Today is Christmas, one of the most fun times I get to have in this entire year because this is the only time we don't go for hunting. No one to bother us, and we get to spend quality time with each other and I get to spend time with family.
Yes, they have become my family now. They have become someone very close to me, someone whom I can never lose, someone who smells like home—like the homeless person on a cold night who is given a warm coat. I may not be homeless; I may have a home, but I never understood the meaning of home because my grandparents were ruthless, always giving me training; my brother is no longer with me; and my parents are always busy with business, so Christmas used to be boring and lonely as I spent the time alone watching a movie or sleeping in. But now I do find meaning in the word Christmas, when I'm with the Elocossas. This is the true meaning of home. The Elocossas are my home.
I already went out with Lee yesterday evening and got a big fir tree from the Center Lane along with some wrappers', Christmas items, grocery and a lot more to decorate the house. The whole night I spent till morning decorating the house and making delicious things with Ruby. I want to give the boys a big surprise. I also have kept some gifts, and I hope they will love them this year. I want to give Hoong the Christmas present I have prepared for him, and this time I want to give it to him in person and not through his brother. I am hoping he will love it.
Rubi comes and hugs me from the back, waking me up from the daze I was in.
"Yes, yes, the the cookies are all baked and warm." I replied . "I'll just let the cookies sit in the container. Do you want to decorate with me?"
"I would love to," Ruby replied.Never disappointing me whenever I need her help.
This is the only time I get to be all cute and spend the festival. I hope I get to spend more such Christmas with them. I am sure my good brother will forgive me for relaxing only one time of the year.
"What are you doing, Trouble?" a hoarse voice whispered in my ear. I jumped.I looked behind to find Hoong looking down at me. He had just woken up; maybe it was the laughter and noise from the kitchen that woke him up. He was not wearing any shirt, his eyes were drooping (he had just woken up), and his voice was hoarse. His silky hair was falling in his eyes; I wanted to touch it. Something told me it would be supersoft. He is so close to me I could smell his cologne. It smelt like musk and wood.
Again he whispered, "Trouble?"
The smell of the perfume mixed with sweat and his tongue rolling my name felt too sexy. He was so close; I just wanted to wrap him.What am I even thinking? This is Hoong. Have I gone mad! I pushed him, and my hands touched his biceps. Kill me, God!What is this feeling? We have trained so many times, and we have been close so many times, so what is this sudden rush of butterflies in my stomach? I shouldn't be feeling this way! Or is he teasing me?
I quickly pushed the thoughts out of my mind and barked, "What's with this grin so early in the morning? Go put on some clothes. And on your way, wake up your brother and uncle, and meet at the table. Ruby and I have prepared a bunch; we are bringing in the breakfast platter, and also then help us with the chores."
"Are we expecting someone," he shouted while pointing at the pile of food waiting hot in the kitchen.
Anyone in his place would have said the same thing looking at the amount of food we had prepared for breakfast. We started arranging the plates as soon as the three of them, yawning and still not fully awake, made a beeline for the breakfast table. We took our respective seats, the smell of the freshly baked cake and other food items was so strong, that the boys were just ready to jump right into the food, but Ruby's glared was enough to make them behave.
There were chicken and ham toast,sunny side eggs, mashed potato, grilled lamb, sausages, salad, and crossiant, muffins, and chocolate cupcakes, red velvet pastry, , and two bottles of expensive champagne that Lee bought with him yesterday when he and I went to get the Christmas tree.We were all excited at the table, each sharing our day's stories, or something about the other kept coming up. After breakfast was done, I asked Ruby if she wanted help with the plates.But she said that she is taking Jung for some errands that needed urgent attention and pressed the lift key to the attic.Lee went outside to cut the wood for the bonfire; it was getting really chilly.
It was only Hoong and I.
We started carrying the plates to the kitchen sink, and I started cleaning the dishes, and he started drying them with the towel, carefully arranging them in the drawer under the sink; so as to not break anything, as we didn't want an earful from Ruby for breaking any of her expensive China.
As I was passing on the dishes to Hoong, my hand carelessly touched his hand. He grabbed the plates from my hand and pushed me to the counter, staring deep into my eyes as if he was trying to devour deep into my soul. I was lost for words. Slowly he said, "Merry Christmas, Florida!" This was the first time he said my full name. I blushed and looked down and softly muttered, "Merry Christmas."
Suddenly I felt his cold hand brushing past my neck; my eyes grew big in shock. I stared at him to find he was watching my neck, and something cold felt on my collarbone. I looked down in surprise to find a silver pendant sitting on my neck. It was a dagger pendant, the same looking dagger that I gifted him on Christmas him years back. He remembers. With the same hoarse voice, he whispered softly in my ears, "I am sorry for how I treated you all these years, Trouble." Before I could process everything, he was gone.I fell in the chair with a thud. What the fuck!