#yoshikoc

That … That is something she clearly wasn’t expecting ; that one of her babies directly tells her that it’s over, that she isn’t a child anymore, that Santa Claus doesn’t exist and that she knows it and–

“But it’s okay Mommy,” Erena goes on, as if to reassure her –maybe she did see that her mother’s face is growing paler and paler–, “I won’t say it and I’ll act as usual, so I won’t make Kotori, Maki, Hanayo and all the others cry. I know they still believe in Santa. So, don’t worry, Mommy! I’ll do as if Santa is real.”

What.

Riko blinks several times –she tends to do that a lot when her children are around, as they manage to surprise her all the time–, still trying to recover from the unpredictable shock.

“Mommy?”

“I … Wait, Erena-chan … H-how?” Riko hesitantly asks in a hushed voice, as if Kotori and Maki were here. She is silently hoping that Erena is messing with her and that she was just cracking a joke, just like that, before they receive all their friends for Christmas Eve.

“Nozomi told us last time,” Erena answers, as if it were the most obvious and natural thing in the world, “She made Nico and Eli cry, and Anju even yelled at her. Tsubasa and I were the only ones who didn’t say anything.”

“O-oh … I see.” Riko is unsure of what to tell her daughter, the surprise still overwhelming her. She really wasn’t ready for that kind of news.

Instead, she focuses on her previous task : tying the little girl’s hair back. For a minute, she completely forgot about that.

“After all, that’s true. It’s odd,” Erena continues, moving her hands as she talks, “How does Santa do to visit all the houses all over the world in just one night? Reindeers can’t even fly, and they can’t overtake a plane. He can’t do all that. Plus, he’s fat and he’s an old man, how can he keep up? It’s impossible.”

Riko can’t help but laugh at the last comment. How meanly adorable.

“Even if he isn’t real, it’s still a lovely story.”

“It is,” Riko agrees, her gaze softening, hands unconsciously combing the now perfect ponytail.

“Mommy …” Erena weakly calls as she tentatively meets her mother’s gaze in the mirror, “Are you mad at me?”

“Huh?” Riko raises an eyebrow, “Why would I be mad at you?”

The little girl gulps and starts playing with her fingers, nervous. “Because now I know that Santa doesn’t exist …”

“Oh, my baby …” Riko leans over and wraps her arms around Erena’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. “Honestly, do you really think I was going to be mad at you because of that? Silly,” Riko chuckles as she pecks her daughter’s cheek, “I’m sad because it means that you’re growing up faster than what I want.”

“Of course I am, Mommy! It’s normal.”

“But you know that Mama and I don’t want you to grow up, because you’re our dear baby!” And, with that, Riko tightens her grip, causing Erena to laugh and playfully flail around.

“But I’m not a baby!”

“Tell you what,” a cheerful voice chimes in, and the two break the embrace, turning to look at the newcomer, “You’ll always be our little baby!”

“Mama,” Erena greets her with a wide smile, instantly mimicked by the brownish ashen-haired woman.

“Oh, my beauty!” You squeals while easily scooping her eldest into her arms, earning a ‘Heeeeyy!’ of protest, “You’re so cute with your hair up!”

A soft smile graces Riko’s features as You puts Erena down, before she unconsciously starts twirling the end of her ponytail, as if she were feeling melancholic.

“You-chan,” Riko’s amber eyes land on her wife “Before everyone arrives, I think you need to know that, um …” her voice drops in a whisper “Erena-chan knows the truth.”

“Eh?” Comes You’s puzzled and curious reply, as the latter blinks. “The truth? What do you mean, Riko-chan?”

“That Santa doesn’t exist, you know …”

“What?”

The two adults immediately freeze when a crystal-clear voice rises behind them.

“Oh no,” Riko breathes, aghast, when she realizes that her second daughter is standing there, in the doorway.

“What do you mean, Santa doesn’t exist?” Kotori repeats, her eyes already glistening with tears, her tiny voice tinged with disbelief and sadness breaking her mothers’ heart. She is tightly holding her own hands, as if she were ready to hide her tears and cry in them.

But before one of them can react and try to explain everything to Kotori –that it is not what she thinks it is, that she completely misheard and got it all wrong–, Erena steps in front of her little sister and puts a hand on her shoulder, patting it reassuringly.

“It was in the nightmare I had last night,” she says while Kotori tries to blink her tears away, “I was just telling Mama and Mommy about it. There was an ugly and bad elf who was stomping on our presents and he was screaming and telling us that Santa never existed …”

At this, Kotori covers her mouth with her hands, shocked, before she frowns and exclaims, “Why was he saying that! It’s so mean!”

“It is!” Erena instantly agrees, before shrugging, “I think he was just punished because he didn’t work as hard and as well as the other elves.”

A cute snort comes from the gray-haired little girl, and both You and Riko exhale, relieved.

“If Maki-chan had that nightmare, I think she’d still be crying,” Kotori giggles, before her eyes widen when three knocks echo in the corridor, followed by muffled voices. “Oh! They’re here!”

“Hey Kotori-chan!” You broadly smiles and extends a hand, “Let’s go greet them together!”

“Yeah!”

Vigorously nodding her head, Kotori happily takes her Mama’s hand, following her to the front door. You lets her open it, revealing the Matsuura family on the doorstep clad in warm clothes, scarves and even a cute beanie with cat ears for Rin.

“Aye aye, everyone~” You salutes, mimicked by Kotori who soon drops her hand and hugs her Mama’s leg, as if to fight the cold, “My gods, it’s freezing out there, please come in, quick!”

“Yeah, Auntie You is right girls,” Kanan says while pushing Umi and Anju inside, Honoka and Rin being already in the house, struggling to take off their coats and scarves.

“Wait a minute, you two.” Riko approaches Honoka, stopping all her movements and gently taking her scarf off before she squeezes it too much around her neck by pulling on it like a savage.

“Whew, thank you Riko-chan for the help!” Chika widely smiles, while taking care of Rin and her coat which is almost too big for her. “Hey Riko-chan, you have no idea of how happy I am to know that I’m going to see everyone again! So, how have you been doing? Oh, hello Erena-chan!”

And Chika goes on and on, quickly dragging Riko in the conversation.

“Oh Anju-chan, you’re so cute with this new haircut!” You coos the moment she passes next to her.

The little girl offers her blue-eyed auntie a bright smile, before twirling a ginger strand of her now shoulder-length hair.

“Thank you, Auntie You! I got it cut this morning.”

“Woah, really?” You grins, closing the door. “Is it for Santa?”

“Oh no, not at all!” Anju instantly replies, with this light and airy laugh of hers. It turns into a soft chuckle, and then in a bright smile when she meets one of her best friends’ eyes. “Erena-chan~”

And Anju launches herself into Erena’s arms without hesitating, greeting with that special hug only Tsubasa and her can have –okay, her mothers and her little sisters too.

“She wears it well,” You then says as she turns to look at Kanan, who is hanging her coat and scarf on the coat rack, “But I’m really surprised you decided to cut her hair that short. I thought you didn’t want to?”

“I didn’t want to,” Kanan agrees with a sigh, sliding a hand through her loose navy hair, “But Rin decided that it was a good idea to cut her sister’s hair yesterday evening.”

You gasps at that, eyes widening, but she quickly hides an amused smile and some giggles behind her hand. Kanan only rolls her eyes, before she winces and frowns in pure and comic desperation.

“You understand now that I couldn’t leave Anju with short strands here and there, and that I showed up at the hairdresser in a hurry this morning to fix it! Bless them for closing only after New Year’s Eve and not today.”

“But Mama,” a voice interrupts them, and the two childhood friends look down to see little Honoka tugging on the hem of Kanan’s sequin jacket, “Rin-chan wanted to try, and Onee-chan didn’t mind!”

“I know Honoka, they told me,” Kanan ruffles one of her twins’ hair, “But it doesn’t mean that it was a good idea, honey.”

“It’s in the genes,” You laughs, “Remember when Chika-chan tried to cut her bangs when we were little?”

“Ma did it too, nya?” Rin pipes in, reassured by the idea that one of her parents did this silly thing too.

“Yes, she did. Next time we go to Grandma’s inn, I’ll show you the photo.”

“Nya!”

After the Matsuura’s storming entrance, it was Ruby and Hanamaru’s turn to show up, with Tsubasa and Hanayo. The shy youngest didn’t even have time to step in the house that Rin tackled her into a bear-crushing her, just like she did with Maki when she first arrived. Maki, who was forced to join in the hug, dragged by Rin. As for Tsubasa, she wanted to join Erena and Anju, but got slowed down by Hanamaru, who wanted her to ‘say hello to your aunties first, zura’.

They were followed by the Tsushima family, with their precious and funny twins, Nozomi and Nico. At first, the purple-haired little girl was disappointed to see that her dearest friend Elicchi still wasn’t here, but her Mom Yoshiko reassured her, telling her litol demon that it was probably Auntie Mari’s fault if they were late. And, either way, Honoka invited (dragged) her to play hide and seek with everyone else. Obviously, the game had a spectacular start, thanks to Maki and Nico. Indeed, they started bickering –and it was adorable for the adults–, as they tried to hide behind the same door. Umi, the seeker, didn’t have a hard time finding them first.

Finally, when the third hide-and-seek game started, Mari dynamically knocked on the door. She even started singing We wish you a merry Christmas when Riko let her enter. Dia seemed already bushed, certainly because of her wife’s antics. As for Eli, after politely greeting everyone, she followed Nozomi and hid with her, while Honoka ­–helped by Tsubasa– had to start counting again. She even had to count a third time after a few minutes, as Mari chose to gather all the children to tell them :

“Hey cutie pies! I bet you didn’t see that it’s starting to snow. We’re going to have a real white Christmas!”

All the little girls rushed to look through a window, and You caught their attention before they started pushing each other to have some place, telling them that it would be better if they were looking through the big patio door.

  “Should we place them like that?” Riko inquires, as You and her are both leaning over an oval-shaped plate with oysters –thank you Mari for them.

“Yeah.” You nods her head, before trying to place the last oyster between two others, doing her best not to move the rest too much. “Mmh … Riko-chan, you’ve never tasted oysters, have you?”

As their eyes meet, Riko slowly shakes her head. But her amber eyes soon widen when she notices You’s amused smile, and she takes a step back while her lover raises the last oyster and puts it in front of her mouth.

“Aw, come on Riko-chan! You’re not a child anymore!” You giggles, holding the flat shell with her fingertips, “You just have to gulp it down!”

The pianist’s face contorts in disgust, “Ew, no!”

“Oh come on, even Kotori-chan tried one earlier!”

“And she choked on it.” Riko pointedly looks at the brownish ashen-haired woman in front of her, turning her head on the side in order to avoid the oyster, like an obstinate child. “Plus, it isn’t appetizing : it looks like phlegm.”

You pauses at that comment, glancing at the oyster, before starting to laugh, loud and clear. Riko pouts, feigning to be hurt by her wife’s mocking laugh.

“You’re worse than Maki-chan,” You giggles, finally keeping the oyster away from Riko’s mouth. “She’s completely your spitting image!”

“And if you’re not eating it,” Mari’s dynamic voice chimes in. The blonde woman appears behind You, stealing the oyster. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to feed my darling~”

Mari is quick to plop down next to Dia, proudly holding the oyster.

“Mari­–“ Dia begins, only to be cut off.

“Baby, come on, please!”

Riko rolls her eyes in front of the familiar scene, before letting out a surprised but soft yelp when You catches her off guard with a peck under her uncovered ear.

“Y-Y-You-chan?”

“What?” You asks with an innocent voice, a teasing smile illuminating her face. “Can’t I kiss my wife on Christmas Eve?”

“O-of course you can,” Riko stutters, a light blush tinting her cheekbones, “But–“

Loud tinkling laughs coming from the smallest round table interrupt her, and she spins round to see Nozomi, Anju, Honoka and Rin roaring with laughter, while Nico seems to be pouting. But the latter soon joins them, just like the others, and Riko and You’s eyes soften.

Before telling the children to sit down at the table, everything was about to go wrong : first, poor little Hanayo almost made the Christmas tree fall, as she tripped over the wire of some fairy lights. In the meantime, Anju and Kotori both sneaked in the home office, where You’s sewing kit is. They hurriedly came back, blood all over Anju’s right fingers : she pricked and cut herself while blindly rummaging through a box to give Kotori the measuring tape. Also, Nico and Maki bickered once again, as usual, before tearing the only gold tinsel that was falling from the Christmas tree, as they both wanted to wrap it back and didn’t want the other to get in the way.

In not even an hour, after everyone arrived, the house became chaotic –and a real mess too, with toys everywhere, whether it be on or under the couch, in the kitchen, all over the carpet.

“I love them so much,” Riko can’t help but whisper, ignoring the fact that her heart skipped a beat when You slipped her arms around her waist. Her gaze unconsciously lingers on her three daughters, and she softly smiles, “I’m so proud of us, we did a great job.”

“Yeah …”

“Oi, the lovebirds!” Chika exclaims, filling all the glasses with wine, “We’re hungry! You’ll have the night to yourselves, you can wait a little!”

“Ch-Chika-chan!” Riko squeaks, stopping herself from throwing a dish towel right in her friend’s face.

“Momma …?”

Hanamaru finishes the verrine she was eating, puts it away and, the spoon still in her mouth, turns to look at her youngest daughter.

“What is it Hanayo-chan, zura?”

“Wh-when does Santa come?” Hanayo shyly asks, feeling quite uncomfortable because of all the pairs of eyes on her.

At that, Hanamaru shares a quick glance with Ruby, and then with their friends, before taking the little girl on her lap. Hanayo instantly snuggles against her mother, tucking her head under her chin, reassured by her warmth, regular breathing and perfume.

“Soon honey, soon …”

Hanamaru places a kiss on the top of Hanayo’s head, before she cradles her gently. It doesn’t take long before the others approach their parents too ; compared to them, their plates have been empty for a long time. And it is getting late now, and the fatigue is slowly kicking in. After all, the past few days were exciting, and today is the peak of the excitement of Christmas.

“Hey Maki-chan,” You calls while opening her arms, welcoming her red-haired daughter with a hug, “Did you tell your aunties what you’re going to do before Santa arrives?”

Maki shakes her head, before burying it in You’s neck as she reciprocates the hug. Riko smiles, pride bubbling inside her, and she takes Kotori on her lap.

“Ooooh~, what is our dear Maki-chan going to do?” Mari excitedly asks, placing her elbows on the table, widely grinning.

“Yes, what is it Maki-chan?” Maemi goes on, with Nozomi and Nico on her lap, too.

“Tell us, tell us!” Chika singsongs, clearly curious, “Auntie Chika wants to know!”

Maki is now hugging her flat snow leopard-like cuddly toy against her chest, just like her red and white pacifier and the white one. She whispers something in You’s ear, who whispers back –loud enough for everyone to hear, though :

“You want me to tell them?”

Maki nods her head, before snuggling against You again.

“So,” the sea lover woman begins, giving her youngest daughter another hug, “Maki-chan is going to–“ she pauses a little, as if to add more suspense, “–give something to Santa …” another pause again “She’s going to give him her loyal pacifiers!”

“Oh yeah Maki-chan, you’re such a big girl!” Chika exclaims, ready to clap to congratulate her niece.

“Congratulations~”

The most considerate parents –like Maemi, Kanan or Ruby– give Maki their encouragement, clearly aware of the fact that Maki owns two pacifiers which are very dear to her. Before going to bed, for example, she needs the two, not just one.

“It’s because I’m not a baby anymore,” Maki mumbles against You’s shoulder, tightly holding the two objects though.

“And we’re very proud of you, sweetie.” Riko smiles at her daughter, who cranes her head to look at her –and Riko instantly extends a hand to stroke her porcelain-like skin.

But a high-pitched and gleeful yelp catches everyone’s attention, and the owner of that scream –Mari, of course– suddenly stands up.

“Hey girls, it’s still snowing outside!” she announces, taking Eli and Rin’s hands, “Let’s put our coats on!”

Hanayo, Kotori, Nozomi and Nico hop off their mothers’ lap and, with Erena, Tsubasa, Honoka, Umi and Anju, they follow Mari. Mari, who quickly turn to look at her old Aqours friends, winking at them. However, Maki can’t go with them immediately, as You keeps her in her arms.

“Hey Maki-chan,” she says, amethyst eyes meeting sapphire ones, “What if we put your passies under the Christmas tree now?”

As Maki slowly nods her head, You proudly grins and pecks her forehead, before caressing her light red locks.

“Okay, suck on them one last time, and we’ll put them under it, alright?” You then holds her hand in front of Maki, who doesn’t hesitate to high five her, “I’m sure Santa will be super happy, Maki-chan!”

“Yesh,” Maki mutters, before slipping her hand into her Mama’s, approaching the illuminated Christmas tree with her red and white pacifier in the mouth.

They both crouch down and share a glance, before Maki spits her first passy in her free hand. Seeing her mother’s encouraging smile, the little girl quickly sucks on the second one and finally drops her cuddly toy, freeing her other hand and taking the last pacifier in it.

“Where do I put them, Mama?”

“Under the branches, but not too close to the trunk. So, before he can put the presents here, Santa will see what you did and he’ll be super proud of you!”

Not far from here, Riko lovingly watches them ; it is only when a scarf is being shoved under her face that she blinks and looks at her eldest, who is handing her the fabric.

“Here Mommy,” Erena says, “Are you coming with us?”

“Of course I am, my love.”

“Mamaaaaaaaaa,” Honoka’s annoyed voice rises, “Why don’t you go outside with uuuus?”

“Because it’s too cold for me,” Kanan replies as she zips the ginger’s coat.

“It’s Auntie You who normally says that.”

“I know,” Kanan chuckles before she gets up, grabbing a loaf of bread on the table. She puts it into Honoka’s petite hand –and her face lights up in realization–, “Here sweetheart.”

“Mama! Thank you!” the little girl exclaims, hugging Kanan’s leg for a few seconds.

After receiving an affectionate pat on the top of her head, Honoka dashes outside, squealing with delight when some snowflakes get stuck in her ginger hair. She quickly spots her little sister and, soon, the two of them are throwing their heads back, ready to eat the falling snow –Honoka even forgets about the bread in her hand. As for the other Matsuura twin, she is busy taking off her dark blue gloves, to imitate Kotori who is trying to gather the snowflakes in her uncovered –and already red from the cold– hands. Next to them, Hanayo carefully pushes her foot in the snow, to make intact footprints. Maki soon joins her, even if she is a little bit unsettled. Meanwhile Anju is looking at Eli and Nico, who are struggling to make snowballs because Nozomi and Tsubasa keep attacking them with their own. Even if she is tempted, Anju does not move from her position, letting Erena adjust the scarf around her neck –because her hair is shorter now, and she ‘might get a cold’. But the auburn-haired girl suddenly bursts into laughter the moment Erena stiffens, the parts of a snowball already sprawled on the side of her head.

This is enough to start a snowball fight between the six oldest, soon joined by their youngest sisters as backup.

All of a sudden, Mari, who was staying by the bay window, opens it and screams, “Oh my gods, did I hear right? Is he here?!”

Those words cause all the girls to stop in the middle of a new attack, curiously watching the blonde woman –even if some faces are starting to get illuminated by the happiest smile ever.

“Yes!” You’s voice echoes, “But he’s leaving!”

“Oh quick!” Mari turns to look at her daughter and her nieces, opening the bay window even more. “Santa is here!”

She doesn’t have to say it twice : they are all rushing inside, hoping to see Santa Claus and be able to thank him for whatever he brought them –even if Nozomi, Erena and Tsubasa mostly want to see how many presents are under the Christmas tree now.

As they reach the front door, that Chika is holding open, they are utterly disappointed to see that no one is here. Or, well, You is here, looking up at the sky and waving, yelling :

“Thank you, Santa! Thank you for all the presents, you rock! Yousoro!”

The first one to react among the children is Honoka, who runs next to her brownish gray-haired auntie, cupping her hands around her mouth :

“THANK YOU SANTA!!”

“Thank you Santa, nya!”

“Thank you, and don’t get lost in the snow!” Anju adds, while hugging a shivering Umi next to her.

“Come back next year! See you!” Kotori waves, alongside her Mama.

A chorus of thanks follows, and You keeps staring at the dark sky with its falling white polka dots.

“If it weren’t snowing, I’m sure we’d see the reindeers and the sled!” You ruffles some of the girls’ hair. “Alright, now let’s go see if Santa left some things …”

“Of course he did nya!”

“We’ve been good girls, Mama,” Maki adds, not letting go of her cuddly toy.

“Oh, Maki-chan!” Kotori grips her little sister’s wrist, broadly smiling, “Do you think Santa took your passies?”

The two sisters soon get the answer. Despite the excitement bubbling inside them and the urge to open the presents on which their names are written, Kotori and Maki push some of them, eventually reaching the place where the youngest let her precious items. Their eyes shine when they realize that, yes, Santa took Maki’s gift.

“Maki-chan, you’re a big girl now!” Kotori hugs her sister, proud and happy for her –she, too, knows how the pacifiers were important.

The amber-eyed girl then takes Maki’s hand and they both join their Onee-chan –who slides an arm around Maki’s shoulders, giving her a side hug– and their friends, now able to look at the Christmas tree, dazzled by the amount of colorful presents underneath. There are so many : dark blue ones, multicolored ones, silver and white ones, golden and red ones, big ones, smaller ones, long ones, …

“So!” Riko claps her hands together, her smile never leaving her face, “Who would like to distribute the presents?”

The answer is immediate and ecstatic, as the girls all yell in unison :

“ME!”