The holiday season was in full swing, and as one might expect, the airport was a true nightmare for the average traveler, who didn't have to typically deal with the madhouse rush of planes dealing with poor weather, excessive amounts of packages, and people running late for flight after flight.
Three of the luckier travelers of the season, ones who didn't have to actually get on to a plane, but rather, were just waiting for one, sat on less than comfortable chairs by a baggage claim carousel.
Ahriman was busy tending to himself in a nearby washroom as Jain and Elena patiently waited in their seats for Amon to arrive. Jain seemed perfectly relaxed in her seat despite the rushing crowds and throngs of people pacing back and forth through the airport, rushing to get to where they had to be, but Elena couldn't stop shifting, and Jain was quick to take notice.
"Awfully shaky for someone who's all bundled up in a winter jacket and a scarf," Jain pointed out, giving her friend a rather knowing smile. "Nervous about meeting Amon or something?"
Elena didn't want to address the question. She was known for being a shy, timid little squirrel, but the way that she trembled in her seat was beyond simple nerves, and Jain was starting to get an idea of what was making her so shaky.
"W-well...y'know, he's...I mean, I'm just a little nervous meeting new people. You know that!"
Jain snickered to herself, brushing a paw through the long, blended locks of red and blonde that hung over her fiery red eyes. "Uh huh...but this one is a little different, isn't it?"
Elena gulped nervously. She tried to case the gaze of her innocent, indigo eyes at the floor, wanting to dodge the question, but she knew Jain too well for that. The wolfess would beat the question to death if she didn't own up to the truth.
"He's...he's really hot. Just that picture I saw of him...I could honestly feel myself sweating when I looked at it. He was so perfect, his body was so chiseled...and that long, messy hair..."
"Sweating from where?" Jain asked, her fangs poking out in a quick, teasing grin. Elena nearly disappeared inside of her scarf, her cheeks burning rose red underneath the soft, comforting fabric.
"I'm not answering that!"
Jain couldn't help teasing Elena, enjoying her ability to make the cute, little squirrel shrivel up in her shyness. She knew just how attractive Amon really was, and being a direct blood relative of her own lover, Ahriman, she could only imagine other assets that he might be sporting that an average woman would find attractive. Elena was no average woman, of course, but she couldn't hide just how much she was fawning over Amon, and now, she was going to meet him for the first time...whether or not she was ready.
"It's okay if you have a crush on him, Elena," Jain confirmed, reaching a paw over to give the squirrel's shoulder a gentle stroke. "You're a gorgeous young woman, and I'm sure Amon will just love you the moment he lays eyes on you!"
Elena was hesitant to believe it, but she enjoyed the comforting touch of her friend, and leaned in a little bit closer to her. "You really think so...?"
"If he can't see how beautiful you are from just one glance," Jain said, "He must be going blind."
It was a sweet sentiment from the wolfess, but one that she fully believed in. It put a bright smile on Elena's face, just in time for Ahriman to return from the washroom and put his paws on the back of their seats.
"Amon's plane landed just a few minutes ago," Ahriman said, as he returned from the washroom, making his presence known only by his voice. "He should be coming this way any moment. Shall we head to his baggage claim to give him a proper greeting?"
Jain bounded right up out of her seat, more than tired of waiting around. Elena was a bit more reserved, standing up quietly and politely, turning to give Ahriman a small nod.
"Very well, then! We're not too far off."
Ahriman took Jain by the paw, and Elena stayed closed to the both of them as the trio walked a few feet down the terminal, toward the proper baggage claim for Amon's flight. People were rushing down the stairs from the security blocked area of the terminal, all different species and manner of attire, but as the three waited by the baggage claim, and bags started to disappear, Amon never seemed to show. Everyone was looking out for him when he finally appeared, sporting his typical black, winter jacket, with a fitting shirt of dark green around his torso.
"Sorry I took so long, everyone," he said, his voice quite a bit sweeter and more polite than Elena had expected. "I was actually in the front of the plane, but it is the season of giving, so I waited until everyone else was off of the aircraft to leave."
"Such kindness would be a first, for you," Ahriman teased, speaking in his Persian tongue to his brother, but it was clearly uttered in jest. The tall, powerful bovine was quick to step forth and embrace his brother, and with a smile, Amon wrapped his arms around Ahriman, grateful for the warm welcome.
"It helps to have learned from the best, dear brother," Amon replied in the same tongue, the two strong, muscled bulls holding onto each other in a long awaited hug. The longer that time went by, and the years faded into obscurity, it felt that Amon and Ahriman saw each other less and less, but they were no less keen on each other when they had the chance to meet.
Though he was slow and reluctant to do so, Ahriman released his brother after a moment and took a small step back, bringing the girls back into the picture. "We're all very glad to have you here, Amon."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he explained, sporting a bright smile now that he was off of his uncomfortable flight, and into a cozy, warm terminal. "Will Sobek be joining us for the holidays, this year?"
"I'm afraid that he said he can't. He's a little too preoccupied with his 'noble work' to be present."
Amon rolled his eyes. "Go figure. 'Noble work' is the reason we've had to go fly to see him for the last ten years, instead of the other way around...hell. It can't be helped, I suppose," he groaned, but he wasn't going to let the mood be ruined. He flashed a bright smile to Jain and wrapped his large, rippled arms around her for a tight squeeze. "Great to see you again, Jain! How have you been?"
"Nyah!" Jain squealed, always caught off guard by the powerful hugs that Amon had to offer. "Life has been wonderful, as always! It's great to see you again, too," she replied, giving Amon the best hug that she could around his impressive stature, and pressing a familial kiss to his cheek. "Oh, by the way, Amon...this is Elena. She'll be spending the holidays with us, as well."
Elena had been standing off to the side the whole time, just a little bit. She was too shy to make much of a gesture, or do anything other than watch, but the moment Amon and Jain separated, Amon took a step closer to her and shook his head at himself. "Where are my manners? Terribly sorry, Elena. It's wonderful to meet you. I'm Amon."
A large paw, one that could nearly wrap around Elena's, was offered out to the timid squirrel. She shook, even as she reached her paw out to gently take it, finding Amon to be just as impressive of a physical specimen as his picture made him out to be...no, not even that. The picture didn't nearly do him justice. "H-h-hi. Nice...nice to m-m-meet you, Amon. I'm...Elena."
There was nothing Elena could do to hide her blush now, as she knew how rude it would be to try and hide behind her scarf to a stranger, not to mention one that was so unfairly handsome. Her cheeks were left to flush out in the open as Amon showed himself to be a proper gentleman, being very delicate with her paw, and only shaking it as hard as she would shake his. "That's a lovely name, fitting for such a lovely girl."
Were it possible, Elena might have burst into flames at the words, but the subtle, pink warmth that was rising up out of her cheeks only highlighted the delicate indigo of her eyes, making her that much more alluring than she already was. Short, but soft brown headfur, delicate fur patterns of cream and tan, and a smile that could win over the heart of even the coldest man made Elena every bit as alluring as she could be...and Jain was quick to pipe in just how much Elena was the object of her affection, as well.
"Don't let her fool you into thinking she's too innocent," Jain said with a snicker. "She's my best friend...with benefits."
Elena widened her eyes at the statement, her cute, round ears going completely flat to her head in bashfulness. If not for this being their first meeting, she might have looked for a bathroom to hide in until the blush faded, but Amon had her completely petrified, and Jain wasn't helping the problem.
"Still quick to spill all of the private details, aren't you, Jain?" Amon pointed out. He was still smiling, perhaps a bit more arrogantly now as he caught on quick to the feelings Elena must have for him, and, like many males of his stature, he had a soft spot for making cute girls blush to their eartips. Elena was doing just that, and already, he could tell he was going to enjoy being with Ahriman and crew for the holidays. "Perhaps we should retire to your residence, Ahriman, where it would be more fitting to have such a conversation?"
"I don't know that it is a fitting conversation to have," Ahriman suggested, casting a soft glare at Jain. Though theirs was indeed an open relationship, Jain was much more open about it, and Ahriman was much slower to have such a talk, especially with family. "But I suppose it would be best if we got your things stowed away and headed back to the house, yes."
Amon was more weary than he was letting on from a long day of traveling, so he was quite grateful at the news that they were headed back home. "Lovely, dear brother. Are you sure your car is fitting to transport such beauty as this?" he asked, making a quick gesture to Elena.
The poor squirrel might have frozen, flustered into paralysis, if not for a quick tug on her sleeve from Jain.
"I think it'll work just fine, Amon. It managed to get her this far, after all."
**
The drive was a quiet, uneventful one, and thankfully, Ahriman and Jain didn't live too far from the airport. Ahriman drove, Jain sat in the back with Elena to keep her from dying of shyness, and Amon sat in the front, the brothers occasionally exchanging a word or two in Persian as Amon gave Ahriman the more boring details of his flight. All four were grateful to be back at the house, where they could cast aside their winter jackets, kick their footpaws up, and relax for the evening, as the season of Wintersday was a rush for everyone...right up until the stroke of midnight, when presents were finally allowed to be open, and everyone would be filled with cheer.
Stripping off their heavy coats the moment that everyone walked in the front door, the party was happy to enjoy the warmth of the fire as Ahriman set to stoking it. Everyone gathered in the main hall of the impressive household, where a table was set for dinner the next day. Plates, forks and knives were already set up, with an elegant tablecloth covering up the long, rectangular table, and candles dotted the middle with perfect symmetry. Garlands and wreathes decorated every wall, and the tree, trimmed to what Ahriman and Jain would call perfection, sat in the corner of the room. Jain plugged the lights in to give the room a soft, colorful glow, and Elena took a seat in one of the large, plush chairs of the room, as Amon kept about teasing her for her beauty. Ahriman rolled his eyes, but snickered as Amon flattered Elena the whole time, pointing out that "they didn't need a fire, with the warmth that she brought into the room."
It was cheesy, but it was classic Amon, and the perfect line to keep Elena's cheeks burning every bit as warm as the newly made fire.
"You r-really are too kind," Elena stammered out, managing the tiniest of shy smiles as Amon took a seat in a chair across from her. The timid squirrel wore a top of dark, forest green with long sleeves of cream underneath, and long pants that nearly matched her shirt, as Amon sat across from her, sporting his sleeveless green shirt with pride now, happy to show off the natural musculature that he was so very proud of. Jain was, not surprisingly, wearing her usual attire of a sleeveless, red tank top and dark green cargo pants, the colors happening to work out perfectly for the season, and Ahriman, caring more about looking proper than matching, wore a vibrant, royal blue shirt with black slacks, almost as if he were going into work that day.
"For you? I could never be too kind," Amon suggested, and again, Elena flattened her ears slowly, unable to hide her bashful nature, and unintentionally stoking the fire of attraction that was building inside of Amon. "Though, I would certainly give it my best effort."
Jain turned back and gave Amon a teasing grin. "Are you trying to steal her away from me? I thought this was the season of giving, not taking!"
"It would be quite wrong of me to steal...but she's also not property to be traded. She's a gorgeous young lady, and I wouldn't dare to try and steal her."
"If you two keep this up, Elena won't make it to midnight alive!" Ahriman chimed in, snickering to himself, even in his more serious nature. "Give the poor girl a rest now, won't you?"
Amon let out an exasperated sigh. "It is only five more minutes, but it would be a tragedy beyond words to have such a beauty parish so young. I shall give it my best to hold off."
Even in that way, Amon was backhandedly complimenting Elena, and the squirrel was privy to the same, but she did something that surprised everybody, Jain especially.
She flirted back.
"I didn't think you were c-capable of t-turning off your charm," she said, her voice still stuttering, but there was just the slightest hint of a change in her tone as she spoke, one that Amon knew was a teasing attitude.
It was such a surprise that Amon's eyes actually widened for a moment, but he managed to get a grip and chuckle at the playful words. "Only on request, my dear, and only for so long at a time! It'll be quite the strain, I assure you..."
"You poor curr. Would like you me to bring you a phone in advance so you can have the hospital ready?" Ahriman asked, finding his normally stone-faced nature softened by the presence of family and friends during Wintersday. "Though, I suppose that could be just a little melodramatic. Perhaps I should just gather you a bottle of wine to drown your sorrows in."
The property that Ahriman and Jain shared was a massive one, and in the backyard, there was a small vineyard spanning over an area so that Ahriman could grow his own grapes, and in the basement, spacious and fully furnished, he'd set aside an area with several five-gallon containers, carboys and transferring tubes to create his own wine. He could be considered an amateur at the craft, but that didn't mean his wine was low in quality; he simply lacked the years of experience that many others had before him. It was a hobby that he was more than happy to share with friends and family, and now seemed to be the perfect time to share a couple of his best bottles of red.
"You'd better hurry!" Amon called, as Ahriman retreated to the basement for a moment. "You've only got a couple minutes before midnight!"
Amon might have used the opportunity to flirt with Elena just a little bit more, but Ahriman knew exactly what he was looking for, and he was quick to return with a couple bottles of his best, homemade Merlot, and in his other hand, four wine flutes were delicately, and quite skillfully gathered between his pawtips.
"By the looks of it, I've still got thirty seconds," Ahriman was quick to point out, as he set the bottles on the table and popped each cork. He placed the wine flutes upright and started to pour, intentionally racing the clock, but not daring to spill a single drop of the alcoholic fluid. "And if my mark is right, I'd dare say I've won this race, Amon."
"Prompt and proper in all that you do, dear brother," Amon snapped back, but he stood up from his seat and happily collected two of the wine flutes. Ever the gentleman, he passed one to Elena, who reached out with a nervous, shaky paw and took it, but she offered Amon a genuine smile for his efforts. "And we can't have a proper Wintersday Midnight without a drink, can we?"
"I didn't think we needed Wintersday as an excuse to have a drink," Jain commented, giggling to herself as she took one of the wine flutes, and Ahriman held up the last one, admiring the way that the lights overhead shined so delicately through the viscous red wine.
"We certainly don't need the excuse, but this is a very special wine," Amon remarked. "Fifteen years ago, Ahriman made 40 different bottles of wine, and this one we're drinking, I would easily recognize...it is one of the original 40. Don't allow my brother to fool you with his modesty. He's an extremely skillful winemaker."
The proof was often in the pudding, or in this case, the very taste of the wine, as every shared in a sip as the clock struck midnight. A slightly sweet taste on the palette, followed up with just the tiniest hint of bitter dryness, and a follow-through of the grapes that were used to make it rounded out an exquisitely flavorful and balanced Merlot, one that Ahriman was more proud of than he would admit, and one that Amon was flattered to have the chance to share in drinking. He actually lamented that Sobek wouldn't be around to sample the flavor, knowing that the particular bottle would be empty before the night was over.
"Perhaps one of the best bold reds I've ever tasted," Amon confirmed. "Every bit as flavorful and balanced as I thought it would be."
Ahriman was always bashful about taking a compliment, simply by his nature. "Don't listen to him," he muttered, before taking another sip of his own concoction. "I'm really average. Just average."
Jain shook her head at her stubborn lover and resisted the urge to finish the rest of her drink in one gulp. "There is nothing average about you, or about this wine...it's sublime, Ahri."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Amon agreed.
"It...it's very tasty," Elena chimed in quietly, still a bit shy to speak up too much in Amon's presence.
"I...heh. Thank you all, very much," Ahriman finally gave in, accepting the round of compliments. "Though the very best part about this wine is the people it is to be shared with..."
Amon could tell that Ahriman regretted the whole family not being present, as well, but simply to be in this setting, with four people who truly cared for each other, was a very good substitute for the same. The mood was the slightest bit somber, but actually quite warm and glad as the minutes ticked past midnight, and Jain finished her drink to a realization.
"...It's past midnight! That means we can open presents now!"
Adults were quicker to forget about the gift giving portion of Wintersday as they grew older, knowing that the celebration between adults was often over a bottle of wine or fancy liquor, while for the children, it was more about the gifts that they would receive, and playing with them, and the other children.
Jain wasn't immature, necessarily, but she was the youngest at heart of the four, and she'd never quite grown out of the giddy excitement that came along with unwrapping a present and opening the box to find the treasures inside. Ahriman was surprisingly excellent as a gift giver, but this year, he went above and beyond the call, truly outdoing himself.
"Well, it certainly is after midnight..." Ahriman noticed, as he set his glass down on the dining room table and started to gather the gifts from under the tree. Elena stepped over to the tree and assisted him as Amon moved the comfy chairs from the main hall closer to the dining table, giving himself and Elena a better view of the unwrapping of some very special presents. Wrapped in all sorts of different, decorative colors and patterns, every gift was gathered on the table, and one, addressed to Jain and sitting in a large, rather heavy box, was sitting at the very front of the pile. Ahriman actually took Jain by the paw, and stood behind her as he brought her over to the gift.
Jain actually blinked in surprise as Ahriman stood behind her, resting his paws on her shoulders. "Go on, please. Open it."
Elena sat back down in her chair and Amon sat near to her in his own, watching the show closely as Jain looked over the present with purpose. Ahriman always seemed to come up with something meaningful and simply perfect for her, but this time, as Jain tore away at the wrapping paper with her claws and slowly moved it aside, she could feel her paws hesitating the closer and closer she got to the gift itself, until tears actually started to well up in the corners of her eyes. Before she even knew fully what it was, emotions were getting the better of her, and in moments, she would understand the resonance perfectly.
It was an axe, but no ordinary one at that.
"Happy Wintersday, Jain...this...this is The Kingslayer."
This was a bearded axe, a battle axe with a slightly curved blade that was still deadly sharp to the touch. Though it was to be wielded with one hand, it carried a weight with it that meant only the greatest, strongest of warriors could wield it, and with the sharpness of the bearded blade and the rounded, curved, massive spike on the back, it was deadly on the fore swing, and on the return. In the hands of a truly skilled warrior, it could, and had killed many enemies...now, it sat clean and polished, shimmering with the same perfection it held on the day it was created.
"This once belonged to your father, Logan," Ahriman started to explain. "About four years after Logan died...his father, Kristof, reached out to me. He was filled up with such regret over the way that things ended...his heart was bleeding out with the pain of Logan's banishment from his house. He couldn't reconcile with the hatred he had for himself, after throwing Logan out of his household, but word did eventually reach him that Logan died in the war, as a revered hero..."
Jain reached out and wrapped a paw around the handle of the blade, just to feel it for a moment, as Ahriman continued. "Kristof found the courage to forgive Logan, but not until it was far too late...Logan had already been slain. That was when Kristof came to me and presented me with The Kingslayer...he entrusted this to me, and told me to present it to you when you came of age, Jain. I'm sure that if your father were here right now, he would be proud of you beyond the scope of words, Jain...he would want you to know that."
Jain was so overwhelmed with emotion that she didn't notice Amon filming the entire moment on his smartphone. She could barely feel the touch of her lover upon her shoulders, watching over her as she beheld perhaps the most important artifact in her lineage.
And she couldn't believe that Amon tried to kill the mood of the moment with a snide remark.
"And I bet Logan would still be mighty pissed off that his best friend is dating and making love to his little sister!"
Clenching the historical blade tightly in a paw, Jain gestured at Amon and nearly smacked him on the bridge of his muzzle with the non lethal point in the middle, between the blade and the spike. "Do you have any tact, Amon, or did you leave that back at the airport in baggage claim?!"
Ducking back and nearly dropping his phone, Amon couldn't keep himself from snickering. He was more intent on continuing the film than he was on dodging the weapon. "Afraid I'm fresh out of tact, Jain, but you need to work on your aim!"
Jain placed the blade back down on the table with a grunt and narrowed her eyes at Amon for just a moment, before she turned away from the camera and looked up at Ahriman. Her emotions weren't at all mixed up by the fact that the moment was being filmed; nothing could change the way that she felt for Ahriman. Nothing could stop her from reaching up and throwing her arms around his neck, and standing up on the very tips of her footpaws to press her lips tightly against his own, putting on a public display of affection that Ahriman might normally be too bashful to enjoy, but in this moment, with emotions running so high, he leaned right back into the kiss, letting his lips move delicately against Jain's tender flesh with all of the same passion for her that she felt for him.
"T-thank you..." Jain stuttered, her voice cracking as she tried to choke back her own tears. Her heart simply overflowed as she held onto Ahriman, her claws digging into the powerful, rippled flesh of his back so deeply that she nearly tore the soft, smooth fabric of his shirt. "For e-everything, Ahri...I love you so much... you'll never know how deep my love runs for you..."
Elena, shy as she might be, felt her own emotions rising to the surface. She wiped an errant tear from the soft, cozy fur upon her cheek as she smiled at the beautiful embrace, and Amon continued to the film the moment, smiling brightly at the happiness that his brother shared with Jain. At the end of it all, Amon simply wanted his brother to be happy, and wanted that person to be happy with him; to see that such had come to fruition was a greater gift than anyone could ever wrap up and give to him in a box.
"You two could win an Academy Award with a performance like that," Amon joked, unable to help teasing Ahriman and Jain, simply trying to make himself feel comfortable with the situation. He didn't mind emotional outbursts, but a little bit of teasing was simply his way to cope with the situation.
Jain took one glance back at Amon and flashed him a teasing smirk, even with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're just jealous that you haven't found a girl who likes you enough to stick around for the holidays!"
It would have been quite the painful jab if Amon didn't know she was teasing, but he was quick to roll his eyes and end the film, as he poured himself another glass of wine. "I haven't met a female worthy of bringing home for the holidays," he suggested, "Though you two did me the favor of bringing one into your home this year..."
Elena was more than happy to fade into the background and watch the romantic display in front of her, until Amon brought her back into the picture, and brought the blush back into her cheeks. "W-what makes you think I'm s-staying the night here?" she asked, her voice trembling once again as she mimicked Amon, getting up to pour herself another glass of wine.
"You're definitely not driving home if you finish that glass," Ahriman told her, perhaps being a little overprotective of Elena, but she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and even two glasses of wine was enough that she shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car afterwards. "But you'll be able to sleep in your own bed, tonight. I'm sure Amon doesn't mind letting a lady have a guest bed, instead of him?"
There was more than one guest bed to bed shared, and Amon knew it, but he still played along as if there were only one to be had. "For her, I'd sleep on every couch in the world," Amon admitted, speaking in Persian once again to keep Elena from figuring out just what they were talking about.
"That's what I like to hear. She's not just a floozy to be toyed with, Amon," Ahriman replied in kind, before Jain stole another kiss from his lips, cutting off his next words. Of course, Amon knew better than to cross his brother, and while Elena was far too alluring to resist, Amon would do his best...he wanted to let Elena come to him when she was ready, even if that meant waiting for a time.
"Mmm... and that's just one of your gifts," Jain suggested, referring to the second kiss she gave to Ahriman. "We've still got quite a few presents to unwrap on this table, if you were ready...?"
"Just one? How many did you get me?" Ahriman asked, looking down with wide eyes at the spread on the table. Needless to say, it was going to take them quite some time to go through everything, but Ahriman certainly didn't mind.
He was surrounded by his brother, one of his best friends, and the love of his life. Good cheer was had by all, and as wrapping paper piled up in the corner and everyone gathered their gifts, the smiles grew wider and wider, until another bottle of wine was to be poured. The four were happy and full of cheer as wine was passed around, and stories were told of the years gone by, until the wine made walking difficult, and the late hours of the night made eyelids heavy.
Amon actually did come to rest on the couch in the main hall, and much to his delight, Elena had been easily overwhelmed by the wine, leaving her to sleep curled up in a tight ball on the floor nearby him. Ahriman and Jain tossed a blanket upon her and allowed her to rest, retiring to their own bedroom when they were sure that Amon was unconscious, himself.
"So...best Wintersday yet?" Ahriman asked, a rather simple question from the bovine as he walked his lover up to their bedroom.
"Best Wintersday ever," Jain confirmed, as she leaned into his powerful, comforting body and raked her claws gently over his back.
"Good luck topping that gift next year..."
Blinkblinkblink!
