Hello, this is yet another PoT fanfic… It does contain yaoi/shonen-ai/bl whatever term you prefer to use, so if that isn't your cup of tea I wouldn't suggest it.
I don't own PoT … no matter how much I beg and plead Konomi-sensei to sell it to me.
Christmas with the Kikumarus
"Hikari's bringing her boyfriend… she's been hinting at something big all week so chances are good that they're engaged now, she never could keep a secret" Eiji whined to Oishi over the phone. "It's not fair."
"What's not fair?" asked Oishi distractedly.
"… You're doing homework again," accused Eiji. There was a short chuckle and the sound of a book closing.
"It's not fair that I'm doing homework?" he asked amused. "Okay, you've got my undivided attention."
"It's not fair… That they can be that way."
"Who can?"
"Hikari and her boyfriend… it's not fair that they can be so happy, and be open about it," said Eiji quietly.
"Eiji," said Oishi softly. "I love you-"
"I know, and I love you too… but I don't want to have to keep it a secret," said Eiji depressed. "I want to be able to move in together, to tell people that we're together."
"Eiji, you know it's too soon,"
"Too soon? Oishi, we've been together since the beginning of high school, that's well over nine years now!"
"You know what I mean love," responded Oishi calmly.
"… I do…"
"And as long as we both know, no one else matters,"
"Yeah… I wish I could see you this week though," sighed Eiji.
"I won't be done with finals till tomorrow-"
"Medical school is too much work," grinned Eiji knowing that Oishi could tell that he was from the tone of his voice.
"Then," continued Oishi as if he hadn't been interrupted. "I have to go up to my grandparents house in the mountains for Christmas. I'll see you when I get back to Tokyo on the 28th,"
"Okay… well, I'll let you get back to your studying then, go ace those finals… bye Oishi love you, see you soon."
"I love you too. I'll call you on Christmas eve after I get through the mountains," said Oishi before Eiji reluctantly hung up.
"Who was on the phone?" asked his mother as she emerged from the laundry room.
"Oh, just someone from work, they wanted to discuss the curriculum for after break," lied Eiji; his mother frowned at him for a Moment.
"Kitten? What's wrong?" she asked concerned.
"Oh, nothing… I'm just a little tired, I'm going to go to bed early tonight," said Eiji as he began heading to his old bedroom. For the remainder of his trip home he was staying in his and Jun, his second oldest brother's, room. Hikari and her boyfriend, when they arrived would be staying in Hikari and Chiyo's old room. Jun, his wife Mayu and their four-year-old daughter would be staying in Tomo's, the oldest Kikumaru child. Tomo, his wife Junko and their four children would be staying with Chiyo's family who lived only a few blocks away.
It was going to be a long, hectic week with his entire family under one roof. Eiji, and his two older brothers, Jun and Tomo, were going to be spending quite a bit of time interrogating Hikari's boyfriend, and well Eiji was also going to be spending a lot of time avoiding Mayu and Junko, his brother's wives. A few years back, they had had a nice big neighborhood barbeque and had invited the entire Kikumaru clan. Junko and Mayu had been disappointed to find Eiji had once again shown up date-less, and being the friendly type of person that he is Eiji had spent much of the barbeque talking with people and seemingly flirting with the women of the neighborhood.
"You're a nice guy, you deserve a nice girl who will love you," Mayu had said when she and Junko cornered him after the barbeque.
"We just have a few friends that we want you to meet," added Junko. And ever since then both had been playing matchmaker, trying, in vain, to find a wife for Eiji.
He closed the bedroom door behind him and flopped onto the lower bunk. Everyone else would be showing up tomorrow, but his mother had requested that he come early to help with the cooking and other preparations, well, it wasn't like he could have seen Oishi today anyways. He thought with a reluctant sigh before he rolled over and fell asleep.
---
"Good Morning!" called Chiyo as she walked into the kitchen where Eiji, half asleep, was nursing a strong cup of coffee. Despite popular misconception Eiji wasn't a morning person, he would sleep in as late as people would let him, and was slow to wake. He gave an incoherent grunt of disapproval as Chiyo ruffled his hair and then joined him at the table.
"Aren't you just mister sunshine today," smiled Chiyo.
"Where's the rest of your herd?" asked Eiji setting down his cup.
"Jiro took Kagome and Akira to the park, Kagome still has soccer lessons this morning so he had to take her over there anyways, and if he took Akira with them as well I could come over and help with the cooking so it wasn't just all you and Mom," smiled Chiyo.
"Thanks 'neesan," yawned Eiji as he stretched his arms up above his head. "It'll be very much appreciated… oh, how long can you stay? Aren't Tomo and his family arriving at your house today?" asked Eiji, Chiyo nodded.
"Yes, but that isn't till this afternoon and Jiro and the kids will be back by then and they can handle all the arrangements… isn't Jun's family showing up today too?" asked Chiyo.
"Yes and I'll be hiding as soon as Mayu and Junko run into each other," groaned Eiji. Chiyo gave a slight chuckle.
"You know they're just trying to help you, they want you to be happy." Said Chiyo, she then placed her hand over her brother's and looked him straight in the eyes with a serious expression. "We all want you to be happy." He looked away blushing faintly.
"I know, I know." Eiji mumbled. Chiyo then stood and walked over to the stove.
"I'll make you breakfast… that should be incentive enough to wake up," smiled Chiyo, she knew her youngest brother loved her omelets. Eiji smiled and stood.
"I'll go get dressed then… and start helping Mom with the cleaning."
---
As they all sat down to dinner Eiji's mood seemed to lighten, surrounded by his family and their warmth he knew he couldn't help but join in their happiness.
"Uncle Eiji! Uncle Eiji!" called a voice from the kid's table. "Watch this!" It could have come from any of his three nephews. Eiji turned and saw that it was the littlest one, Tomo and Junko's youngest son, Kinta, he was only two but already he was surprisingly smart and quick to learn anything anyone showed him. All Eiji's siblings mocking told him that Kinta was a younger, quieter version of him in all the ways that mattered, which mainly meant that Kinta was the crybaby and biggest attention hog of Junko and Tomo's four children, and had been the baby of the family until three months ago when Junko had given birth to Eiji's newest niece (and Kinta's unwanted sister and competition) a sweet, quiet baby named Suzu. Eiji smiled as he watched his nephew do a handstand for a full five seconds.
"Did you see? Didja!" he asked.
"That's nothing! Watch this Uncle Eiji!" Akira, Chiyo and Jiro's youngest child, a five-year-old boy, yelled as he did a cartwheel.
"I can do that better!" yelled Akira's older sister, Kagome, who had just turned six.
"Kagome!" came Chiyo's harsh command. "Not in a dress." The adults had all chuckled at that, knowing that in their youth, both of the girls of the Kikumaru family had been just as into gymnastics and acrobatics as the baby of the family had been, and Chiyo had done more than one cartwheel in a dress herself.
Megumi, Junko and Tomo's four-year-old daughter, and Sora, Jun and Mayu's four-year-old daughter, left the kids table and came running over to Eiji's seat at the adults table.
"Uncle Eiji!" they said in unison. "After dinner can you show us that back flip again?" they pleaded. Eiji was about to reply when he was cut off by an indignant squawk from Harata, Junko and Tomo's eldest child, a five-year-old boy.
"Uncle Eiji promised to play that racing game with me after dinner! He doesn't wanna play with stinky ole girls!" yelled Harata. The three started arguing but most of it was done by Megumi and Harata, the eldest of Junko and Tomo's four children. Eiji grinned and held the three apart.
"I'll have time to do both," he said with a laugh, it was really no secret that all the children's favorite family member was 'Uncle Eiji'.
"Eiji, you're getting so good with them" smiled Chiyo. Eiji shooed the children back to their dinner at their own table and then looked up at Chiyo.
"Well, I do work mostly with kindergarteners now, I'm thinking about specializing there… What do you think? Me, as a Kindergarten teacher?" he asked. There were murmurs of approval all across the table; it seemed to be unanimous that Eiji would make a wonderful kindergarten teacher after he finished his last year of required substitute teaching.
Kikumaru Satsuki, proud mother of five grown children, looked up at the clock as she stood from her seat at one of the heads of the table.
"Well, I was hoping Hikari would be here by now… but I guess we should start on dessert without them," said Mrs. Kikumaru as she walked into the kitchen followed by her six grandchildren who were old enough to walk, and talk, amidst shouted questions of what kind of dessert there was and if they could get a second helping of it.
She had just set down two pies and an enormous chocolate cake on the dining room table when the front door opened.
"Hello Hello everyone! Sorry we're late!" came the excited yell of Kikumaru Hikari, youngest of the female children. She stuck her head into the dinning room. "Good! We made it in time for dessert!" she smiled as she was immediately swarmed by her young nieces and nephews, it was also no secret that after Uncle Eiji, Aunt Hikari was the next best.
"Hey chibis!" she smiled hugging them all, before she got over to the rest of her family.
"So, where is he?" asked Chiyo with a smirk. Hikari looked back the way she had come; there was no one there.
"Huh? …Your guys' aura must have scared him off already," Hikari informed her three brothers who were doing their best to look innocent, as if they hadn't been planning on interrogating him. Hikari went back they way she came and returned a Moment later with her arm around a tall young man's waist. He had dark eyes and dark hair and, like Hikari herself, multiple piercings, obviously an artist, which was also like Hikari. Mr. And Mrs. Kikumaru blanched at the sight of him, and the three Kikumaru sons grinned, they were going to have a lot of fun with this one.
"But look," said Hikari turning to Chiyo, Mayu and Junko; she held out her hand proudly, and there on her dainty little finger was a glimmering engagement ring. All three women squealed and began gushing to Hikari about how beautiful it was, and how nice he must be, and how exciting her engagement was. Which put a bit of a damper on the brothers' evil machinations, after they were engaged, prospective others were technically off limits to teasing, provoking and interrogating.
"Well that bites," muttered Tomo.
"She probably got engaged just to save him from the terror," grinned Jun. Eiji for his part looked over at his sisters and sisters in law.
An engagement. All his complaints at the unfairness of his own relationship resurfaced in his mind. It just wasn't fair, he wanted to be able to bring Oishi to family stuff, to proclaim that Oishi was more than just his old doubles partner; he wanted to get the opportunity to announce how serious their relationship was, how much they loved each other, and that if men were legally allowed to be wed, they would have done so years ago.
"Eiji?" asked Hikari, all of a sudden she was standing right in front of him looking concerned. Eiji pulled her into a hug.
"Congratulations Hikari 'neesan! I'm happy for you!" he said, and he truly did mean it, just because he was jealous didn't mean that he wanted to begrudge them their happiness. Hikari seemed to understand though; she gave a slight nod and hugged him tighter.
"It'll be your turn soon enough," she whispered quietly in his ear. Eiji released her but didn't respond to her statement.
"Well," he said turning to face Hikari's fiancé. "Don't just stand there, come on in, sit down, introduce yourself," said Eiji pointing to a seat between Tomo and Jun who were grinning unrepentantly. Hikari gave her brothers a look.
"Be nice!" she admonished them as she pulled her fiancé over to an empty seat on the complete opposite end of the table from her brothers. She cut both her and her fiancé a piece of the chocolate cake and took a big bite. "You made this didn't you Eiji! This is delicious!" She stated with a little 'mmm' of approval.
"Yes I did. Now put down the cake and get on with the intro!" said Eiji. Hikari glared but did as she was told.
"We've known each other for four years now," Hikari informed her family with a smile.
"Hello my name is Kazuma Shiro. I'm very pleased to finally meet you all, I've heard so much about you all," said the man politely.
"Don't believe a word of it," said Tomo.
"We're actually quite civil," added Jun.
"We haven't slaughtered anyone in at least a week," offered Eiji with a sadistic grin to match his older brothers'. The man's smile faltered.
"Don't listen to them Shiro," said Hikari as she stuck her tongue out at her brothers. "They like to pretend they're competent at anything." There were indignant protests from all three and Chiyo just laughed, poor Shiro looked ready to run away and never return.
"Boys," said Kikumaru Mitsu in a warning tone that shut all three up.
"Truce?" asked Hikari. The three brothers exchanged looks.
"… Truce," said Tomo finally. "But we reserve the right to question him further at a later date." Well, it was as close to a truce as she was going to get out of them so she agreed, and then dessert continued with burst of laughter and chatter and a general enjoyment by all participants.
This is just a rather long A/N
I threw in a lot of OC's because, well, this takes place when Eiji's 23, so his family needed to have more family… if that makes any sense at all so this is a family tree of sorts.
Kikumaru's
Mitsu (Dad) and Satsuki (Mom)
Tomo (M)
Chiyo (F)
Jun (M)
Hikari (F)
Eiji (M… I should hope you know that one)
Tomo's family
Tomo and Junko
Harata (M, 5)
Megumi (F, 4)
Kinta (M, 2)
Suzu (F, 3 mo.) on a side note… she really doesn't get mentioned so anytime you see Junko appear just assume she's holding Suzu.
Chiyo's family
Narusawa Jiro and Chiyo
Kagome (F, 6)
Akira (M, 5)
Jun's family
Jun and Mayu
Sora (F, 4)
Kazuma Shiro and Hikari (engaged)
Also, I know there are supposed to be Eiji's grandparents still in the house, but I didn't feel like writing them, so just assume they're dead, or if you prefer something less lethal pretend they're vacationing in the Bahamas.
I'd love some feed back on whether or not this all feels to rushed, or if it's moving to slowly… or really anything you think it needs or doesn't need.