of the whole charade, and although he loved Rin and Len dearly and was willing to do anything for them, the thought was a little depressing.

Gently, she set her hands on his shoulders, ignoring the dust and bits of plastic still stuck to his clothing, and pulled Kaito in until his face was mere inches from hers.

She grinned, eyes twinkling. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Santa Claus."

"Wait—the twins will talk," he protested as she drew closer. "What if they come back and see us?"

"Then let's give them something to talk about," Meiko replied, and kissed him.

Notes:

This entire chapter was inspired by I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus coming on my coworker's holiday playlist. No long note for today—all I have to say is thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful holiday season!

Chapter 8: Singing together

"Here, can you bring this around the front for me?"

Kaito nodded, taking the entire string of lights and laying a section across the branches of the tree before passing it back into Meiko's outstretched hand.

The two of them had been hard at work all morning setting up the Christmas tree and wrapping it in garlands and lights. Once they were finished, the twins would start on hanging ornaments from its branches—which was the decidedly easier task, but they were children, after all, and they seemed to enjoy the process of decorating. Already, the living room looked much livelier than before, albeit cluttered and very, very messy.

Meiko grunted as she looped the mass of wires around one final time, then straightened and clapped her hands together. "There, that should do it!" she said, a satisfied look on her face.

Kaito smiled back, taking the free end and making his way over to the wall outlet. "Ready for the big reveal?"

She nodded, squeezing out from behind the tree and joining him. "Plug it in."

Taking a deep breath, Kaito obeyed, and at once, the Christmas tree was alive with all manner of colors. The warm yellow lights twinkled merrily, and the red, green, and blue ones reflected softly off the wall. A robotic holiday melody began to play from the music box connected to the wires. It was magical—Kaito's mouth formed a small O as he took in the sight.

Next to him, Meiko exhaled softly, shuffling closer to wrap an arm around his waist. "It's lovely, isn't it?" He hummed in response.

They were interrupted by the pattering of footsteps. "You're done! Wow, it's so pretty!" Rin said, and they drew apart with matching smiles, moving aside to give the twins room to work. As Rin and Len bickered over which ornaments to hang from which branches, the two of them set to sweeping up pine needles and moving the temporarily empty boxes back into storage.

Kaito sighed, rolling his aching shoulders as he returned to the living room, which was now thankfully clear. Meiko was sitting on the floor, and when she saw him she patted the ground beside her with an inviting expression. Obligingly he lowered himself next to her, wincing at the cramping in his legs from standing for so long, and this close to her he realized with a start that she was humming under her breath. He strained his ears, trying to place the familiar song.

Finally recognizing it as the very same one playing from the music box, Kaito joined in at a lower pitch, instinctively harmonizing with her. At that, her voice grew slightly bolder, and he matched her in turn, providing a solid bass to support her melody. Their individual lines weaved together, building off one another and rising above the simple robotic framework provided by the music box.

For once, the twins didn't complain, and they seemed content to listen to their parents' song. It was comfortable, Kaito decided as he rested his head atop Meiko's, and he was content. Happy. Despite the differing qualities of their voices, it felt as natural as breathing for them to sing together, allowing them to blend seamlessly and create their own unique flavor of sound. His eyes fluttered shut as he lost himself in the music, and somehow his hand found hers in the minute space between them.

Once the holidays were over, they would return to the mundaneness of everyday life, of trying to scrape time together between the compound demands of work and children and a thousand other things. But sitting here now, with Meiko at his side, it felt like this moment would truly last forever. He couldn't imagine anything he wanted more.

Notes:

To be honest, this was the other of the two prompts I knew I would particularly struggle with, because I don't even know how to begin to approach writing characters singing! But they're vocaloids (for the time being, at least), so I felt like it would be doing a disservice not to at least attempt this prompt. Thank you so much for reading—the next chapter will be the final one!

Chapter 9: Good night kisses

Notes:

I hope you enjoy this final ficlet! (I'm relieved I made it)

"Kaito," Meiko whined, sprawled across the kitchen table, "just one more. Please?"

She looked up at him with large, pleading eyes, and he hesitated before shaking his head. "I think you've had quite enough," he said, deliberately averting his gaze from her betrayed pout. "It's time you headed to sleep." Normally, he was rather helpless against his wife's demands, but this time he felt he should put his foot down for both their sakes. Meiko would be proud of him if she were sober, he decided, and at least that provided him with some consolation.

Ignoring her grumbles of complaint, Kaito slid an arm under her form, pulling her up and out of her chair with only minimal stumbling. For a moment she swayed, looking as though she might fall, before settling against him with what felt like at least half her weight. He grunted.

With great care, he began guiding her towards their bedroom. Her legs shook like jelly with every step, and he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when they collapsed beneath her entirely, which would have sent her falling onto the floor in a human-shaped heap had he not braced her around her waist in time. Groaning, she sagged against him like a ragdoll.

"Can't walk any fur—um, farther," she slurred. Despite the fact that he was standing behind her, she made grabby motions in the complete opposite direction. "Carry me?"

Kaito bit back a retort about how she had barely managed five steps and instead paused to weigh his options. His back would probably protest in the morning, but he supposed there was no helping things when she was like this, so obligingly he turned her around and scooped her up, adjusting his hold until he had her securely in his arms. She cheered at being so high in the air, hands flying out to grip at his shoulders with such strength he never would have guessed she was inebriated from that alone.

Meiko giggled, kicking her legs out and making his job decidedly more difficult. Huffing in exasperation, he shifted her around to more evenly distribute her weight, then began the steady trek to their bedroom. In the background, the television reporter drawled on about the new year and the celebrations that were taking place all across the world, and Meiko half-sang, half-hummed to the energetic background music. Secretly, Kaito couldn't help being charmed by her drunken antics.

At last, he reached their destination, and he nudged the door open with one knee before gently depositing her on their bed. In relief, Kaito began to pull away to stretch his aching muscles, but his motion was interrupted by Meiko reaching over to tug him down by his scarf, drawing out a sound of surprise from him.

Oblivious to his protests, she leaned up, swaying from momentary disorientation, and then planted small kisses all across his face before finishing with one large, sloppy kiss right on the tip of his nose. She was so close he could smell the alcohol lingering on her breath.

Kaito laughed, swatting her away. She wasn't usually this affectionate while drunk, nor did she typically indulge to such an extent, but he supposed his presence and the general festive atmosphere may have played a role in her mood. Still, it was cute.

Finally, her near-infinite energy seemed to run out, and she flopped back against the bed, drained. He shook his head to himself in disbelief, making his way around her to untuck the covers from beneath the mattress and—despite her incessant squirming and wriggling—rearrange them until they were securely tucked around her form.

Meiko's eyelids gradually fluttered closed, her gaze distant and unfocused. Her lips moved ever so slightly, and frowning, Kaito approached her to try and make out her words.

"Love you, Kaito," she was mumbling. "Happy new year."

His eyes softened, helpless affection swelling in his chest, and he kept silent vigil as his wife drifted off to sleep. A fond smile played on his lips. After a moment's hesitation, he brushed the hair from her face and leaned down to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Sleep well, Meiko. And I hope we can spend this year together, too," he whispered.

Notes:

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading and celebrating the holidays with Kaito and Meiko. Wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing, happy new year, and I hope your 2024 is full of happiness, luck, and good cheer!!