ToTT: A Very Saber Christmas (Ch. 9.5)

Chapter 9.5
December 20th X793, four days ago (Note: This story occurs over a year after the events currently happening in Trail of the Tigers' main chapters)

The Fiore Christmas Ball. Thousands of people attended in classy formalwear and danced to various songs of different genres, with classical being a common theme. In attendance, there were members of both Sabertooth and Unchained Soul, including their Masters. At the moment, the current dancing pairs were Sif and Sting, Hayden and Eriko, Alexander and Brianna (both of whom were blushing heavily), and even Ryuunosuke and Sakura, and Ezra and Yukino. Eugene, Josh, Kai, Brooke, Violet and the others were focusing on espionage and stealth. They were on a mission, rather than a visit.

Eugene and Brooke simultaneously spotted the target, and the second he went outside, the entire ambush group pounced.

December 24th X793, 8:12pm, now

"Come on, slowpokes, hurry up!", Sif said as she playfully chastised Hayden and Eugene, while simultaneously dragging them by their sleeves. "The stores'll be closed by the time we get there!", she yapped after. When Sif released them as they were entering a store, Hayden attempted to escape. Only to have his tail grabbed, but not by Sif, by Eugene!

"If I have to go through with this, so do you, Wolf.", Eugene said calmly as Hayden gave up and followed Sif with Eugene. Within just fifteen minutes, Eugene and Hayden were carrying so many items Sif had bought, they were both shaking at the knees almost.

"Gah...why is it we have to do this but the others don't?", Hayden mumbled to himself. Sif heard the noise, and turned and gave both Slayers a rather mean glare of sorts, startling them both to silence.

Elsewhere.

Brooke, Josh, Kai and Akabane were hiding in a bush. All them staring in the direction of a small café. They weren't on a mission. They were watching Alexander and Brianna, both in rather classy clothing, sat at a small table on the terrace of the second floor, enjoying a meal. However, they were both slightly blushing and were almost constantly silent, agitating Brooke as she waited for something to happen.

"S-So--.", they both said simultaneously, interrupting each other. Alex scratched the back of his combed, styled hair (as a opposed to his usual scruffy style), and Brianna laughed softly, awkwardly.

"This is painful to watch...", Josh chided to his three companions around him, not taking his gaze off of his sister and his best friend on a date.

"In my opinion, this is hilarious." Kai said with a smirk on his face. He was fighting the urge to laugh loudly.

"So far, it seems things are going well." Akabane said calmly. "I wonder how this will develop."

"Shh, look!", Brooke said with an excited whisper as she pointed at the pair.

Brianna had shivered (she was in a dress for the love of all things holy), and Alexander had stood up and was in the process of draping his coat over her shoulders. When he sat back down, they both became notably more comfortable, and were even smiling at each other, rather than blushing and making weird expressions.

"Aw, how gentleman-y!", Brooke chirped happily.

"Lame. She should have brought her own coat if she was cold.", Josh said in response, only to be kicked down a set of nearby stairs by Brooke for the comment.

"Jackass.", Brooke said with a smug smirk.

The three still remaining looked back, as Alexander and Brianna were leaving the café, but instead of walking robotically, Brianna had her arm coiled with Alex's! Josh returned with a big bump on his head, and a look of bemusement, earning laughter from Kai and Akabane. Alex and Brianna were strolling down the street together, both chatting and seeming happy in each other's company.

Alex suddenly stopped and darted for a bush. He dived over the bush. Nothing there. He shrugged and returned to a confused Brianna. "Thought I heard something.", he reasoned to her. As they walked on, Brooke, Josh, Kai and Akabane were all hiding in a thin gap between buildings, all with exasperated and startled expressions on their faces, having nearly been caught spying.

Thunder suddenly boomed, and the heavens opened, raining heavily on the land. The pair on the date scampered to hide under the awning of a nearby inn. They were acting more and more romantic. Alexander was leaned on the wall, with Brianna also leaning against him, cozying into him for warmth, as well as to be sweet. Alex blushed again as he hesitantly raised his arms, visibly stuttering with his movement, before his hands met, and his arms were around Brianna.

Brooke was almost squealing in joy, but Josh and Kai luckily avoided her blowing their cover, by placing their hands over her mouth. They were all lurking at another café right near the inn, dressed in disguises of course. They all made sneaky glances at Alex and Brianna, while also making sure they themselves didn't end up being rain-drenched. The table they were at had a large umbrella over them for just such an occasion.

"Well, this became more romantic really fast." Akabane calmly said in a quiet tone as so the couple wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Yeah, if only we got the right push, it'd complete things." Kai said in response.

"Want me to summon some mistletoe over them?" Violet said, appearing out of nowhere. This almost made the group shout in shock but Brooke who was the most used to this covered Kai and Josh's mouths. Akabane was shocked but he didn't make a sound.

"Isn't that cheating?", Josh asked the youngest member of the Woodland family.

"Well, it is the Christmas season. Mistletoe kisses are basically tradition.", Brooke responded to Josh, instead of Violet. "Go ahead, Vi. Summon a Mistletoe and-- Eh?!?", Brooke yelped, almost as if she had choked on her own air. The other kids also had expressions of surprise on their face.

Before Violet had even summoned the Magic Power to bring forth a Mistletoe, Alexander and Brianna were already in the process of kissing! Their kiss was a gentle, heartfelt one, compared to the more ravaging and forceful versions. Brooke pushed the younger Wizards around her so that they could not see what was happening. "Le~et's just keep it PG for you...", she said nervously.

Both young Wizards were visibly smiling during their kiss, and were practically grinning when it ended. Brianna rested the side of her face on Alex's chest, and his arms got noticeably more firm when it came to hugging her. "Want me to...?", Alex practically purred to Brianna.

"Definitely. Do it now...I want you to.", Brianna returned. The remarks of the couple made the younger ones blush in awkwardness, especially Brooke.

"This isn't appropriate for public affection...!". Brooke said with a nervous stutter in her voice.

"What isn't?", Alex said to the group of youngersters, with a smug grin on his face. That was when the group realised they had been moved--no, teleported over to Alex and Brianna, who also looked a tad smug. "Y'know I knew you were there from the very start.", Alex revealed to the group, surprising them. "Like my dad, I can uniquely pick out Magic Power signatures. Yours aren't very hard to miss.", he continued. Brooke just laughed in embarassment. The group went through all that trouble to not be seen, yet they were known the whole time.

"And if you'll greatly excuse us...", Brianna said as her hand traced along Alex's cheek and she moved her face towards his again, causing the group to squawk and flee elsewhere into the rain, letting the pair have their moment.

Elsewhere.

Hayden and Eugene looked like the grumpiest little reindeers in the world. They sat there with frowns on their faces, while wearing red noses and reindeer antlers. "You both look so adorable~!", Sif giggled happily as she jumped in between them after setting up the camera. She was dressed as Mrs Claus, wearing a knee-length Santa dress with a white chest, black straps, and white furry seams/hemlines. She noticed their frowns, and before the camera counted down to zero, Sif planted a kiss on Hayden's cheek, and then Eugene's cheek, in order to get them to display different expressions rather than frowning the whole time.

Hayden blushed and went beetroot, with a half-grin on his face, while his eyes looked startled. Eugene, however, (Forest, insert your part here)