"Do I have to come?" Emi whined at her older brother, as they carried plates of food through the gardens of the Silvermane.
"Yes, you do." He said sternly at the young girl. Although she only responded back by sticking out her tongue in defiance.
"I'd rather be home... In my room... Under my blankets... Where it's warm." Her voice got quieter the more she listed her reasons to not go.
"We will have something to eat, then we can go."
'I want to be in my room too.' In truth; the ever-introverted Eren hated that he had to show his face and... talk. Much rather he dropped off his food and gone home.
Alas, Baelor mentioning something about an inspiring leader of the guild being expected to show up. As well, Kaori is counting this as one of her dates that she is owed. For signing on to the Silvermane as the head administrator.
"Ah, Eren and Emi Heart I welcome you." Baelor greeted the pair, a Santa hat atop his long blonde hair and a small plate of food in hand.
"Hi..." Emi waved shyly, her eyes were still focused on all the people around her.
"Where do you want this?" The reaper motioned to the plates of food. The elf pointed Eren in the direction of a table in the main living space of the barracks.
A large spacious area decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, and other festive decorations. At the centre was a massive table where food and drink were laid out. People from the guild sat and conversed, enjoying the merriment of Christmas.
"Dai, Yuri and Sora." Eren saw three of his students, motioning them over.
"Yes sir?"
"I have some more food on my bike. Can you three go and get it for me?" The trio nodded and hurriedly left the room, knowing better to disobey their teacher.
"Eren. Thank you for cooking up such fantastic meals for the guild. It is a great honour to have someone like yourself cook for us." Lady Emiko greeted the pair with her trademark grandmotherly love.
"And you must be Emi." Emiko leaned down to meet the girl's eyes. Although she quickly turned and buried her face in Eren's clothes, a bit shy around the woman she hadn't seen before.
"It's okay, she is friendly. She's been helping to look after the students while I'm away. Why don't you go and sit next to her?" Eren encouraged the timid girl.
"O-okay..." She slowly moved away from her brother and sat next to the elder woman.
"Don't worry, dear. You're in good company, I promise." The elder woman smiled, and Emi felt a bit better. As they started to talk, Emi seemed to open a bit more.
Eren took a quick inventory of those present. A survival predisposition from his training days.
Jun, still wheelchair bound tended to by his sister. A small wave from master to student.
A couple of students that ran around with some orphans. Much to his delight.
Even Souta and Dae-Jung had appeared.
And even a few other guild members bowed to him as he placed the food down. It did feel just that little bit uncanny to be a senior despite his youthful appearance. A man out of time.
"Eren. Over here." Haruto motioned for him to sit next to him.
"How are going, keeping yourself busy with clearing those gates?"
"Always." Haruto responded, taking a sip of beer.
"Did you bring Maya?" Eren scanned for Haruto's beloved daughter.
"She's around here somewhere, probably playing with those orphan girls." He spoke with his eyes on the food being slowly laid out.
Turkey's, roast ham, roast veggies, chicken, pork, seafood, dumplings, pasta, all sorts of foods for all sorts of different people. All by the multiple; as to feed the many. Eren really worked hard to cater for all.
"Hey, Eren." Haruto began to whisper. "That girl, the one whose been eyeing you. That's Kaori, right? Your new girlfriend?"
Eren glanced at the girl with a loose business suit and hair tied up in a ponytail, talking with Minami. Both giving glances to the Reaper. Whatever they were talking about was not guild business. Something far more personal.
"I... Think so I'm not sure how to classify her. We've only been on two dates; she's interesting but also a little odd."
"She sounds like a perfect match for you. Has she shown you anything yet?"
Eren gave an eyebrow raised look to Haruto. 'Anything?'
"Ya know? Her skills, her powers, or her body?" Always the one to tease; Haruto nudged Eren, smirking at the thought of what could happen on their dates.
"Skills, yes. Body no. It's nice to see you haven't changed much." The reaper leaned back into the chair.
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" His eyes narrowed on the other man, taking offence to the remark.
"Excuse me, Eren." John Reece grabbed the attention of Eren.
"Can I get your hand with the presents?"
"Sure." Eren got to his feet; following him into the backroom. There, Jiro sat. Measuring out a Santa suit and hat, to fit himself.
"Ah, Jiro is going to be our Santa for the orphans; he will give out a couple of presents after lunch."
The gruff man gave no response; only an intense stare. He looked over Eren with a judgmental gaze.
'Isn't he a bit too intimidating to be handing out gifts to children?' Eren wondered, watching the man adjust the red and white suit. He was a giant in size and a large scar was down one side of his face. A Santa for an action movie maybe.
"Grab a handful, and chuck them under the tree." John took his handful and left. The pair did so, taking as many wrapped boxes as they could hold and walked back into the main room.
"Thank you." Jiro stated simply. The man barley spoke at all. The words often used by Jiro were always blunt, but had a deeper meaning. Not a thank you for helping with presents. Something far deeper.
"My pleasure..." Was all that Eren said before walking back into the dining room. He was surprised to see Emi conversing with a couple of other guild members, she seemed more open than normal. A pleasant sight to see.
"Eren... Sit." Kaori, who had taken Haruto's seat next to Eren. Patted the chair; smiling up at the man, a playful look on her face.
"What happened to Haruto?" A little bit confused at the sudden change in personal.
"Oh, I told him that he was interrupting our date. His over there." She pointed without looking; the brown-haired man looked like he had been crying.
---
"What did you get for Christmas?" Eren asked Kaori, who smiled back.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yep." Kaori gave an enthusiastic smile; although, it seemed to hide some sorrow behind it.
"No one to spend Christmas with? No family or friends?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" She replied, looking around the guild. A lot of people were in attendance; from the lowest member, to the highest.
"I know a present I want though..." Her hands reached up to Eren's lips. Morphing them into a smile.
Or, a madman's smile. An unsettling grin across the whole face, from ear to ear. Like a man who would curb stomp a kitten. Kaori's fingers traced along the curve of the frown; feeling the skin beneath her fingertips.
"Hmmmm. We'll keep working on that smile. Practice makes perfect." She smiled at Eren, her hand slowly pulling away from his cheek.
"What we're talking with Minami about?" Eren pointed at Minami, who was now in conversation with a group of guild members. Kaori turned her head towards her.
"A little about administration, a little about you." Her tone was playful, like she was toying with the Reaper.
"What about me?"
"Uh ah ah. That's a girls secret." Winking at the man before leaning back in her seat.
"After this... Do you think we can-"
"Eren!" The excited squeal of Himari cut through the request of Kaori. She launched herself at the reaper; embracing the man in a tight hug. Nearly knocking him off his seat.
"Oof. Merry Christmas too you, Himari." Eren patted her on the head. She always loved to see her saviour in the flesh, a big ball of sunshine in an otherwise dreary day for Eren.
"Oh, Eren... Who is... This?" If Eren didn't know any better, he would say there was a sense of jealousy in the young woman.
"This is Himari, A very good girl. The best of all the students." Her cheeks flushed at the comment made by Eren.
"Who are you?" The girl asked, her face still flushed but now a look of suspicion replaced the embarrassment.
"I am Kaori, I'm dating him." Said like she had to compete with little Himari. The young girl was silent for a moment before a bright smile crossed her face.
"You mean like today's date? It's December 25th silly."
Kaori's face contorted into embarrassment and then annoyance at the young girls' antics. Although, Eren found the little competition the pair had amusing.
"ATTENTION! LUNCH WILL NOW BE SERVED!" Emiko announced. A wave of hungry guild members seated at the long table. At least 35 or 40 hungry mouths began to eat.
"Eren... Can I sit on your lap?" Himari begged, eyes wide and pleading at the reaper. Eren nodded, and she jumped on. She was the on the right side of the age between cute and creepy.
Although it made Kaori very, very annoyed. She couldn't say anything as the girl was a child, and a good girl at that. She could feel her jealousy grow by the second, but kept silent on the matter.
Toasts and cheers, the sounds of merry making. The room filled with the smell of food, wine, and a hint of Christmas spirit in the air. It felt like a true holiday season; even to the introverted and cold Eren.
"Eren, did you get anything from Santa?" Himari looked up from the plate of food to the reaper.
"No... I'm too old for Santa now. But I did ask him to get you an extra present." She had a starstruck look on her face, her cheeks turned bright pink.
"Wow, thank you." A small giggle left her lips.
However, something unexpected happened next.
A smile.
Eren gave a smile back to the girl.
The room went silent; all eyes on the reaper. He could sense the mood of the room change. All the light and cheer, suddenly became silent, as if all the air was taken from the room.
Emi, Emiko, Haruto, his students, even Baelor and Kaori were shocked at the sight of a genuine smile from the usually cold man. It was unsettling but at the same time... Heartwarming. No one dared say a word about it, for fear that the moment would fade.
A man who lost his smile; found it again. A single moment of peace and happiness from the man of shadows and darkness. Then, back to normal. The smile was gone and the room was filled with the sounds of festivities once more.
"I knew it was you." Kaori said matter-of-factly, as if the whole thing was just a test.
"Knew it was me what?" Eren and Kaori played this game of 'Remember me and my face.' She held all the cards whilst Eren only had flashes of a previous life, not enough to know much about her or why they met before.
"That smile. When I was younger, it kept me going when the whole world felt like it was falling apart. It was that smile of yours." Kaori began to blush; a faint red glow began to show upon her cheeks.
'I still don't know who you are though.' Eren wished she would give up on the game and just say how they knew each other. However, Kaori just wouldn't give up on the mystery. Like a puzzle piece missing from the larger picture.
*Ding* *Ding* *Ding*
"May I have your attention. Please?" Baelor tapped the wine glass with a small spoon. The room hushed down to hear what the elf had to say.
"I would like to make a toast. These past 12 months both have reminded us off the cold and cruel nature of our world and the warm and loving embrace of all. We have made may friends; but lost so many as well. This toast, I raise to those who have fallen and all the future. To the Silvermane!"
"TO THE SILVERMANE!" The guild members all shouted and cheered in unison. A loud uproar of claps and cheers filled the barracks for the remainder of the feast.
***
"Eren... Can we go now?" Emi, who had been playing with a couple of the orphans for a good while. She was tired and wanted to get home to her room and her blankets. It was getting late and she needed to sleep.
"Okay. We've been here for a while. Time to go home-"
*Tug* *Tug*
Himari tugged at the Reaper's coat, begging for a little more time from him.
"Can you read to us in English again? With this book."
'The Hobbit' was in her hands. A gift from Jiro's exercise as Santa. Himari, and some of the other children loved hearing Eren speak in the foreign language. It was so different to the Japanese language they were used to and very entertaining; very soothing too.
"Okay then, I can read a little bit..." Taking Himari to the garden. Emi followed as well. Interested by the English words that her brother spoke.
"Is he going to read?" "Quickly, quickly." "I want to hear the story."
Some kids saw the book in Eren's hands. Reading time was awesome to them.
Himari took up her favourite spot; On Eren's right arm. Emi sat front and centre on the soft white grass. Kids taking the places all around. A small group of people had gathered to watch. Even Kaori was a little bit interested in what Eren was reading.
"Chapter 1: an unexpected party. In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit... Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The reaper's low and gruff voice came out in a smooth, articulate, and clear English.
It was peaceful.