Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own Konjiki no Gash Bell or any of its affiliations.

A/N: This was a request from SecretAdmirer95. Originally, I was going to put it in my Simple Amenities story, but I decided against it. The Christmas Spirit overtook me for this one, anyway, and I decided it would be the perfect situation to use for the request. So here it goes; a stand alone One Shot. It has no relation to any of my other fanfictions, whatsoever. Enjoy.

SNE121

Sixteen-year-old Kiyomaro Takamine stood outside the small antique shop, quietly gazing into the display window. Lights were flashing from various little trinkets, Christmas playing from a set of speakers above his head. His jacket was zipped up tightly around his body to keep the icy breeze from penetrating and reaching his already chilled skin. Snow fell lightly from above and dotted his black hair with specks of white and silver.

In one hand was a rather large shopping bag, filled with presents for his friends, his parents, and of course, Gash. But there was something missing. He needed to buy one more present. He exhaled lightly and the warm breath mixed with the cold, forming a small white cloud. His eyes were set on an old, mahogany jewelry box, closed tight by a lock without a key. There was a beautifully, carefully carved tree, littered with leaves and flowers, and faeries across the top, and along the sides were even more faeries, posed to look as if they were dancing. It was the first thing to catch Kiyomaro's eye. It was perfect.

He nodded briefly to reassure himself. She would most definitely enjoy it. Then, he walked toward the door and pulled it open. The bell above rang lightly as the moving door stirred it, and range again as the old door closed behind him. He approached the counter, where an elderly woman sat, cleaning a beautiful old clock.

Kiyomaro stopped. He didn't want to startle the old woman. "Uhm, excuse me," he said lightly. The woman lifted her head and looked at him with a light smile.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked. Her voice wasn't shaky as he expected, but sounded younger then the woman's years. Her white hair was pulled back into a bun. But her voice wasn't the only thing young about her. Her eyes, a vibrant blue, weren't sunken as he expected, but soft and still shining with spiritual youth. Kiyomaro hesitated.

"Yes," he said at last. "I was wondering if you could get me something from the display," he tilted his chin in the direction of the window as he spoke. The woman turned her head to follow his gaze, and then, with a smile, she stood from her stool.

"Yes, of course," she said calmly. She extracted a key ring from her pocket and walked toward the case. Kiyomaro noticed that although it was a slow walk, the woman stood tall, proud. "What would you like, young man?"

Kiyomaro followed her and stopped by the display case door. "The jewelry box," he answered. "With the faeries,"

"Ah," the woman said lightly as she unlocked and opened the door. "A fine piece. It's for someone of importance, I'm assuming."

Kiyomaro's cheeks tinted red. "You could say that," he said. In his mind, he pictured her light brown eyes, her silky brown hair, and her laugh. It wasn't the first time he'd bought her a gift, but this was their first Christmas as a couple. He wanted it to be special. The woman carefully extracted the box and looked it over as she carried it to her counter. She placed the mahogany carefully upon the redwood surface and lightly wiped dust from the top of the box. The wood adopted a shine that hadn't been present in the window.

She reached under her counter and took out a wrapped box large enough to fit the jewelry box and put it in carefully. Then, she placed the lid on the box and then tied a bow carefully around it. She reached into her pocket once again and extracted a small skeleton key and handed it to Kiyomaro.

"I hope this young lady enjoys it as much as I did in my youth," the woman stated with a light smile. Kiyomaro looked at the key and slipped it into his own pocket, then, he extracted some money and paid for the present.

"Thank you very much ma'am," he said as he lightly lifted the box. "And Merry Christmas,"

The woman smiled. "Merry Christmas, young man," she said. And then, Kiyomaro left.

Kiyomaro left early the next morning, on Christmas day, and walked in the snow toward his destination. The snowfall had subsided, and the wind had stopped. The sun was shining down on the shimmering white powder, untouched by humans. In his hands, he held the simple box; white wrapping paper with the silver bow. He had snuck out before Gash could wake up and see him.

He walked for about thirty minutes before he reached his destination, a house outside the city. He approached the door and hesitantly stood before it. Was she even awake? The last thing he wanted to do was wake her on Christmas morning. He took a breath knocked lightly on the door. And waited.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal Megumi, dressed in a long skirt, long sleeved shirt, and jacket. She wore white socks upon her feet, and her long, light brown hair was pushed lightly behind her ears. She looked surprised.

"Kiyomaro?" she muttered. She gave him a tight hug and Kiyomaro returned it. Kiyomaro didn't say a word, but held out the box. Megumi looked at it, a bit uncertainly, but took it. "What's…"

"Open it," Kiyomaro interrupted

Megumi carefully untied the bow and placed the box on a small table beside the door, hidden by the wall. She looked at Kiyomaro from the corner of her eye as she lifted the cover, and then, she gasped. She put down the cover and carefully took out the mahogany jewelry box.

"Kiyomaro… it's beautiful…" she said, shocked. She tried to open it, but failed. "How do I…"

"Check your pocket," Kiyomaro answered with a smile. Megumi looked at him with an amused suspicion but reached her hand into her jacket pocket. Sure enough, a cold, metal object was rested within. She extracted it and examined it. Kiyomaro hadn't noticed, but carved onto the key was a heart so small that if Megumi hadn't taken the time to look, she wouldn't have seen it. She smiled lightly and slipped the key into the keyhole. It unlocked with a light click, and Megumi carefully opened the box.

Instantly, the room was filled with the light sound of bells playing a familiar Christmas tune, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Kiyomaro's eyes widened at the sound. He had no idea it was a Music Box. Megumi gazed at it in absolute wonder. To accompany the song, a faerie girl with long brown hair in an elegant dress was twirling, dancing with a black haired faerie boy wearing a tuxedo. Megumi looked at Kiyomaro and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Megumi," he said. Megumi threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. Kiyomaro lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle before letting her back down. The two gazed at each other for several moments, listening to the soft sound of the music box, and finally, they exchanged a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Kiyomaro," Megumi said, smiling.

A/N: Please remember to read and review :]

SNE121