Strength In Our Bonds (The Strength in Generations Accompanying Book)

A New Type of Christmas

(Note: I'm still undecided as to if this one is canon to this universe, but I just really wanna write this. I've had the idea for ages.)

Christmas time was coming around, and it was a strange time for Luneth. Just a few months ago he'd gone from living in an orphanage in Trabia with his best friend Arc, to living in a spacious house with his new adoptive parents. He still was trying to get used to them- and the two little sisters that came with the package.

He was currently sitting in the living room, silver hair in a ponytail as usual, with a cup of tea, watching his... father? (That still sounded weird to him...) wrap gifts. He was fairly sure the man hadn't left the house; after all, his adoptive parents did seem like the types to buy Christmas gifts in May and wrap them later on. It was just the two of them; the girls had gone out for frozen yogurt.

Why did the girls get frozen yogurt and he didn't?

Luneth thought of his adoptive father as a gentle giant; the tall man handled his two biological daughters with the utmost kindness and gentlest touches, and always did sweet things for his family. Luneth liked him- even if his red hair looked funny sometimes.

"Who's that for?"

Harlan looked up at him, surprised he'd spoken; he'd been quiet this whole time.

"Mireille. She's been hinting for months that her mother and I get her new, more advanced books to read."

"Oh." Luneth nodded. "...Are any of those mine?"

"Do you really expect me to tell you?" Harlan glanced at him, smirking. "How daft do you think I am?"

Both of them laughed.

"It was worth a try, I guess." Luneth casually shrugged.

"You do have gifts, Luneth, if that was your concern," added Harlan, sticking a bow carefully on Mireille's gift.

"I wasn't worried," Luneth replied, although he had, in fact, been quite worried that his new parents would forget about getting him gifts for the holidays.

"Good. Every Christmas, the family converges at Aurelie's parents' and opens their gifts there. There's usually quite a feast as well. You'll enjoy it, I hope. I think that was the last one..."

It was then that Luneth realized why the girls got frozen yogurt- to keep them out of the house while their father wrapped their gifts. Smart idea, although frozen yogurt in December kind of ruined the effect of the holidays. Not that it was too cold in Balamb.

The front door opened then. "We're home!" announced Aurelie, as her two girls walked in with their carry-out bowls of yogurt.

"Papa!" They instantly ran to Harlan once they'd gotten their coats off.

"Oh! Welcome back, girls!" Harlan gave them both hugs; the reserved, red-haired Mireille, and the slightly less reserved and constantly happy Giselie, with Aurelie's white hair and blue eyes. Harlan picked Mireille up first, since she was the bigger and heavier of the two, to put on his lap before scooping up Giselie with one arm and placing her up there as well.

Luneth, overall, liked both of the girls, even though sometimes he'd have to pull Miri's nose out of the book she was reading to help him talk to Giselie. She didn't speak English very well, and that which she could speak was marked more difficult to understand by her thick French accent.

"Did you have fun?" Harlan asked them.

"Oui. The frozen yogurt is so yummy!" Mireille smiled up at her father. "Mine is flavored like a fruit tart!"