Code: Secret Santa

I’m sorry I’m not the best with backgrounds 🥲 so here’s a plain background just in case 🙏

In one world, they meet as the amnesiac princess, and the bard who brings her songs of far off lands. Maybe it brings trouble, maybe it doesn’t. But the journey home is a little more lively. The bard doesn’t fight, but she brightens the princess’s day. And everyone serves a role in her life for sure, but the bard’s music lands with her in a way like nothing else.

Maybe she’ll make music like that too, when her homeland is reclaimed, and there’s no more wars to fight. She wants to follow the bard’s footsteps.

In another they meet in port, a team of pirates stopped in, in between to find freedom on the seas, to reclaim the captain’s home. And when they stop in at port, the captain meets the bartender who has  stories and a warm bed for her crew. The captain, who wanted nothing more than to relax and listen to her stories. It’s the captain's favorite place. It's a home away from her ship, and she cherishes it with everything she has.

In yet another, they meet once again by the ocean, with an artist seeking inspiration taking a walk by the shore. And there she meets a mermaid seeking to learn more about the world above, to hear about the humans directly, instead of just from the artifacts lost in the ocean.

The mermaid turns out to be the  inspiration that the artist was looking for. She loved nothing more than to share those stories of the world around them, to share her art with someone who wanted to appreciate it.

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In this world, the world we actually knew, their time together isn’t defined by adventure and conflict. Not anymore, anyway. It’s Peaceful. There’s Aelita, who’s finding her feet in a world that she spent far too much time away from. Not that Lise would ever know that. But it was a relief that she didn’t. Aelita loved her friends, the ones that fought alongside her for years to bring down XANA and, for better or for ill, put to rest the skeletons of her family’s past. Never think that she didn’t.

But when she had met Lise at the same DJing audition, both hopefuls looking to make a name for themselves as the opening act for the Subdigitals. Maybe… Just maybe. Making friends uninvolved with her prior life was the first step to moving on. Because her life didn’t - couldn’t end at middle school. 

And maybe the feeling about the other DJ was right, if the string of decorative vinyls lining her wall were any indication. You didn’t put that kind of effort in for someone you didn’t care about, right?

What to do about it is another question. Aelita here - a princess and a captain, maybe, once upon a time, depending on how you wanted to define her - was a kid. And one who had a lot learning to do. So she’d ask her friends of course. Because that was supposed to be normal classmate talk, right? When she brought it up of course, opinions were mixed. Jeremy just wasn’t much of a romance guy, much as she appreciated his help in other areas.

And asking Ulrich and Odd went about as well as one could expect. “Y’know, if you’re really interested in this girl, I could help set you guys up - I’ve got plenty of experience!” Odd had said immediately, a grin like the cat that got the canary. Ulrich immediately swatted at his arm. “Yeah, if you want a love like his, be my guest. Lise would probably run for the hills.”

Odd pouted. “Oh come on, she’d at least get a first date- You know I’m the master of those-” “That is not the word I’d use, good buddy.” So maybe they didn’t have the greatest advice. But they were supportive where it counted, right? Just listening to the two of them bicker set her mind at ease, at any rate.

Yumi was helpful enough, though she lacked a lot of personal experience in asking someone out. Which. Given her own relationships, it wasn't all that surprising. But even more importantly… “If you need ideas though, I heard William happened to take Laura to the Ice Skating rink that just opened. He says its pretty nice. It’d make for a fun experience, anyway. It’s something new.” And wouldn’t it make memories indeed? Aelita thought she was pretty good at ice skating on Lyoko. And in this world she was just… Aelita now. 

“Thanks for that, Yumi!” 

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With the encouragement of her friends and determination in her heart, she texted Lise to meet up at a little cafe out in town. Lise looked around, seemingly surprised that she turned up without any of her other friends. “Is it really just us? I don’t want to monopolize your time! Not for the holidays!” She wrings her hands. An endearing sight, honestly. “Everyone’s getting ready to head home for the holidays so…” She shrugged. “... I trust you, Aelita!”  The two of them start towards the rink. Neither of them had ever been, as it turned out. (Though, Aelita privately thinks it can’t be that different from her time on Lyoko, from sliding across the ice sector, from that kind of balance.)

(But of course, that’s not her world anymore. That’s not this world.)

(She’s making new memories here.)

“You promise not to make fun of me if I fall, right?” Lise asks, as they get rental skates and are sitting down to lace them up.

“Of course not. I invited you - I didn’t want to invite you just to make fun of you!” Especially not  now. Especially not now.

The waddle over to the rink with the ice skates on was already proving to be a new challenge, but Aelita’s always had a decent sense of balance, and when Lise had to lean a little on her that was pretty nice too.

…

The two of them set off onto the ice together, staying close to the wall and moving slow. They weren’t the only young pair out there making use of the weather and the season to make memories.

And the others they shared the space with were too wrapped up in their own little worlds to notice their silly mistakes. And that suited the both of them just fine really.

It’s not a bad life, in this world. Even if it’s not sailing the oceans and adventuring across the land.

Real Men Love Cats

Ulrich Stern wasn’t really what you might call a “dog person.”

He never had pets growing up. His mother thought they were gross, and his father hated joy in all forms. Even if they hadn’t been against the idea, Ulrich probably wouldn’t have wanted a dog anyway. They always seemed loud and in your business.

Fast forward a few years to high school though, and Kiwi was the first dog Ulrich had ever met that seemed tolerable.

The little mutt was loud sometimes, but not always. And he was usually happy enough to curl up near Ulrich to nap instead of always being underfoot or chewing on his homework and sneakers.

This was in contrast to Odd, Kiwi’s owner and Ulrich’s best friend, who usually was loud and underfoot.

However, like Kiwi, Odd grew on Ulrich over the years. Somewhere between the video game marathons, long nighttime chats, and saving the world, he realized they’d fallen in love.

Years later, when both boys were in college, Kiwi was still their faithful mascot. They lived in a tiny apartment, juggling work and classes, but at least they didn’t have to worry about XANA attacks on top of everything else.

That said, on some mornings, Ulrich did begrudgingly compare Kiwi’s newfound desire to pee on his shoes to a XANA attack.

“Odd!” The young man yelled across the apartment on that particular Sunday. “Your dog ruined my new sneakers.”

When there was no response after a few minutes, Ulrich remembered that his boyfriend often went out to get them coffee on the weekends. He sighed and picked the running shoes up to investigate. They smelled awful, but he was never sure if shoes could go in the wash.

He pulled out his phone to call his best friend, Yumi, for both sympathy and laundry advice.

Across town:

Odd and William sat across from each other at the coffee shop where William worked weekends.

“I just don’t know, Will,” Odd spoke with his mouth full of the free pastry he always got for stopping by on his friend’s morning break. “Kiwi’s been on a real rampage lately. Ulrich’s pissed because Kiwi keeps chewing on his soccer cleats, but he literally ate my sketch class homework last week! Do you know how hard it was to re-create that on the bus to campus before class?”

William sipped an espresso thoughtfully as he listened to Odd vent. He was brushing the fallen pastry crumbs into an empty cup out of habit to save himself the trouble later when a thought occurred to him.

“You know, maybe he’s lonely? If you and Ulrich are gone all day with work and class, he could just be bored.”

Odd stuffed the last of his treat in his mouth and licked the jam off his finger. “You think? It never bothered him before.”

“You guys were always in and out of your dorm at Kadic. And we would come by all the time. I bet he just misses the way things used to be.” William handed his friend a napkin, but not before laughing at the berry juice that lingered on his chin.

“You know, you should talk to Yumi. She still volunteers at the animal shelter. I bet she would have tips for a lonely dog,” the older man suggested.

Odd perked up excitedly. “Oh, now there’s an idea! What if we got Kiwi a friend? Then he wouldn’t be lonely!”

William laughed at his friend’s enthusiasm. “Well, I don’t know about that exactly. Two dogs might be a lot to manage. I just know Yumi would be thrilled to see you guys and she’s always happy to talk about the animals at the shelter.”

“It’ll be perfect!” Odd beamed, the plan already forming in his mind. “Thanks, Will! This is why you’re my best friend. You have the best ideas!”

William shrugged modestly. “I do what I can. Just don’t blame me if Ulrich doesn’t go for it.”

Odd laughed. “I think he’s ready to try anything. Besides, he likes Kiwi! What’s one more furry friend?”

That night, back at the apartment:

“No way,” Ulrich shot down Odd’s idea as they were making dinner together.

Sunday was always pasta night so they would have leftovers for Monday’s lunch.

Odd almost dropped the cheese grater in surprise. “But Kiwi is lonely!”

His boyfriend shook his head again, refusing to be swayed. “And I hate that he takes it out on my shoes, but we don’t have room for another dog, Odd.”

“Even a little dog? You don’t want another Kiwi?” Odd wrapped his arms around Ulrich’s waist as he continued stirring the sauce and nuzzled his nose into his shoulder in a pout.

Ulrich snorted before answering teasingly, “I didn’t even want the original Kiwi. I’m just as surprised as anyone that he grew on me like he did.”

Odd let his forehead rest against Ulrich’s back for another moment, feeling his muscles tense and relax as he transferred the sauce from the pan to the noodles.

“You love him now though, right?” he asked softly.

Ulrich looked over his shoulder in surprise at Odd’s genuine question.

He turned and took the shorter man in his arms, squeezing him into a reassuring hug.

“Of course.” Ulrich promised. “I love him, and I love you.”

“Even if he eats your shoes?” Odd continued. “I’ll figure something out. Maybe we just keep shoes in the closet until I-“

Ulrich chuckled. Now he understood what his boyfriend was worrying about.

He quieted him with a gentle kiss on top of his head. “It’s ok. I’m not mad. We’ll figure out what’s going on with Kiwi together.”

Odd snuggled against Ulrich’s chest happily. “You’re the best,” he said with a sweet smile.

Ulrich melted at the cat-like grin on his boyfriend’s face. He was so cute.

Ulrich couldn’t believe he had gotten so lucky.

“Don’t worry about it,” he gave Odd one more squeeze before grabbing a plate from the counter.

“Now, why don’t we eat on the couch? We can watch a movie and Kiwi can stretch out on both of our laps like he used to in high school.”

“Yeah!” Odd cheered enthusiastically, which made Kiwi bark in chorus.

“All right, all right!” Ulrich laughed. “Go get the movie set up. I’ve got the plates.”

He watched Odd and Kiwi snuggle up on the couch, leaving a spot waiting for him.

Ulrich’s heart warmed. Despite the occasional challenge, this was their little family. It was perfect.

The next morning:

As was their routine a few times a week, Ulrich called Yumi on his way to class.

“We put the shoes away, but then he got into my backpack!” he complained on the phone. “I love him, but sometimes I want to kill him.”

Yumi laughed on the other end of the line. “I think Odd’s right. Kiwi is lonely. If you can’t be home more and you’re not willing to get a petsitter, this might just be how it is until you guys graduate.”

Ulrich groaned. “Odd thinks we need another dog.”

There was a pause of consideration before Yumi spoke again. “That could help. Can you handle another dog though?”

“No,” he answered quickly. “Besides, I don’t see how it would help. Sure, they’d be less anxious, but we already get plenty of noise complaints about Kiwi. Another dog would make everything else worse.”

“What about a cat?” the woman offered.

Ulrich stopped walking he was so caught off-guard. “A cat? For Kiwi?”

“Why not? They’re quiet and small, and some get along with dogs just fine.”

Ulrich mulled this over. As much as he proclaimed he wasn’t a dog person, he thought himself even less of a cat person.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I’ve never had a cat.”

“You never had a dog before Kiwi and that turned out fine,” Yumi pointed out. “Just think about it, ok? We’ve got plenty of cats at the shelter that you could meet. No pressure, but this really could be the perfect solution for you two.”

Odd would be thrilled, Ulrich knew. And Kiwi would be thrilled. Maybe thrilled enough that he’d stop getting into everything.

“Yeah, ok,” he agreed after a long pause. “I think you’re right. Can we come this weekend? I want to surprise Odd.”

“That’s sweet,” Yumi cooed. “Of course! I have a couple of cats in mind already.”

Ulrich smiled, even though she couldn’t see. “The real challenge now is going to be not spilling the surprise to Odd before this weekend!”

“You’ve taken on XANA! I believe in you,” she teased. “Just keep me posted, ok? I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Yeah, you got it. Thanks, Yumi,” Ulrich said before putting his phone back in his pocket.

They had talked all the way to campus and now Ulrich was standing outside his math class. At least he had something to look forward to to get him through another week of classes.

That Sunday:

Odd and Ulrich arrived at the shelter right on time, even though Ulrich had to make up a story about wanting to try a new coffee place to get him in the car.

“I thought you said you didn’t want a dog?” Odd asked, growing increasingly excited as they walked into the animal shelter.

“We’re not getting a dog,” Ulrich insisted calmly as he looped his arm through Odd’s to keep him close.

But, the blonde’s bright eyes were already dancing around the lobby and the bulletin boards of animals needing homes. Every time a dog barked further inside the building, Odd looked at him excitedly and pulled on his arm.

Before he could say anything else though, Yumi appeared in the lobby.

“Hey! I’m so glad you guys could come.” She had a big smile on her face as she hugged the pair.

“Good to see you,” Ulrich replied as he gave her a half-hug. His other arm was still trying to restrain Odd.

“This is so exciting!” Odd exclaimed, squeezing Yumi tightly with his free arm. “I can’t believe you talked Ulrich into a dog!”

“Oh, yeah,” Yumi lied quickly before looking at Ulrich in confusion.

He shook his head to instruct her not to give up the play just yet.

Odd impatiently pulled them back into the shelter. “Can we go now?”

“Of course! Let me show you around,” she explained as they walked down the hall.

The mix of barking, running paws, and squeaky toys grew louder, but Yumi stopped them at a quiet room with large chairs and other strange furniture first. Some of the chairs and climbing structures had little puff balls on them.

“What’s in there?” Odd asked. He tried to poke his head in as Yumi opened the door.

“This is the cat room!” she responded. “I just want to grab something. Do you want to come in and see?”

“Yeah!” Odd pulled on Ulrich’s arm teasingly. “Maybe we can make Ulrich a cat person while we’re here.”

Ulrich snorted sarcastically. “Yeah, right. We might as well see them though.”

Odd gave him a suspicious look, but didn’t say anything else as he got distracted by all the little fluffy animals running around the room. He made himself comfy on the couch and found a wand toy with a fish dangling on the end of a long string.

“Here he comes!” Odd exclaimed as one cat after another jumped for the toy while he waved it around.

Ulrich chuckled at how much fun his boyfriend was having playing with the different cats. He was relieved that this idea seemed to be working out.

Finally, Yumi came over with a white ball of fur curled up in her arms.

“Here,” she offered Odd, who was more than happy to accept. “This kitten was the runt of her litter. All of her siblings have been adopted but, for some reason, no one has been interested in her.”

Odd’s face swung from elation to devastation upon hearing that the kitten had been left behind. He looked at Ulrich with giant, sad eyes as he cradled the little animal in his arms.

The kitten raised its head and smelled the air.

“Seems like she likes you.” Ulrich laughed when the cat bumped noses with Odd curiously.

“She recognizes a fellow cat!” Odd explained with a giant smile. “She knows I can relate to the feline experience.”

Yumi chuckled at Odd’s reference. “It’s been years since Lyoko. I’m surprised she can still tell you used to be a cat.”

“I’ve still got it,” he said enthusiastically, more to the cat in his arms than Yumi.

Odd tore his attention away from the creature purring against his chest and stood to bring her over to Ulrich.

“Look!” He held the cat up. “Isn’t she cute?”

Ulrich smiled and pet the tiny head gently with his fingertips.

“You know, she is pretty small and quiet. She probably wouldn’t take up much space either.”

Odd’s jaw fell open as he realized what Ulrich was saying.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” he exclaimed. “We’re getting a cat!?”

“Do you think Kiwi would settle for a cat instead of another dog?” Ulrich asked, grinning at Odd’s excitement.

“Absolutely!” He nodded vigorously before remembering he had the kitten in his arms. Odd looked over at Yumi for confirmation and saw she was grinning knowingly.

“What are you going to name her?” Yumi asked.

Odd nuzzled his face against the kitten again thoughtfully before declaring, “Artemis! She can be our little warrior, just like we were on Lyoko!”

“What?” Ulrich had no idea what he was talking about.

“Artemis! The goddess of the hunt!” Odd explained.

“How do you even know that?” Ulrich asked his boyfriend incredulously.

Odd shrugged and continued rubbing the cat on his face. “I took a Greek mythology class freshman year. Didn’t we take that one together?”

Ulrich rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Yumi when he realized she was snickering at them.

“I had a lot of hard classes that semester,” Ulrich defended himself. “Besides, it’s not like I need mythology in my day-to-day life.”

“Well, I think we need Artemis!” Odd declared, cutting him off. “Ulrich, this is perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Ulrich made eye contact with the kitten being held up to his face. He never would have expected a cat to be in their future when he and Odd first got together.

Still, her blue eyes tugged at his heartstrings in way he thought he had reserved only for Odd.

“All right,” Ulrich tapped Artemis on the head affectionately before looking over at Yumi. “So, how do we make this official?”

And the rest was history…

Almost immediately upon getting home, Odd opened the cat carrier and showed Artemis around the apartment while Kiwi trailed behind them inquisitively.

Ulrich sat down on the couch with a box of cat supplies Yumi had given them and started sorting through the items.

A few minutes later, Odd hopped onto the couch next to him and nestled into his side. Artemis chirped happily and climbed around their shoulders.

Kiwi propped himself up to look over the edge of the couch at the new smell and sound. His nose twitched with interest before Odd scooped him up and brought him to the other side of the couch.

“What do I… do… with it?” Ulrich asked as Artemis slid down his front and settled in his lap.

Odd laughed in response. “This is part of cat ownership! You’ll figure it out.”

Ulrich looked down at the white ball of fluff that was currently purring and kneading his pants.

Brown eyes looked up at Odd in panic. “Is she going to sleep? I still have class today!”

“Sorry,” the blonde shrugged with a grin. “Looks like you’re stuck here with us until Artie wakes up.”

Ulrich stayed very still, trying not to jostle the kitten now curled up in a tight ball on his legs. “At least she doesn’t snore as loud as you,” he teased affectionately.

“You love it,” Odd said sleepily with a roll of his eyes.

He gave a long stretch before leaning over and lounging so that his head was on Ulrich’s lap too, right in front of Artemis’s sleeping face. He kept Kiwi wrapped up in his arms against his chest.

Ulrich stroked Odd’s hair absently. They often fell into these positions: Ulrich watching a soccer game and Odd nestled up next to him, asleep by half time.

“I guess I can miss one class,” Ulrich admitted to himself before relaxing into the couch.

Something about the warm, vibrating body on his lap made him remember the purple feline he fought alongside on Lyoko.

Ulrich didn’t think about Lyoko much these days. He was surprised actually that Odd had brought it up earlier. They had spent so much time forgetting and moving on.

Still, this was a happy memory.

He realized he missed watching the lithe body scale walls and make incredible leaps around him. Odd always seemed to have so much fun in his Lyoko form. Maybe the kitten would bring some of that joy back to them.

Ulrich watched his boyfriend’s breathing slow until it was almost perfectly in sync with the two other animals curled up against him as they slept. A sentimental warmth blossomed and stretched his heart.

He never had pets when he was a kid. He never had much of a family when he was a kid either.

But his little family with Odd and Kiwi had always been more than enough for Ulrich. He was amazed to find that there was even more room in his heart for additional family members.

Even if it had taken longer than he had expected. Even if Kiwi had slowly wormed his way into Ulrich’s heart along with his goofy, pure-hearted, handsome owner. Even if they somehow had a new member of the family to take care of on top of everything else.