And Then, They Fell in Love

Christmas came too fast for Sara to even realize. Caleb bounced into their room bright and early on Christmas Eve morning, announcing the dawn with great joy. Both girls groaned, and Kara threw a pillow in his general direction. Caleb dodged it cheerfully, grabbed one of the corners of the covers, and pulled the sheets to the edge of the bed. Kara jolted upwards, grabbing the comforter and pulled it up to her chest. “Caleb Arson Motomiya!” she cried. “We could have been naked!”

He grinned. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

This time, Kara’s pillow hit it’s mark. The redhead danced out of the room, and the girls heard him enter Osamu’s spare bedroom, belting out a greeting in Japanese. Kara flopped back against the pillows (what few were left) and pulled one over her head. “Remind me again why I like him?” she grouched

Sara grunted in reply. She stifled a laugh when she heard Osamu complaining from the next room, demanding that Caleb leave at once. Next, Caleb was in the kitchen, complaining to their mother. “Your family are not morning people.”

“Frankly, Caleb, I’m surprised you are.”

“Only when he’s not hung-over,” Kara muttered from under her pillow.

Sara heard a noise, and peeked open an eye to find Osamu standing at the doorway, his eyes bleary with sleep. “Is he always like this?”

“Always.” Kara confirmed. “We’re not sure where he gets it from, and frankly, I don’t want to know. Neither of his parents enjoy the morning quite as much as he does, and Caleb is only like this when he isn’t strung out on something. I guess I should be happy he’s chirpy this morning - it means he didn’t party last night.”

“Who would want to spend Christmas drunk?”

“Caleb.” the girls echoed.

Caleb’s head popped around the corner once again. “Talking about me?” he asked, his blue eyes twinkling in response. “Now girls, I know that I am one of the most handsome men you have ever seen, but at least be subtle about it! I can’t have you girls throwing yourselves at me. Sara, for shame! Right in front of your boyfriend!”

“You live in your own little world, don’t you Caleb?” Kara commented dryly.

“Sure do. They like me there.”

Osamu raised an eyebrow at the interaction, and met Sara’s eye, amusement trickling through those violet-blue iris’. He leaned back against the bedroom wall, and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot lightly against the floor. “I think we need to do something today,” he declared. “Something other than hang around the house, or showing me around Moore. Do you have any malls around this area?”

Kara stared at him as though he had lost his mind. “Osamu. It’s Christmas Eve. The malls are going to be packed.”

She received a shrug in return. “You forget I live in Tokyo. I’m used to congested traffic and people all over the place. Live a little - brave the crowds. It would be the experience of a lifetime!”

Osamu’s “experience of a lifetime” left both sisters on complete edge while trying to find a parking space in the nearest mall. Kara slammed on the horn and yelled obscenities at the driver in front of her, who had cut her off for the third time. Caleb chuckled in the backseat, and was immediately given a glare that would have made a star die out. He sat quietly for the rest of the trip, choosing to keep his comments to himself.

The four decided on food as soon as they entered the mall. Each went their separate way, and decided they would meet by the fountain - if they could find a place to sit, that was.

It turned out that Osamu had scored a seat rather soon. He had been stalking a section of tables for the last five minutes while the others were in line, and jumped in the moment someone went away. This earned him a dirty glace from the older woman seated next to him.

Kara was the last to be seated at the table, dropping her bag with a clunk on the table. As soon as she opened the package, Caleb sent Kara a look of disgust. “Please tell me you are not eating something from a cheap Chinese takeout. Kara Adams, you know better than that.”

Kara stabbed her sesame chicken and stuffed it in her mouth, glaring at the redhead. “I happen to like Chinese take-out. Yes, yes, I know Americanized Chinese take-out. It really doesn’t matter to me what it is - it’s good and I like it. So there.”

Caleb sent a desperate look toward Osamu. “She’s killing our Asian culture, man. We have to stop her. Someone needs to show her real Japanese food, and not the. . Stuff they sell us here.”

“Wasn’t that the point of your father’s restaurant?” Sara asked

“Eh, kind of. My mother was sick of listening to Dad gripe the way I’m griping now. Plus Dad just loves to cook. But our restaurant isn’t just strictly Japanese food - we have a little of everything. Especially French. Courtesy of Mom.”

“If you have a problem with my eating habits, then why don’t you just cook dinner yourself?” Kara shot at him.

A grin was slowly spreading itself over Caleb’s face. Kara and Sara exchanged glances of worry as Caleb grinned at Osamu. “I say we cook them a Japanese dinner tonight. A real Japanese dinner. We can go to the store that my Dad always goes to and get some supplies. Sara can even help if she wants. Miss. Take-Out over there will not be allowed in the kitchen. What do you say?”

Osamu matched Caleb’s grin. “Sounds wonderful. But I’m not exactly sure that Mrs. Adams will appreciate us in her kitchen.”

Kara laughed. “Oh please. She’ll probably thank you. It’s a night where Mom doesn’t have to cook - she’ll be thrilled.”

“Even on Christmas Eve?”

Both girls nodded. “As long as you’re done by ten o’clock. We have a tradition about that time, but the rest of our family is deserting us this Christmas.” Kara frowned, and rolled her eyes.”

Osamu chuckled. “You’re saving me from having to join my family this Christmas. The only thing I feel bad about is that my uncle with have to endure my grandmother alone. She’s . . . interesting.” He sent Sara a pained glance. Sara understood the look - she had met Osamu’s paternal grandmother only once, and had hated the woman after five minutes. How someone could continually bring up a subject that intentionally hurt her grandchild was beyond her. In her eyes, Osamu was dead to her - just as Maka was. Osamu had taken her beloved child from her, and she no longer accepted him.

To say that the woman had mental issues was a minor understatement.

“Homemade Japanese food for Christmas Eve it is then,” Osamu announced, leaning back into his seat, and grinning at the two sisters. “You should be afraid. I’ve never had to cook my own meal before - I hope you have medical insurance.”

A trip to the Asian food market, a thankful Mrs. Adams, a screaming row between Caleb and Sara, and three hours later, the Adams’ family sat down for Caleb and Osamu’s home prepared meal.

Sara had to admit the two boys had outdone themselves. Everything smelled delicious, and her stomach rumbled in agreement.

Amanda Adams’ obviously had no problems with it. She grinned at the boys’ work, dumping heaping helpings of rice and other various vegetables and meats they had thrown together. It was obvious Osamu and Caleb were proud of themselves. They beamed at each other from across the table.

The entire family pitched in to clean up. It was almost nine in the evening now, and a stir of excitement was visibly running through the family. “It’s time.” Amanda suddenly announced.

Osamu blinked. “Time?”

“To go watch the stars.”

Osamu gave Sara a confused look. She shrugged and explained, “Every year on Christmas Eve, we drive out to this little field in the park. For about an hour or so, we’ll sit there and watch the stars. We talk, sometimes we sing Christmas carols. . Sometimes we pray. It really just depends on the mood. Sure, it’s colder than Antarctica out there, but there’s just a sense of . . Peace. Really, it’s our favorite Christmas tradition.”

“Do you have any Christmas traditions, Osamu?” Amanda asked while searching for her coat.

He gave a shrug. “Not much of anything special. We usually go to my grandmother’s house for Christmas Eve dinner. When I was really little, we would stay the night there - all of my family would be there. My aunts and their little hellions, my parents and myself . . Tenshi would even come. We don’t do that anymore.”

“What stopped it?”

“Maka’s death.”

An uncomfortable silence flittered through the room before Osamu continued. “Now my mother has her own traditions, I guess. She will cook us a meal - anything that we want. Ken chooses a dish, I choose one, Father . . . Then after dinner each of us gets to open one present. After that, we turn on the television and watch where Santa is at that time,” He grinned. “Ken still very much believes in Santa, and we are not about to spoil that for him. On Christmas Eve night, Ken and I get sleeping bags, or blankets, and we’ll crash in front of the tree.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and relived a memory. “It’s so beautiful in that little apartment. Mom decorates the tree all red and gold, so it glitters off the walls. And there is that peace that just. . Runs through everything. My favorite part is sleeping under the tree with Ken. It’s one of the only times I really get to spend time with my baby brother.” Osamu’s eyes were sad. “I miss it.”

That train of thought carried the Adam’s and company to the car in silence. The park was only five minutes away, and at nine-thirty in the evening, there would not be many, if any, people around. Sara had been correct about the temperature - it was freezing cold outside. She shivered as she exited the car, and jumped when an arm wrapped around her waist. “Are you cold?” Osamu whispered.

“It’s only fifteen degrees out here,” Sara muttered. “Why in the world would I ever be cold?”

She felt him chuckle. “This is nothing. You’ve seen and felt colder temperatures in Tamachi.”

Caleb stomped in behind them, taking a deep breath and blowing it out harshly. His eyes were closed and his face the expression of pure bliss. Kara sent him an accusing glare. “Please tell me you aren’t high.”

“I’m not,” he confirmed. “I just. . Love Christmas. It brings back good memories.” The redhead spread out his blanket and settled on the grass. He looked up and the sky and smiled. “ I think that the stars always seem to put on their best shows on Christmas Eve. They know, too, you know. He is their Creator as well as ours.”

Caleb never failed to amaze Sara. At times, the boy could be one of the most careless, thoughtless, absent-minded person in the world. At other times, he could be so insightful. It made her wonder yet again why he was wasting his life away on drugs.


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No one slept Christmas Eve night. Kara tossed and turned all night, making small sighs as she tried to calm herself down enough to fall asleep. Sara heard Caleb pacing the living room more than once, and heard Osamu in the bathroom at least three times. At five minutes until four, Sara finally gave up on sleep. She crept out of her bedroom, careful not to wake Kara who had just dozed off.

Osamu’s door was cracked open, and she could tell by his breathing he wasn’t asleep. “Why are you still awake?” he whispered as she sat on the edge of his bed.

“I’m too excited.”

The bed creaked in protest as Osamu turned over to face her. “Is it odd,” he commented. “That all I have ever wanted to do is get away from my family. . Yet, all I want to do right now is be home with my little brother.”

She scooted up onto the pillows, and wrapped her arms around his sides, burying her face in his chest. “Things will get better between you and Ken,” she promised him. “He’s little, Osamu. Kids say things in the heat of the moment that they will later with they could take back. Maybe this trip is exactly what you two need - a chance to get away from one another for a while.”

“I hope.” he whispered.

Sara heard movement in the living room, and decided she might as well get up. She tugged Osamu from the bed and drug him into the room, where Sara’s parents were standing, with bleary eyed glares at Caleb.

Caleb grinned at them. “Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Adams!”

The presents came in a rush. Like little children, the four teenagers ripped open packages with glee. Osamu’s parents had shipped his presents down a few weeks ago, so that he was able to open something and be happy as well. As he stared at the small turtle figurine that came from Ken, Sara swore she saw tears fill in his eyes.

Osamu handed her a lumpy gift, a small, nervous smile on his face. It was unusual to see Osamu nervous about anything. Sara grinned and gook the package from him, holding it up to her ear and shaking it a tiny amount. “If I shake it, will it rattle?” she teased.

Osamu rolled his eyes, but the grin on his face showed no annoyance. “Open it. Please.”

She ripped open the paper to find a hoodie. A very familiar looking hoodie. Sara unfolded the sweatshirt and blinked in disbelief. Osamu had one very prized possession - a hoodie with a turtle. Nothing special, he had admitted, but it was comfortable, and had been given to him by his uncle Tenshi years ago. “Osamu. . I can’t take this from you.”

“Why not? I want you to have it. You’re always stealing it from me anyway. I figure anytime that I want to wear it, I’ll just come to your closet and fish it back.” He shrugged. “Something to remember me by, I guess. Keep it Sara.”

She was about to set the hoodie aside when something caught her attention. There was something in the pocket. Sara gave a confused look toward Osamu, who only smiled and nodded toward the pocket. “There’s something in there,” he explained. “Your. . Um. . Real Christmas present.”

Judging by the long box, it was jewelry. Once again, Sara ripped open the paper, opened the lid, and found herself staring at a necklace. A small gold chain lay inside the padding She pulled the chain up and found a small ring with three tiny diamonds hooked through.

“This is beautiful.”

“Look on the inside. There should be an inscription.

The inscription was tiny, but made Sara’s throat clench. A small O with an interlocking S was found on the right side of the ring. Holding back tears, Sara looked up to see Osamu pulling a chain from under his shirt. His ring was slightly bigger, but had the same inscription. “I found them a few weeks ago while I was out shopping with my mother. I thought you would like it.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, and Sara launched herself into his arms. Osamu caught her and promptly wrapped his arms around her waist, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Neither cared that Sara’s entire family was watching them. In this moment, this one very small, still moment, it was only them.


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Interview with Ichijouji Osamu

Hello all! Osamu speaking - I was asked to give an interview of sorts for the readers. Since I despise the word interview (seriously, if you had been in front of camera's and interviews since age four, you would hate them too), I'll say that this is more of a question and answer thing. Sphynx asked her readers to send in questions, and since there were only two, she and her best friend came up with some questions they thought might help you know more about me. To be honest, I'm a little scared of this situation.

Comment 1 - What is one thing that even with your genius you have not been able to do and would like to do someday if given the opportunity?
Answer: I have no yet been able to convince my mother that if I have a pet turtle, it will not give her Salmonella. I have been trying to convince her of this since the age of ten, and almost nine years later, it still hasn't worked. So, the answer to your question would be that I would love to own a turtle.

Comment 2 - Hi Osamu! I just wanted to kindly threaten you - you see, I like this Sara character a lot, so if you do anything to make her cry or anything, I'm gonna hit you over that smart head of yours! Honestly, your bad moods are kind of scary.
Answer: I am doing everything in my power not to hurt Sara. It is difficult, you see, because we are so completely different. I'm very cynical and sarcastic, and while Sara has her moods, for the most part, she's very cheerful. I have no intention of deliberatly hurting her - I love her far too much to let that happen. I'm sorry my bad moods scare you. They scare me too, hehe.

Comment 3 - What was your first impression of Sara when you met her? We've seen her thoughts about you.
Answer: I was annoyed with her, honestly, and a little confused. The first encounter I had with Sara was when she bumped into me in the middle of the supermarket. I was in a hurry to bring something back to my mother, so that threw me off and annoyed me. But at school, she confused me. I assumed she would be like most transfer students, and take advantage of my looks, or genius, and try to buddy up to me. I've had many girls that use the excuse that they don't understand something to get closer to me. She was different though - a breath of fresh air. My respect for her grew the night she told me off at that party. Only Itaria and Tani have ever had the nerve to do that before.

Comment 4 - What are your favorite songs? What about other favorites of yours?
Answer: "The Show Must Go On" by Queen is my all time favorite song. Listen to it sometime - it's amazing. Another song that is rising it's way to the top of my list is "Set Me Free" by Casting Crowns. I heard that song, and I swear they wrote it about me. And just to bunch a lot of "favorites" together so we don't have three million of those questions - my favorite color is green, animal is a turtle, favorite family member is my uncle Tenshi, and my favorite food is sushi.

Comment 5 - Your birthday is mentioned in the story, but is never told what date it is. When is your birthday?
Answer: August 27th is the day I decided to grace this world with my prescence.

That's all I'm going to do for now. This was our test run to see if you readers enjoy hearing from us characters. If you enjoyed this interview, send in your questions next time for Sara. If this one and the next go over well, you might see me one last time. Maybe this will also give you an idea on what to ask. Thank you so much for your devotion to me. I know. I'm totally worth it. . and now I have Sara glaring at me. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. As always, please leave reviws for Sphynx. She is glad that you guys seem to enjoy the story so much, and is pretty much in shock at the fact she's roughly 15 reviews away from 100. Keep them coming!

- Osamu.