Merry Christmas, everybody!

I hope you're all having wonderful days, regardless of what you're celebrating.

It's been a long time, hasn't it? I think the last thing I posted was for CLAMP Femslash Week back in February. That's INSANE. I will say though, this year has been absolutely insane in both good and bad ways. My day job has been treating me well while my personal life crashed and burned, plus the world being what it is at the moment is enough to make us all crazy. I will say though, in all this chaos I've become all the more grateful for the few consistent things in my life, fanfiction being at the top of the list. I've been working as hard as I can on another big AU project that I'll be posting in the New Year that I am VERY excited about.

In the mean time though, we have this!

I was feeling very sad with no CLAMP Secret Santa this year, so last night I thought, fuck it, let me write something festive for myself! If You Love Me, Answer Me Softly/Nihta is still my favorite universe to play in, and I figure it's time to dip my toes in again. I also had a request a million years ago from a reader for a Kamui goes to Tokyo with Subaru story, and as I've never been there, this is the best I could do. It's not much, but I'm pleased!

Oh and before I forget, song credits:

A Spaceman Came Travelling by Chris de Burgh

2000 Miles by The Pretenders (you should all know this one after two years of Christmas stories!)

Fairytale of New York by The Pogues

As ever, I'm eternally grateful to everyone whose read my work. You guys make all the hard work worth it, I love you all!


"Sorata wishes us Merry Christmas," Kamui said, smiling at his phone. Hokuto looked over her shoulder from her spot at the kitchen counter, her eyebrows raised.

"He does know it's still only Christmas Eve here, right?" She asked, over the whir of her hand mixer, whipping egg yolks and sugar and salt together.

"Nah, but I'll let Arashi tell him," Kamui replied, unconcernedly. "Or Yuzuriha or Kusanagi." He texted Sorata back, then yawned and stretched against Hokuto's sleek, trendy sofa. He and Subaru had arrived in Tokyo the week before, but he still wasn't quite over his jetlag. He watched her work in silence until she shut off the hand mixer and set it on its end with an impatient mutter. Kamui knew a little flutter of excitement as he thought of the state-of-the-art standing mixer he and Subaru had bought her, now wrapped in glittering paper and waiting under the Christmas tree in the corner. Now the whirring had stopped, Kamui's music could be heard again, passionate male vocals and harmonies.

"When two thousand years of our time has gone by, the song will begin once again…"

"And it goes…" Kamui sang under his breath, before letting the chorus wash over him. He loved the song: it was from his mother's carefully curated Christmas playlist.

"My mom only listened to good music, especially at Christmas," he always told people, stoutly.

His smile widened as he got to his feet and walked into the kitchen to join Hokuto. It, like the rest of the apartment, was all clean lines and sophisticated colors, but the photographs all over the walls and fridge, warm lights and preheated oven kept everything soft and cozy, particularly when contrasted with the snow falling quietly outside the windows.

"You sure you don't need help?" Kamui asked. Hokuto turned and gave him a deeply affectionate smile.

"You could-" But at that moment the door opened, revealing Subaru, covered in snow and looking exhausted, but his whole aspect brightened when he saw his boyfriend and his sister. "Hello!" Exclaimed Hokuto. "All done with work?"

"Yes, sorry I'm so late," he replied, stepping out of his shoes and hanging up his coat.

"Super important Onmyoji is only back in Tokyo for three weeks, what do you want?" Said Kamui, grinning.

"I know, I just feel bad working when I could be spending time with you," Subaru sighed, joining them in the kitchen. He kissed his sister on the cheek, then wrapped his arm around Kamui, pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. Kamui gave him a radiant smile and brushed the snow from his hair.

"Don't, I'm always happy for one on one time I get with my brother in law!" Hokuto said, gesturing with the measuring cup she had filled with flour. Subaru and Kamui exchanged a look. She'd taken to making comments like that recently, and though they supposed they couldn't be surprised after being together for two and a half years, it always made them blush.

"What did you need me to do, Hokuto?" Kamui asked, wearily rather than grumpily, and Subaru knew a rush of affection. It wasn't the intense, all consuming, infatuated passion of years past, but a more grounded and accepting, though no less powerful, love. Regardless, these little moments of realizing how much had changed in their time together were always gratifying.

"Pour us drinks," Hokuto replied, grinning. Teasing them never got old.

Kamui disentangled himself from Subaru and retrieved a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator. A new song began to play, a festive riff getting louder and louder until a woman began to sing in a low, wistful voice.

"Oh I love this song!" Hokuto exclaimed, beaming, as Kamui popped the cork with skills honed at his restaurant job and poured three glasses. "The children were singing," Hokuto sang, "He'll be back at Christmas time!"

"Here," Kamui said, nudging Subaru gently with a champagne flute, then, "What?" Subaru smiled and accepted the glass with one hand and tucked a strand of Kamui's untidy hair behind his ear with the other. Time, recovery work and growth had weathered Kamui's face a bit, but he was no less beautiful for it.

"Nothing," Subaru said, quietly. "I just love you, that's all."

"Our hearts were singing, it felt like Christmas time!"

"I love you too," Kamui replied, quietly. They said it to each other often, and it only seemed to strengthen in meaning with time and experience. He kissed Subaru on the lips, still rather pink in the face, and set Hokuto's glass on the counter beside her; her hands were occupied with her cake, alternating wet and dry ingredients.

"What are you making, anyway?" Subaru asked.

"Chestnut cream cake," replied Hokuto, adding the last of the dry ingredients to her batter.

"Excellent," replied Subaru, exchanging another smile with Kamui.

"I can hear people singing, it must be Christmas time!" Hokuto sang happily. The song ended, and she finished the batter. "Don't you dare," she added to Kamui, who immediately tried to look innocent.

"She don't trust me at all, that hurts," he muttered to Subaru.

"Not when it comes to stealing cake batter," Hokuto replied, as though it were obvious, carefully pouring the batter into cake pans.

"You see what I'm saying?"

"I'm not getting involved," Subaru replied, with dignity, grinning over the rim of his champagne flute as another of Kamui's mother's favorite songs began to play. "Shouldn't we be in our other city if we're going to play Fairytale of New York?"

"Nah, I got you," Kamui assured him. "Fuck outta here, deadass though, my fucking train got delayed, my dude, really? It's brick ass cold," He rattled off in a deadpan tone, and Subaru and Hokuto burst into laughter. Kamui grinned. "Better?"

"I almost spilled the batter!" Hokuto cried reproachfully. Still laughing, she put the cake pans in the oven and set a timer before finally picking up her champagne. "Anyway, cheers! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" They clinked their glasses together and took long sips, then immediately fell into easy conversation. Both Subaru and Kamui were feeling the same thing: lucky to be able to celebrate with those they loved, and stunned at making it this far, but maybe, just maybe, able to accept that they deserved this happiness. Outside the snow continued to fall, and inside the music continued to play.

"And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day…"


I love you all, see you in the New Year!

Also check out how Fuuma and Seishiro are spending their holiday~ We're all craving chestnut cream cake.

i think of reviews when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!