What I Want for Christmas

Flashback Begins
   It was a beautiful Christmas night, and the Donquixote Family were docked at the port of a snow island. Being the second youngest of the crew, Trafalgar Miyoko was watching the two 7 month olds – Donquixote Kioko and Donquixote Makioto – crawling towards their Aunt Aiko.

“Well, Merry Christmas to you, too, kiddos~!” Aiko said with a smile, picking up the twins at the same time. “Merry Christmas, Miyoko.”

“Merry Christmas, Mama Aiko,” Miyoko simply said, still trying to adjust to Christmas.
   What felt like a short day became longer and longer as Miyoko looked around and had some fun with the Donquixote Family and her Papa Gargon Salzgare, her adoptive father, and since this is her first Christmas with a family, she felt somewhat awkward.

   What makes things even more awkward for her was the fact she had to celebrate Christmas with the Greggons, a family headed by Michaevitch Greggon. Why? Because she doesn’t like all of them with the exception of one: Steine Greggon. A boy who happens to be her age and shared the same birthday as her, he has purple hair, opal eyes, and wore nice clothing despite being bred from a family of troublesome people.
   Now is not the time to elaborate, however, as Miyoko was making a gift. It was just she had finished eating with the Donquixote Family and the Greggons, and she excused herself from the table to

“What’s wrong, Miyoko?” asked Steine, taking note about how she seems to be distant from the others on a day where they were to be together.

“I don’t know…,” Miyoko mumbled under her breath with a sigh, working on a gift. “I guess it’s hard for me to adjust to an actual family instead of Papa Gargon and me…”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Steine said, smiling a genuine smile. “At least we’re spending Christmas together.”

“Yeah~,” Miyoko said, smiling a little as she finished the gift. “And I finished your gift!”
   At that, Miyoko showed Steine a doll that resembled her. The doll was your typical doll. It had button eyes, a stitched smile, and it had black yarn for her hair, a yellow cropped shirt, and blue overalls.

“For me?” Steine asked, gently grabbing the gift as if it was a porcelain figurine.

“Yep!” Miyoko said with a nod and a smile. “I made it so that when we aren’t together, we have something that keeps us from being apart from each other!”

“What a coincidence…,” Steine said with a small smile and a blush. “I, uh, made something for you with Mama Aiko’s help.”
   That gift he made happens to be in a neatly-wrapped box. Steine gave Miyoko the box, and she opened it gingerly as if to not ruin the wrapping. As soon as she unwrapped the gift, she opened the box to find a doll. This doll looked exactly like hers when it comes to the eyes and the smile, but the way it looked differed. It had purple yarn for his hair, a collared shirt, and light-grey pants.

“Aww~, it’s cute~!” Miyoko said, pulling the doll out and hugging it, being ever so careful to not break it.

“I’m glad you like it,” Steine said, genuinely smiling as he sees her response to the gift. “I guess it’s a way of saying that we won’t be apart with these dolls.”

“Ah, yeah,” Miyoko said with a small blush on her face, giggling.
   An hour after the exchange and opening of gifts, Miyoko saw Steine and the Greggons off. As the Greggons’ ship sailed off, Miyoko waved until the boat was out of sight. Once she couldn’t see the ship anymore, Miyoko sullenly walked to her room with the doll in her hand. Upon reaching her room, she looked at the doll of Steine he had given her before the gift exchanging.

I’ll get Steine a gift every Christmas, Miyoko thought to herself, holding the doll close to her heart. Even when he’s not coming, I’ll get him a gift…

Flashback Ends

“Merry Christmas, everybody~!!” a shout came about from two people, waking Miyoko up from her dream, where she had spent her first Christmas with Steine.
   Here we are, almost 12 years later, and Miyoko had kept her promise every year, and she even reminded herself that Steine does not come every year despite seeing him those two years before being arrested and put into Impel Down… then only to get out the day Impel Down was attacked.

“Merry Christmas, Miyoko~!” exclaimed Donquixote Kioko – who is now12 years old like her twin – as she entered the room with a knock.

“Yeah, yeah~,” Miyoko grumbled, feeling as if Ebenezer Scrooge took over her body. “Merry Christmas to you, too~.”
   With that said, Kioko left the room, and she announced that she was going to wake her father and the others. Miyoko, though, was not prepared to leave the comforts of her bed. She looked at the doll Steine had given her those many years ago, and she smiled a bit. She grabbed the doll, held it close to her, and presumed to fall back to sleep.

“You sleep with the doll?” an oddly familiar voice asked, curious to know.

“What of it?” Miyoko asked, a hint of slight embarrassment in her voice as she opened an eye to see who the voice belongs to, seeing a man with the same purple hair, the same opal eyes, and the same genuine smile that she remembered as if it was only yesterday

“Well, I find it cute that you do,” the man said, the smile getting slightly wide as he chuckled.

“Steine!” Miyoko exclaimed, sitting up and hugging Steine tightly as if he was going to leave once again.
   Just as he hugged her back, however, Miyoko felt her heart skip a beat. Not because she was in his arms again, but because of a promise she had forgotten to fulfill this year. Upon figuring out what the promise was, she gasped a little and her eyes widened in shock.

Oh, no~…, Miyoko thought to herself in anger towards herself. I forgot to get Steine a gift for this year!

“What’s wrong, Miyoko?” Steine asked as if he heard her gasp. “Did I hug you a little too tight?”

“Uh, n-no!” Miyoko said with a nervous smile, sweating comically as if to try and hide the fact that she hadn’t got him anything for Christmas this year. “I-I, uh, was just trying not to cry~! I mean, it’s, uh, been a while since I’ve seen you!”

“I saw you last year after you were released from Impel Down, though,” Steine said, sweatdropping in confusion.

“I-I meant when we became a couple!” Miyoko said, mentally kicking herself as she forgot how long it has been.
   Like her childhood memories, she remembers when she became a thing with Steine. It was on an island sometime after Law and she left the Donquixote Pirates due to Donquixote Rocinante – Doflamingo’s and Aiko’s younger brother and Kioko’s late-uncle – dying while trying to hide the two Trafalgars’ whereabouts. It was when she was only 14 years old, and she saw him on a mission for his grandfather.

“Ah, I see,” Steine said slowly, smiling a little at the memory. “At least we can spend time-.”

“On Christmas!” Miyoko said, still nervously smiling. “Well, how about you and I spend the whole day together! No bothersome people, no Dellinger, and no worries!”

“Well, I-.”

“Good! I’ll get myself ready!!” Miyoko quickly shouted as she cut off Steine, getting out of her bed and running to the bathroom as if she was running from a stampede of wildebeests.

“Okay~?” Steine said, sweatdropping in confusion, only to have him proceed with this thought: What was that all about?

X~X~X~X

   In the bathroom, Miyoko was just finishing brushing her teeth and washing her face, something she enjoyed doing due to her doctoral habits. She then proceeded to brush her hair, thinking about what to do.

What do I do to make up for not getting Steine a gift!? she thought to herself, angry at herself for not fulfilling her promise every Christmas. What’s the best thing I can do…?
   Then, it hit her. She’s no specialist for Christmas, but she can make it up with other things that she can do for him.

Maybe we can eat breakfast together…, Miyoko began to think, putting on her yellow long-sleeved sweater, black skinny jeans, and high-heeled boots. Then we can play a little game or two… does he like games? Oh, well… I Spy and karaoke seems the best… I think… ooh, and it’s supposed to snow today! Maybe a little walk outside the castle and a snowball fight would do! Then we can end the day with a kiss under the mistletoe… and yet I still have to get him a gift, and the stores are closed for the holiday. Goddammit~!
   As she thought of what to do with Steine while he was here, Miyoko placed the ribbon on the right side of her head. Just as she was making sure that her ribbon was fine, her clothes not wrinkled, and smile whiter than the clouds, an idea popped in her head.

Or I can give him some of the gifts I’ve gotten for him over the years when he wasn’t here for Christmas! Miyoko thought, pounding her fist into her hand. </i>Ooh, that might just work!</i>

“Miyoko?” Steine asked from the other side, knocking on the door. “Are you ready?”

“Of course, silly!” Miyoko said, opening the door and smiling brightly to Steine and at the idea she thought was as brilliant as the Sun. “Ready to eat breakfast with the family?”

“Well, actually-.”

“Cool!” Miyoko said, grabbing his hand and heading out the room and towards the dining room, with Steine following after her. “I’ll introduce you to a few new members of the Donquixote Family while we’re at it!”

I guess I’ll tell her after breakfast, Steine thought as he followed after her, sweatdropping all the way down the hall and into the dining room.

X~X~X~X

   After breakfast was finished, Miyoko and Steine were heading to her room. Just as planned, Miyoko had asked Steine to play a little game with her. The problem was this: what kind of game are they – two eighteen year olds – are going to play that doesn’t involve anything stupid occurring.

Damn, didn’t think this one through…, Miyoko thought with a frown, realizing the problem at hand.

“So, what game are you thinking about?” Steine asked, curious to know what game they were to play.

“Um… I don’t know~…,” Miyoko said with honesty in her voice. “I kinda didn’t think about it… I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad,” Steine said with a shrug. “But I kinda do have to-.”

“Ooh~, maybe we can go outside and take a walk!” Miyoko said with a smile.

“Miyoko, I-“

“Alright, let’s go!” Miyoko said, smiling as she grabs Steine’s hand and head on outside.

Okay, maybe when we go outside, I’ll tell her, Steine thought, his cheeks puffing comically as he is dragged outside.

X~X~X~X

   Outside the castle, Trafalgar Miyoko and Steine Greggon were taking a walk outside of the Dressrosa castle, the ground already covered from snow that fell a couple of days ago. Being rather very cold, Miyoko wore her leather jacket, a scarf, and a winter hat whereas Steine wore a stylish purple jacket, a pair of gloves, and his purple scarf.
   Hand in hand and close to each other, Steine and Miyoko were walking around the area until Steine stopped abruptly. This stop, as well as somewhat-tight grip of his hand onto Miyoko’s, made her halt in her tracks and turn to him in confusion.

“Steine?” Miyoko asked, looking at him in confusion. “What’s up?”

“You know how many years we’ve been together?” Steine asked, making Miyoko tilt her head in confusion.

“Well, yeah…,” Miyoko answered with a small smile. “Four years. I remember how many people you killed back then.”

“So do I,” Steine said with a smile as he notices the blush on her cheeks. “Seeing you… makes me happy to be alive…”
   While he tries to continue on with what he was to say, snowflake danced in the air. This happens to catch Miyoko’s attention, who – being a North Bluer – looked up and smiled as the snow continued to fall.

“Hey, it’s snowing again,” Miyoko said with a smile as she turned around, kneeling down as a plan for the game was concocted in her mind. “Didn’t know there was more snow to come.”

“Neither did I,” Steine said, smiling as he looked up to the sky. “What perfect timing, too. Miyoko, I-.”

   BAP!! Just as he was about to say something, a snowball had made contact with his face. Blinking a couple of times, he saw Miyoko giggling as if she was a kid again. Getting the picture, he smiled, kneeled to the ground, and gathered snow to create a snowball. Thus, a snowball fight ensued, with the two of them laughing until a winner was announced.

X~X~X~X

   Almost an hour passed by, and Steine was announced the winner when he used his Mystic abilities to create a snowman-sized snowball. Both Miyoko and he were on the ground, laughing next to each other. When the laughter died down, Miyoko and Steine smiled at each other, but they both sat up before anything was said.

“Hey, do you know what a cold kiss feels like?” Miyoko asked, gathering a bit of snow and putting it in her mouth.

“I haven’t, actually,” Steine said with a small smile.
   With that small answer, Miyoko turned to Steine and gave him a kiss. He kissed back lovingly as his eyes shut. However, the kiss did not last long, as Miyoko pulled away from him a few seconds after.

“So, whatcha think?” Miyoko asked as she and Steine opened their eyes.

“I enjoyed that,” Steine said with a small smile. “What I would really enjoy, though, is-.”

“C’mon, we need to go in,” Miyoko cut Steine off, standing up and helping Steine up along the way.

“But Miyo-.”

“I don’t want us to get colds on Christmas, Steine!” Miyoko said with a small whine in her voice. “You know how I am~!”

“Fine~,” Steine said, puffing his cheeks comically just as Miyoko had dragged him in the castle.

Well, I guess I’ll tell her in the castle~, Steine thought, cheeks still puffed comically due to the fact that he can’t tell her what he needs to say. What next?

X~X~X~X

   Upon entering the castle, Steine stops in his tracks. Again, Miyoko immediately stopped due to noticing him stop. She turned to him and gave him a look that says “is there something wrong, dear,” as she knew that when he stops in his tracks twice, he had something to say.

“Miyoko, I have to tell you something,” Steine said, finally catching Miyoko’s attention. “You know that I love you ever since we met that day twelve years ago, right?”

“Well, of course!” Miyoko said, scratching her head and smiling. “I kind of have a confession to make, thought.”

“You go first, then,” Steine said, gesturing her to go ahead.

“Steine… I-.”

“Kyaa~!” Dellinger shouted, making Miyoko mentally facepalm in anger due to how cut off she was of confessing to Steine. “Look who’s under the mistletoe, Kioko~!”

“Aww, how cute~!” Kioko said, giggling with her “little buddy,” as Miyoko called them. “Now you have to kiss~!”

“Oy~…,” Miyoko said with a sigh, facepalming. “I’m sorry about the Troublesome Duo.”
   As if on cue, Steine hugged Miyoko tightly and kissed her passionately. Smiling into the kiss, Miyoko proceeded to hug and kiss her boyfriend of four years back. With a giggle from Miyoko, Steine pulled away, ending the kiss after what seems to be a few minutes passed by.

“There, happy?” Miyoko asked the Troublesome Duo, questioning how Kioko has been somewhat inspired by Dellinger despite being older than him.

“Satisfied~!” both Kioko and Dellinger said together, giggling like fans would.

“Kioko! Dellinger!” the voice of Gargon Salzgare rang out, making the two aforementioned people stop mid-laugh. “How about you two leave Miyoko and Steine alone?”

“Y-Yes, Uncle Gargon!” Kioko said, sweating in fear as she ran off one direction.

“Sorry, Mr. Gargon!” Dellinger said, the smile never leaving as he skips off the same direction Kioko ran off to.
   Once the Troublesome Duo were out of sight and out of mind, Miyoko and Steine sighed. With a small smile, Miyoko straightened herself out and hugged Gargon, who hugged her back.

“Thanks, Dad~,” Miyoko said as Steine nodded his thanks to him.

“Anytime, Miyo,” Gargon said with one of the rarest smiles. “I came by to tell you that we’re to exchange gifts in a good hour.”

“A-Ah~…,” Miyoko said, sweating comically as soon as she heard the words “gift exchange.” “Thanks for telling us, Dad! I-uh… I’m gonna go and hi-find some things in my room!”

“Miyoko, can I-?”

“Sorry, Steine!” Miyoko said, comically running down the hall. “I’ll speak with you later~!!”
   As if on cue, Steine comically puffed his cheeks once again, noticing an oddball pattern coming him his girlfriend of 4 years. He put his hands in his pocket and comically kicked up… nothing but dust and dirt on the ground.
   While he was thinking through and through, Steine’s right thumb gently rubbed the gift he was to give his dearest princess for Christmas. With a sigh, Steine eventually realized something amiss.

She must be stressed, Steine thought to himself, his Mystic powers kicking in as he hears Miyoko’s thoughts through a psychic link between him and her. Maybe… she’s thinking of something to give me for Christmas…? I think I’ll check up on her.
   With that, he headed over to Miyoko’s room, curiosity boiling in the pits of his stomach as he wanted to know the answers to his few questions: 1) why did Miyoko keep cutting him off, 2) why is she stressed, and 3) would she accept the gift he was to give her?

X~X~X~X

Why the hell didn’t I think of this sooner? Miyoko thought as she grabbed the box from her closet. I didn’t realize that I never gave Steine these gifts!
   What she pulled out from the box was not wrapped whatsoever, but it was worth more than what she thought she could pull off during Christmas. At the age of 7, since there was a little problem with her and money, she had wanted to give Steine a forgotten love letter that had about 100 Berries in them. When she was 8, she had decided to go all out because she heard Steine was coming, and she got him a porcelain figurine of the lovers. When she was 9, Aiko decided to take a picture of a sleeping Miyoko with the Steine doll in her arms. Moving on to the age of 10, she thought a coloring book was nice, as she was going through an artist stage. As for the age of 11, she had wanted to give him a bag of his favorite sweets, which she had to replace this year due to her habit of wanting to NOT get Steine sick from expired candies. When the 12th age hit her, she wanted to get him a picture of her and Law and a letter updating how their life was. So, 13 kicked in, and she had wanted to record a song, and record a song she did with Aiko’s friend’s help, of course. She wanted to give Steine a bracelet when she was 14, but she never got the courage to do so. When 15 and 16 arrived, Miyoko actually gave Steine his gifts then and there. However, 17 hit, and since she was still in Impel Down, Kamik gave her a book to write in, and she wrote down poems for Steine to read.
    Now… she was stuck with all these presents and had no clue as to what to do with them.

“Damn… I dunno if he loves these things or not…,” Miyoko mumbled under her breath, not realizing Steine had entered the room quietly. “Then again, these are better than itchy wool socks.”

“Maroon itchy wool socks,” Steine corrected, making Miyoko jump almost two feet in the air. “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Miyoko said, her hands shaky not from the scare, but from what Steine would think of the gifts she calls lame. “I was… finding the perfect gift!”

“But Miyoko-“

“Here you go!” Miyoko said, picking up the box and walking towards her bed, just as she puts the box down on the edge of her bed. “I hope you enjoy them. Merry Christmas!”

“Thanks~…,” Steine said with a sweatdrop, sitting next to the box with Miyoko following suit. “Let’s see what you got.”
   With that, Steine reached his hand into the box and picked up the first gift: a letter with some Berries.

“Interesting…,” Steine said, pulling the letter and reading it as he grabs the Berries before it fell to the ground for the taking. “And the next gift is… how pretty. The Lovers in a porcelain figurine.”
   One by one, as Steine went through each gift, Miyoko frowned as each gift Steine had grabbed and thought it was “nice” or whatnot. The guilt ate her more and more as Steine had nearly completed it, saying how the picture of Miyoko sleeping was cute, a coloring book was an interesting choice, the picture of her and Law surprisingly cute, enjoyed the bag of his favorite sweets, a recorded song as beautiful as her, the bracelet a wonderful thing to have as a reminder of how she is kind, and the book full of poems beautiful.

“I love these, Miyo,” Steine said as he looked at Miyoko, only to notice how she’s looking down. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry~!” Miyoko said, tearing up. “I didn’t really get you a gift this year. The presents you see in the box were from the previous years, from ages 7 to 14, and when I was 17 years old. This year, I forgot to get you a present, and I wanted to… to cover it up by finding a way to make you forget the gift exchanging shindig…”
   Silence fell over them on this holy night, and Steine looked at Miyoko with surprise glinting in his eyes. Not only was he surprised at how Miyoko felt guilty for not getting him a gift, but because year after year, she at least tried to get him a gift for Christmas. Gently putting the gifts back in the box as if they were all like the one porcelain figurine, Steine scooted over to Miyoko and hugged her tightly.

“Miyoko…,” Steine said, holding Miyoko tightly as if his life was to cease tomorrow. “The greatest gift of all is right in front of me. All I want for Christmas is you.”

“Y-You’re not mad at me?” Miyoko asked, trying not to cry on a day where smiles are all about.

“Of course not,” Steine said with a small smile. “Just spending time with you makes me want nothing more than that. Besides, didn’t Mama Aiko tell us that Christmas is not about gift exchanging, but of the people who you spend it with.”

(A/N: Did NOT want to get too deep with this. Sorry.)

“Miyoko…,” Steine said, cupping her cheeks gently as if she was a work of fragile art. “I love you too much to let you go.  You’re my everything. The reason I haven’t decided to become as heartless as Father and Grandfather is because of you. You’re the light in my darkness. And… before you cut me off…”
   Miyoko tilted her head in confusion, curious to know what he was to say as he reached into his pocket. Pulling the small box out of his right pocket, he opened it and showed something one would never think to be in tiny box: a golden ring with a purple diamond in the center of the ring.

“Will you make me the happiest man alive…,” Steine said with a small smile. “And be by my side forever?”
   Realizing what he was trying to ask all day in that moment, Miyoko felt herself tear up once again. A smile made its way onto her face, and when she looked at Steine, she nodded.

“Yes!” Miyoko said, receiving a smile from Steine upon hearing his answer. “Yes, I do!”
   With that answer, the two embraced each other, holding on as if they do not want to let go of each other. Steine proceeded to kiss Miyoko with enough passion to last a lifetime, and as he does so, he placed the engagement ring onto her left ring finger. Just as quick as they kissed, they separated and looked into each other’s eyes.

“Well, isn’t this the best Christmas ever?” Miyoko asked, placing her forehead onto Steine’s.

“I’d say,” Steine answered with a smile, earning a laugh out of the two lovers.

   And it was on that night, the two lovers took their relationship to the next stage. Instead of couples, they became fiancé to one another, and no one that night went on a rage. So, on this silent, holy night, I – the Narrator – wish you all a Merry Christmas from me to you all, and all a good night.
The End