Its Baaaaaack!
by Aimless
He’d worked so hard. It had taken months and months. Blisters decorated his fingers and more than a few frustrated tears adorned each object.
Finally all the packages sat under the tree. Gaily wrapped with bright candy striped paper and adorned with big green velvet bows.
With a satisfied sigh Michel crept upstairs and into his warm bed.
Morning could not have come soon enough. With an excited shout Michel roused the whole house. The blond had a lovely surprise waiting for each member of his team and family.
Free was the first to appear. He was greeted with an enthusiastic hug and led over to a spot on the couch. Michel looked fondly at the large man. He looked so sexy sitting there in his loose lounging pants and chocolate colored tunic. Michel impulsively kissed Free’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas!” The blond exclaimed and was graced with a warm smile.
Aya came into the room next. He glanced at Michel who was very nearly vibrating in place with excitement. Not even he could hold back a smile at the young man’s exuberance. The red head took a seat in a leather wing chair near the massive and decorated within an inch of its life spruce tree.
“Aya! Merry Christmas!” Michel shouted.
Aya shook his head in bemusement. Where did he get his energy? “Merry Christmas Michel.” He was glad of the thick cable knit cream wool sweater he wore to ward off the chill in the room.
“Ken! Come sit down! I got presents for you all!” Michel shouted as Ken came in from the kitchen. He was dressed in warm dark grey sweats and his hair held a few water droplets that sparkled in the light from the tree.
“Hey did you guys know its snowing out there?” Ken said as he curled up on the rug between Aya’s knees.
Aya reached down and plucked the steaming mug from his lover’s hand and took a sip. He looked at Ken in surprise. It was tea not coffee and his favorite blend too.
Ken looked back and grinned. “I knew you’d steal a sip so I went ahead and made your favorite.”
Aya leaned down and placed a brief cinnamon flavored kiss on Ken’s lips before settling back to enjoy the warmth from the thick pottery mug and the savory liquid inside.
“Where’s Chloe! Come on! I want to get to the presents!” Michel whined as he looked impatiently at the doorway.
Yuki entered the room and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He wore a set of heavy fleece navy blue pajamas and a pair of thick socks. It was always so cold in the house this time of year. The young man grumbled as his arm was grabbed and Michel shoved him down on the couch opposite of Free.
Michel paced the room still waiting for the last member of Weiss to make an appearance.
“Chibi chill out. Chloe will be here when he’s here. That man does not do mornings. He’s probably still primping.” Ken said with a laugh as Aya ruffled his hair.
“I heard that. Besides I do like making an entrance. Am I fashionably late enough?” Chloe paused in the doorway to look at the picturesque scene. His family arranged around the room waiting to open their presents.
The platinum blond was impeccably attired in black silk pajamas and a deep burgundy smoking jacket. He looked like he stepped right out of a Victorian era fashion plate. Ken tried not to drool…he really did.
“Finally! Now I can pass out my presents!” Michel squealed and everyone winced at the assault to their ears.
Chloe crossed the room and smiled seductively at his lovers before settling himself right in Aya’s lap. “Ok I’m sitting and comfortable. I believe there was some mention of presents?”
“Me first! Me first! I made them myself!” Michel sang out happily as he distributed the brightly wrapped packages to his family.
Everyone looked at each other nervously.
“Come on! Open em!” Michel bounced around the room.
“Er…ok. Sure here I go.” Ken said as he gingerly opened one end. Not sure if it would blow up in his face.
His eyebrows rose as the paper was torn away. In the package was…ah…eh…oh! Oven mitts! Bright purple oven mitts. They were a little lumpy and uneven and nearly neon in color.
Michel’s face shone with happiness.
“Wow oven mitts! I needed another pair since the last set caught on fire. Remind me never to let Chloe try and cook again. You made these? When did you learn to knit?” Ken smiled at the excited teen. Truly he was touched that Michel would work so hard on a gift for him.
Ken’s comment earned him a swat from Chloe.
“Well if someone hadn’t distracted me in the kitchen dinner never would have burned. Now let’s see what we have here.” Chloe started unwrapping his gift.
“I took a knitting class and then got some patterns off the internet. I needed the credit anyway and thought it would be fun. Hurry up Chloe!” Michel perched on the edge of the couch next to Free. His hand resting on the big man’s shoulder.
The package revealed a long thick scarf. Surprisingly enough the colors were a very muted series of blues and grays.
“Thank you Michel. You did a really fine job on this. I can wear it when I’m out shopping.” Chloe looped the scarf around his neck and accepted an enthusiastic hug from the blond chibi.
Yuki too had opened his package. Inside was a pair of mittens. They were knitted in alternating stripes of charcoal and cream.
“I know you said your hands get awfully cold so I made these for you. Oh and look! The ends of the mittens flip up so you don’t have to take em off to use your fingers. I hope you like em!” Michel bit his lip and waited for a reply.
Yuki smiled in genuine pleasure. It touched the teen that Michel had gone through so much trouble. “They’re perfect Michel. Thank you.”
“Free! You next!” Michel bounced back over to the couch and hovered as the large assassin opened his package.
Free actually laughed as he lifted the item out of the paper. It was a sherpa hat…complete with earflaps. It was knitted in shades of green. He immediately placed it on his head.
“I thought it kinda fit you know? You said you liked those hats that the guides in that abominable snowman movie we watched wore…remember? I looked up a pattern and made you one!” Michel nearly glowed as Free hugged the young man.
“Thank you Michel.” Free simply replied. Far be it from him to mention that one of the earflaps was crooked and lower than the other. It made it all the more special.
“Aya now you! Yours was the hardest. I tried my best I really did.” Michel stated nervously as he watched Aya slowly unwrap the larger package.
As the paper fell away Ken looked on in horror. It couldn’t be…not here…not now. Oh God it was! He tried to cover his eyes but the sight held him mesmerized.
Aya lifted a sweater out of the wrapping. A bright orange turtle neck sweater. Only this one was lopsided and one sleeve was about six inches longer than the other. The hem was crooked and some of the stitches looked thicker than the others.
“Ah…well…Michel…it’s quite…” Aya started to say.
Michel’s eyes filled with tears. He knew he’d done a poor job but there hadn’t been time to fix it. Besides the store had been out of that gorgeous orange fuzzy yarn.
“You hate it! I…I did the best I could. I…I’m sorry!” Michel sniffled.
Aya looked on in distress at the young man whose lip was quivering in an effort not to cry. He sat there immobile until Chloe pinched him…hard.
“Say something nice! Fix this!” Chloe hissed.
Free wrapped his arms around Michel and glared at Aya.
“No! I love it! Really! It’s perfect! I used to have a sweater just like this! I promise to wear it! Every day!” Aya frantically promised. He was certain he’d heard Free growl at him.
Michel’s face lit up with joy. “Really? You like it!”
“I really love it!” Aya was hasty to reply this time. Before Free could even consider growling again…cause yes that was definitely a growl.
Ken just sunk to the floor in defeat.