12 Days of Ramenzo

wizard vacation

For their first Christmas properly together, Kaizo can't deny he'd had significantly more spending-time-together-with-Ramen in mind as they prepared for the winter holiday.

It came as only a small surprise that Ramen's grandparents would be staying over this Christmas, though Kaizo held nothing against them. The house was plenty big for more guests, and who was he to spite a couple of elderly parents for visiting their daughter.

So when they arrive at the little house, blanketed thinly with falling snow, Ramen's hand in his, all he muses is how it's become more of a home for him than anything else, and he finally has two whole weeks to spend it in the company of his dearest beloved.

-

This impression lasts approximately five minutes before he meets Ramen's grandparents. They make a beeline for their grandson, having already greeted their daughter, and Ramen accepts their heavy embraces good-naturedly.

His grandmother pulls away only to remark on how tall he's grown, to which Maggi credits her husband. Ramen ducks his head to allow his grandmother to ruffle his hair, and grins as she tells Maggi to be proud of her son.

Sooner than later, though, his grandfather turns to Kaizo, skeptical.

"Who's this?" he asks, tone sharp but not rude.

"Oh- this is my-"

"Brother," Maskmana cuts him off before he can finish. "From school."

There's an impish grin playing across his lips and Ramen casts him a dirty look.

"Friend," Ramen corrects, and Kaizo shares his pain as he cringes in embarrassment.

Maskmana simply laughs, and Ramen's grandfather shrugs in acknowledgement, the suspicion dispelling from his face.

Ramen proceeds to question them on their own welfare, as a good grandson does, and they respond positively, apparently pleased with his manners and concern.

They let him go, after that, only to settle down and unpack his trunk, and Kaizo follows him to his bedroom. He sits down on the bed as Ramen spreads his things out on the floor.

"So," he says after a beat. "I'm guessing we're not going to be kissing under the mistletoe anytime soon."

Ramen cracks a grin at the irony, but Kaizo is only half-joking. He shifts over to the edge of the bed, closer to the blond.

"It'll be fine... We're sleeping in the same room, again, anyway," Ramen points out.

"With Pang," Kaizo reminds.

Ramen falters. "Right..."

As if on cue, the seven-year-old comes bounding up the stairs and dashes into the bedroom, narrowly avoiding trampling all over Ramen's unpacked clothes. Kaizo grimaces.

"Maggi said to come down and eat," he chirps.

Ramen and Kaizo exchange a single silent look before Ramen straightens, getting up, and Kaizo follows him out the door to the dining room.

-

"You, boy, what's your name?"

It takes Kaizo a moment to acknowledge that he's been addressed.

"Kaizo," he answers quickly, and Ramen's grandfather narrows his eyes.

"What do your parents do?"

Kaizo goes silent.

"His parents are dead," Ramen supplies quickly, and his grandmother gasps.

"It's fine," Kaizo shakes his head. "It's been five years..."