Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

   Emmet walks up the steps to the covered porch, dusting snow off his shoulders. The wet, icy sludge that has gathered on the fabric of his coat slides off fairly easily, splattering against the wooden surface beneath him as he swipes his hands over his arms. He can feel the cold dampness soaking into his gloves as he does, but he elects to ignore that in favor of ridding himself of the snow — Emmet has been waiting to do that since he stepped out of the Anville Town Train Station a little while ago, as it was useless to try to get rid of the snow while he was still out in it. Under the cover of the porch though, safe from the flurry, Emmet no longer has to worry about that. So, he pats himself down and wipes his boots against the mat in front of the door to shake off as much snow as he can.

   Oh how Emmet hates snow! It's the bane of his existence, he's sure. Being cold is already the worst feeling in the whole world and adding the sensation of snow melting on him, drenching his clothes and somehow making his skin damp too makes it much worse. Practically every night since the beginning of the season, Emmet has had to trudge through the thick snow just to get home — that is something he has unfortunately been forced to make peace with since they moved out of Nimbasa City, which didn't get as much snow being so close to a desert and all. And they still don't own a car, as Emmet refuses to submit to lesser forms of travel and the house is only a few minutes away from the train station, so he's got no choice but to weather the elements! It sucks and he's miserable! Well… maybe he's being a bit dramatic.

   Emmet will never like snow. But, complain as he may, he's slowly getting used to the frosty downpour. It's no less unfortunate for him, but Emmet can handle walking five minutes in the snow to get back to his home and his family every night. And being in the cold isn't so bad when he knows he'll be greeted with warmth and smiles and maybe a cup of some hot drink if he's lucky as soon as he walks in the door. That — seeing his twin and his sons and his niblings waiting for him after a long day — is always worth it in the end. So Emmet will happily endure the wintery weather if it means he gets such a reward after he does.

   Plus, despite the snow, Emmet actually does enjoy his commute from the station to his house. After his journey to get Ingo home from Hisui, he'd developed a healthy desire for walking! A couple minutes every day through the forested area is hardly the hiking he'd been doing before, but it scratches his itch to get his steps in. And dare he say, he actually likes walking around in Anville Town more than he did in Nimbasa; less people and noise… more than that, Emmet is happier in Anville Town too. He grew up here, after all and maybe that's why it feels so much more like home than he'd ever expected despite the fact it was a major change to his schedule.

   At first, Emmet thought he'd struggle more than he has in moving away from the home he'd been living in since his college days — big changes always give him a hard time. He'd told himself that they were moving for his brother's sake and for his niblings to feel more comfortable adapting to modern life again, which helped him power through the initial discomfort. Then he ended up loving it in their little house in the middle of the woods where nothing and nobody can bother them. It's peaceful and quiet and close to his parents and everything Emmet could have asked for. So, he can handle the commute if it means keeping his family and himself happy.

   And happy they are living in Anville Town.

   So verrry happy… after what felt like an eternity.

   Not much time has passed since Ingo came home from Hisui with Rei and Akari, but in the months since it happened, they've made a lot of changes to their routines and had to deal with so many obstacles just to stay together. All of that struggle made it feel like he'd aged years! It was hard, as he knew it would be, but that struggle was worth it in the end for this outcome. Now all of them are more or less settled into the life they've built and just in time for the Holidays too! This is their first Christmas in their new home… and their first Christmas as a family. Together. And everything is finally okay after all the time they spent fighting for their peace. Emmet is so glad that he's finally in a good enough mental state to truly enjoy it!

   He smiles to himself as he brushes his hands together to get rid of the snow on his gloves. Emmet intends to make this the best Holiday season he can for his brother and the kids; a celebration for all they've overcome together. In his humble opinion, all of them deserve it. Ah, but he's getting distracted now. Emmet has been standing on the porch for longer than he should and his family is likely waiting for him inside. He should stop getting lost in his head now! Rerouting!

   Bending down, he starts to untie his snow boots. Usually he would take them inside and set them by the front door to dry, but the snow had been particularly high today. So high that the bottoms of his pants have been soaked through and his boots are dripping with icy sludge inside and out! He'd prefer not to soak the foyer or track snow through the house, so he's just going to leave them on the porch to dry. He's sure Ingo would appreciate that at the very least, as his brother seems to have taken on a bunch of the household duties while waiting to be cleared to work on the Battle Subway again. Scrubbing the floors is not something he'd like to put on his brother's to-do list.

   Emmet gets his left boot untied first, then he slips it off and tosses it at the wall in front of him. It bounces off and flops to the slide with a wet slapping sound. He cringes as he goes to untie the soggy shoelaces of his right shoe. Even though he's still wearing his gloves, Emmet can't help but feel like he's getting his hands dirty right now. He's going to have to shower once he gets inside just to settle his mind. Not that he wasn't already planning on doing that. Taking showers after work is not uncommon for him, after all. And after the day he'd had, running around the station and taking on almost triple the amount of battles he usually does, Emmet could use a nice hot shower.

   Oh, even just thinking about it has him excited!

   It takes only another moment for him to undo the laces of his right boot, then he's sliding it off and tossing it next to the other one. He watches it hit the wall and then topple over the other boot just as the front door swings open, light suddenly illuminating the dark porch. Emmet flinches, shooting up to his feet as a flash of sparkly red crashes into him. "Oof!" He grunts, the force of the body slamming into his making him take a step back so he doesn't fall. Once he manages to regain his footing, Emmet wraps his arms around the little person that has him ensnared. One glance at the sparkly red Christmas sweater he is certain he watched her steal from his brother's room this morning and her long black hair that's tied back in a braid lets Emmet know that it's his niece who has attacked him.

   Akari. He should have expected it would be her! She is usually the very first person to greet him every night, followed closely by his brother or one of his sons and occasionally Rei. It's almost like she's made it her personal goal to beat everyone else to it! Though she does typically wait for him to actually enter the house first before saying hello… ah, but perhaps Akari is just extra excited to see him today. Emmet did promise her he'd help her decorate the house when he got home, so he can't blame her for her excitement! No doubt she's been watching the windows, waiting for him to return all day so she can finally put up all the decorations she'd been talking about at dinner last night.

   "Uncle Emmet! You're home!" Her voice is muffled in the fabric of his shirt where she's got her face pressed against his side, but Emmet still hears her loud and clear.

   He laughs, bending down to scoop her into his arms and hoist her up into the air. Akari shrieks, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as Emmet twirls around with her. "Yyyup! I am Emmet and I am home!" Emmet does another spin, then turns back to the open doorway as he leans down to kiss the crown of her head. "Mmmwah!" Akari starts laughing too now, swatting at him and kicking her legs. He plants another kiss on her forehead, then straightens up again. "And just what do you think you're doing, little lady? I'm sure your dad would nnnot approve of you answering the door like this, yup!"

   Akari opens her mouth to reply — probably to snark him, as she almost always does — but another voice beats her to it. "Akari? Where did you go?" Ingo shouts from somewhere in the house. Looks like his niece has snuck away again. She's very good at being sneaky, he's come to find out. Emmet huffs an amused sigh as he holds Akari a little tighter, making sure she can't squirm out of his arms as he steps into the house.

   "I've got her, Ingo!" Emmet calls back, turning and pulling the door shut behind himself.

   A pause. "Is that you, Emmet?"

   "Yup! I am home now." Almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, a commotion rings out from somewhere upstairs. He has a feeling he already knows who that is… Emmet smiles to himself as he walks down the short hallway into the living room where his brother is hunched over the fireplace, tossing more logs into the flickering flames. His twin glances up at him when Emmet enters the room, a ghost of a smile spreading across his face and a fond sigh following as his gaze lands on Akari. She's squirming in Emmet's arms now. "This one caught me at the front door. I am Emmet and I think she was trying to run away! Or maybe she's just excited to see me?"

   Akari groans, kicking the air. "Nuh uuuh! I'd never run away! Food is too good here." She flails a little harder. "I'm innocent, I sweaaaar! Put me dooown! Daaad! Save me!"

   Ingo laughs, turning back to the fire he's building. "I see! I believe you may be right, Emmet. About the excitement, I mean. She's been talking about decorating the house since you left our home station this morning. Alas, she may have to wait longer still." He puts one last log in the fire before leaning back and closing the door, tossing his gloves onto the pile of wood next to him. Ingo dusts his hands off as he rises to his feet. "I figure you are going to shower before we do anything else?"

   Akari gasps, then stops struggling to whine. "I have to wait longer?!" She throws her head back, braid slipping down to hang too. "Uuuuggh!"

   "Only a little bit longer, little lady. I'll be quick." Emmet bends down, setting Akari on the ground then rising back up just as thundering footsteps tear down the stairs. "Why don't you go bring the decoration totes upstairs in the meantime?" His niece pouts at him, crossing her arms. She stares at him for a moment longer, then turns and starts walking towards the basement door. Emmet watches her retreating form, then glances at his brother. Ingo gives him a salute before heading off down the hall to follow his daughter. He stifles a laugh and instead turns back towards the foyer to wait for his son to appear.

   Sure enough, Chili is walking down the hall a moment later. Well… sort of. He's leaning against the wall as he limps into the living room, slowly inching towards Emmet. "Dad! You're back! Cress and I were getting worried because you were taking so long." His son pauses in the doorway, leaning heavily against the wall to take more weight off of his left leg. Emmet can't help but wince as he glances down at the black brace wrapped around Chili's leg. And unfortunately, that doesn't escape Chili's notice. The smile on his face quickly morphs into a frown as he looks down at the brace himself. "I'm fine. Just overdid it a bit by running down the stairs." A pause. Chili pushes off the wall and hobbles over to Emmet. "See? The brace helps a lot, so I don't need my cane in the house!"

   Emmet shakes himself out of his frozen trance, brain finally catching up with his mouth. "Right. Well, I'm happy to hear that… try to take it easy though. You remember what the doctor said." He opens his arms, accepting Chili when he gets close enough to hug him. His son sighs, wrapping his arms tight around Emmet's middle and hiding his face in his shirt. Whether he's trying to keep himself up or just needs the pressure, he doesn't know, but Emmet won't ask. Staring at the brace like he just did is enough attention on it for tonight — he'd prefer not to upset Chili any more. So, he changes the subject. "Anyway, I am Emmet and I'm going to shower. Ingo and Akari just went to the basement to bring up the decorations if you want to help?"

   Thankfully, Chili perks up hearing that. He tilts his head up, smile spreading across his face again. "Can I? I'm super strong!"

   Emmet smiles at him, bending down to kiss his son's head. "Mm-hmm! I'm sure they could use your strength, yup!" With that, he straightens up and ruffles his hair. "Now rrrrun along! I need to shower rrright away!"

   Chili laughs, then steps away from Emmet to salute him. "On it! Send Cilan and Cress on your way, yeah?" Emmet salutes him back and Chili takes that for his answer. Then he turns on his heel, making his way towards the basement.

   He watches the boy move for a moment, eyeing the limp and making a mental note to ask Chili's doctor about maybe increasing his dose of medication, then he heads back towards the foyer where the staircase is.

   Emmet was right. A warm shower and his green Christmas pajamas was exactly what he needed after a long day. Oh, and the steaming cup of hot chocolate that Cress had made for him in his hands helps too. It's got a nice minty flavor that doesn't overpower the chocolate, which he is a big fan of and fears he may never get anywhere else — perhaps he could in Striaton City at his sons' restaurant, though that is hardly as convenient as getting it from his own kitchen. Truly, he will forever thank his lucky stars that his sons know how to make good food and are generous enough to share it. He takes another sip as he watches Rei and Akari dig through the ornament boxes from his spot on the couch. Seeing the two playfully argue about what should go where is more entertaining than it should be. Like one of those sitcoms Ingo is so fond of!

   Akari steals an ornament from Rei's hand, then shoots up to put it on the tree herself. Her brother naturally chases after her and starts yet another argument about which branch it would look best on… ah, the joy of having siblings. Emmet laughs to himself as he swirls the drink in his hand. He wonders for a moment if he and Ingo ever argued like that when they were young. It's been so long that Emmet doesn't remember, but he doesn't think he and Ingo were keen on fighting. Sure they had their moments, but they were a two-car train through and through! Though maybe he could give their parents a call and ask them to be sure before he goes around claiming that. Emmet is sure it would be nice to hear from them and see how they've been doing anyway.

   The sound of rustling beside him pulls Emmet's attention away from his niblings and out of his thoughts. He looks over at Cilan as he digs through another ornament box. This one is smaller than the big totes sitting on the floor near the fireplace and tree, filled with all of their special fragile ornaments and a shit ton of paper to go with it. Ingo had entrusted those boxes to Emmet's sons, as they're less prone to arguing about ornaments or accidentally dropping them. So far, there have been no casualties. Emmet watches Cilan unravel the paper around one of the ornaments they got while visiting Johto in their teen years — a sleek silver train to model the bullet trains in that region. His son's eyes light up as he turns to Emmet. "Is this a model of a Johto bullet train?!" He brings it closer to his face to get a better look at it. "The Azalea Shinkansen! Oh! It's lovely and so accurate to the actual train!"

   Ingo laughs from his place next to the tree, hanging a sparkly red bulb before turning to face the couch. "Good eye, Cilan! If I recall correctly, we got that ornament while we were visiting Johto with our Uncle Drayden! We were… uhh. We… hmm. Well, I'm afraid I don't recall why we were there." His frown deepens in what Emmet recognizes as his brother's 'thinking face', arms crossing over his chest. Poor Ingo has regained most of his memories, but sometimes he struggles with a few minor details. Arceus had said eventually that would sort itself out too, but that time has not come yet and, of course, Emmet is more than happy to fill in the gaps for his brother.

   He leans forward and sets his Tynamo mug down on the coffee table. "He brought us to visit Grandma and Grandpa, remember? That was our last summer of freedom before we were off to Nimbasa University, yup! Spent the whole summer in Johto and found that ornament in one of the gifts shops on our way out." Ingo's expression lights up and he nods.

   "Ah! Yes, I remember now! We were running all over the place while trying to find the right train to take us to the airport, weren't we?" Ingo uncrosses his arms to put his hands on his hips instead, the tension draining away from him. "Neither of us could read the signs because they were all in Kantonian, so we ended up getting incredibly derailed!"

   Emmet laughs. "Yup! Then we walked into one of the gift shops, ready to call it quits! Thankfully, the lady at the register spoke some Galarian and was able to help us call Uncle Drayden. We bought the ornament while waiting for him to arrive, yup!"

   That was an interesting day indeed. Even after spending so much time in Johto and learning some Kantonian, they still could barely make out what any of the signs were saying! Maybe it was just because they'd overslept and were afraid to miss their flight that they were having so much trouble, but it certainly wasn't a fun experience in the moment regardless. Of course, some good things did end up coming out of that situation — being able to ride a bunch of the trains and getting the ornament were a couple highlights. Funny how good things can come out of bad situations.

   Cilan gasps. "Really? Wow, that must have been stressful. Though I'm sure the trains were wonderful! We didn't really have time to take in the true majesty of the trains while we were in Johto, but maybe some day we can go back to see them." He stands up from the couch, sliding around the coffee table and heading towards the tree. "As a metro connoisseur, it would be my greatest honor to see every train in the whole world!"

   His twin ruffles Cilan's hair as he steps up to the tree, stepping aside so Cilan can hook the shiny silver rope tied around the ornament over a branch. "Perhaps some day we can make that a reality. I know your father and I vowed to do the same when we were your age."

   Someone laughs from the kitchen. Emmet turns to look over the couch towards where Cress is standing over the stove, phone in his hands while he skips through the Christmas music playing on the speaker. He doesn't say anything as he stops on "The Christmas Song" and puts his phone down. Only once it's on the counter does Cress speak up. "Oh don't get him started! We'll never get to finish decorating tonight if he goes off on one of his tangents," he says, a teasing smile on his face. Cilan laughs, but makes no comment on his brother's words, likely trying to avoid a teasing match.

   So, Emmet takes Cress on for him. "I don't see a problem with that, yup! Trains are verrry cool. I am Emmet and I fear I'll have to disown you if you don't agree. No son mine will hate trains."

   Cress shrugs, unbothered by his empty threat. "Well, I guess you don't want the cookies I'm baking for after we're done decorating then, do you father?" He picks up the spatula he's been using to scrape the cookies off the tray, waving it around in the air. "So ungrateful! I worked hard on these cookies and you're just going to throw me out on the street over such a simple disagreement!"

   His brother butts in now, scoffing at Cress' words. "Trains are no matter of 'simple disagreements', my dear nephew! We are talking about the very reason Emmet and I get out of bed in the morning — well, and for our beloved children, but that is beside the point. Train slander is blasphemy in this household!" A pause. "Ah, but if cookies are involved, then I could be persuaded into saying not another word while we finish decorating. What kind are they?"

   The betrayal! Emmet whips around to glare at Ingo, who simply shrugs at him with one of his silly smiles on his face. Oh where is his twin's sense of justice? His honor? Both have disappeared in an instant with the promise of baked goods! This is bribery in its most vicious form! Cress laughs a bit, which prompts Emmet to turn back around. He looks over at his son as Cress plucks one of the small golden cookies with red berry jam in the center off the cooling rack. "Thumbprint cookies with an assortment of berry jam centers." He glances down at the oven. "And chocolate crinkle cookies in the oven."

   Emmet takes everything he was just thinking back. He could absolutely be convinced now. And, obviously, so can Ingo. "It's a done deal, then! Emmet, come help me finish up the tree!"

   He turns back around, saluting his brother as he rises from the couch. "Full steam ahead!"

   And so I'm offering a simple phrase

   To kids from one to ninety-two

   Although it's been said many times, many ways

   Merry Christmas to you

   He catches himself humming along to the song still quietly playing in the background as he stares at the twinkling Christmas tree in the corner of the room. All the ornaments shimmer under the red and green lights they'd strung up around the branches, which is going to be verrry interesting to the Pokémon when they see it. Emmet can imagine the shenanigans now — Archie trying to eat the ornaments and Lavender floating around it to stare at the lights. They do it every year. Oh! And Emmet can't wait to see how Ingo's Hisuian Pokémon react to it! He'll have to get a camera ready when it happens. Hopefully they don't cause any damage, though.

   It had taken them over an hour to decorate the thing, plus almost twenty more minutes after Cress' joking threat to finish putting all their ornaments up and get the golden train tree topper Elesa had gotten them as a gag gift last year on the tree, but at last the decorating is done. He'd hate to see it ruined by a couple curious Pokémon, though he has no doubt they'd be able to piece it back together if something does end up happening.

   Emmet pops a pecha jam thumbprint cookie in his mouth, running his free hand up and down Chili's back as his son sits curled up in his lap. He tries to focus on his lower back, where he knows a lot of the pain Chili still feels is. Hopefully it helps his son at least a little… Emmet feels bad for the kid. He'd spent most of the hour it had taken to decorate the tree up in his room — he really did overdo it with all the running — but he'd come back downstairs a little while ago to help wrap up. Then he had a couple cookies and promptly fell asleep on Emmet's chest when they turned The Polar Express on. He doubts Chili will be ready to move for at least a little while and Emmet is more than willing to stay as long as his son needs… always.

   Dealing with the pain in his back and his leg has been one of the major challenges he's faced this year, even with all the doctors and the medications and the physical therapy. It just seems like Chili is always in some kind of discomfort. The doctors had said that was part of the healing process and to be patient, but Emmet can't stand seeing it. He just wants Chili to feel better. Hopefully some rest and less running will do him some good and maybe the decorations now in the house will help him feel a little more jolly.

   Emmet can only pray to the dragons that it's so.

   He presses a kiss to Chili's head, shifting his hold on him a bit to make sure his son is comfortable.

   "He's sleeping?" Rei whispers beside Emmet. The sound of his nephew's voice nearly makes Emmet jump, but he manages to hold off as he turns towards Rei. He's looking up at Emmet with a small frown on his face, worry in his eyes as he holds the blanket Ingo had given him around himself. Honestly, he's a bit shocked Rei is sitting so close to him. His nephew has been very skittish around him ever since he came home from Hisui. Not that Emmet blames him, of course! Everything that has happened is certainly an adjustment! But maybe the fact Rei is sitting beside him is progress. Emmet smiles at him.

   "He is. Are you getting sleepy?" He watches Rei look back towards the tv screen, then to his lap, and finally back to Emmet.

   "A little, but I wanna see what happens in the movie." Rei turns back towards the screen, a small smile spreading across his face. "Dad says this one is his favorite because it's got a train in it."

   Emmet can feel his smile growing. "It is a verrry cool movie. Ingo and I have watched it every year since it came out. The Polar Express is awesome, yup."

   Rei hums, leaning against Emmet's arm. "Then I think I should watch the rest of the movie before going to bed. I have to see if it's as cool as you're saying it is."

   He doesn't dare move, afraid that if he does he's going to scare Rei into moving away again. This is progress. It's been a slow and bumpy route, but at last he feels like maybe he's connecting with Rei. Emmet is glad. Happy… he looks out over the couch. At his other sons sitting on the far side under the same blanket, talking quietly and sharing popcorn. At Ingo and Akari in the corner, her hands in his brother's hair, braiding little sections of it. And finally at where Chili and Rei are resting against him.

   Emmet is happy.

   So verrry happy.

   He turns his attention back to the tv screen, smile stretching so wide that it hurts his cheeks.

Chapter Text

   Someday soon we will all be together

   If the Fates allow

   Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow

   So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

   Akari groans as she leans against one of the thick concrete beams in the store, turning to face all of them with a frown on her face. "I swear that song has just been playing on repeat!" Crossing her arms, she tilts her head up to glare at the speaker on the ceiling. "Maybe I should tell the store people that it's annoying."

   Cilan looks up from where he'd been browsing the book shelves, laughing a little at his cousin's words. That is the third time she's complained about something in the last ten minutes — she's getting grouchier by the second! It seems she might be getting tired of wandering around. Not that he can blame her, of course. They've been going from store to store around the Castelia Mall for almost two hours now! That's a ton of walking… Cilan himself is starting to get tired too and Akari is much younger than him, so naturally she'd get tired faster. Maybe he should guide their little group to the food court soon… he opens his mouth to try to reason with her, but Rei beats him to it.

   He nudges Akari's shoulder as he steps up to the beam to lean against it beside her. "I'm sure it's more annoying to the employees. They've probably been listening to the same music all day." Rei pauses to glance towards the register a little ways away. There's a girl that appears to be a couple years older than Cilan sitting behind it. She's slouched in the chair, scrolling on her phone with a tired frown on her face. Rei shudders as he turns back to Akari and Cilan. "I can't imagine… I don't ever want to have a job like that." Those words get a small frown out of Akari and a sigh. Then she shrugs and says nothing else about it. Cilan shoots her a sympathetic smile.

   "Right. Working in retail is indeed not very fun…" He himself has never had a job like that, but he knows Cress used to be a cashier in a local Pokémart back in Striation City. While he was working there, his brother would come home with a new horror story every night! So, Cilan can infer that retail workers are some of Arceus' strongest soldiers. Especially during the holiday season. Yikes! Cilan clears his throat, turning back to the shelves and putting the cookbook he'd been holding back. Maybe he shouldn't be spending time thinking on that right now. He should be focusing on getting the group back together so they can move on from this store — it's clear his cousins need to rest for a bit. "Anyway! We should probably go look for Cress and Chili now. I can't find any good gifts for Uncle Ingo or Dad here and I think all of us could use lunch."

   When he turns back to his cousins, they're both standing up again. Akari flaps her hands in the air a bit as she bounces on her heels. "You mean it? Oh, please! I'm soooo hungry. I swear I'm gonna melt into a puddle if I don't eat soon!"

   Her brother rolls his eyes. "That's a bit dramatic, Akari." She whirls on him, punching him in the shoulder. Or trying to, at least. Rei steps out of the way before the hit can land. "Too slow." Akari gasps, turning more fully towards him and winding up again.

   Cilan grabs Akari's wrist and pulls her away from Rei. "Don't fight in the store! Or I'm going to tell Santa you're both being naughty."

   They both gasp, eyes wide. Akari stops fighting and Cilan lets go of her arm. Then both of them are standing there in shock.

   "No! No, I'll be good!"

   "We'll be on our best behavior!"

   Seeing them both giving him Lilipup eyes nearly makes Cilan laugh, but he manages to remain serious. He crosses his arms and gives both of them as stern a look as he can manage. "Will you? I'd hate to tell him you're both being bad so close to Christmas." That gets a gasp out of Akari and a pout from her twin. Cilan is really struggling not to burst into laughter now! But he will hold off! It's too funny to let himself break now and he'd hate to ruin the Holiday magic for his cousins, especially when they're so young still. After what he'd been told about their time in Hisui, Cilan knows they deserve as much joy in their lives as they can get!

   Still… a little teasing never hurt anyone!

   Akari throws herself at him, hugging him tight as she buries her face into his shirt. "Noooo! Cilan don't! I promise I won't do it again!" Rei joins her a moment later, pressing himself against Cilan's other side. And that breaks him! Cilan laughs a bit as he pats both of their heads.

   "Okay, okay! I won't tell him… but you have to be nice while we search for my brothers, alright?" Both of them look up at him, frowns on their faces and worry in their eyes. Then they glance at each other for a moment and nod.

   Rei steps away first, rubbing at his eyes. "Okay. Promise! Right, Akari?" He looks towards her.

   Akari doesn't move for a moment, then she sighs and steps back too. She nods. "Fine. We'll be nice." She falls quiet as she looks back out towards the rest of the store. "Where did they go?"

   Where did they go indeed? Cilan follows her gaze, taking a couple steps towards the end of the aisle. They should probably look on the second floor first — Cilan is pretty sure he saw them walk up the stairs a little while ago. But he's not sure sure that's where they are now. They might still be up on the second floor somewhere, since Cilan didn't see either of them come back down, but who's to say if they came down when he wasn't looking or paying attention! Well… he hasn't really let himself not pay attention, since he's responsible for his cousins and his brothers usually. So they can't have come down without him noticing! Which means they have to be on the second floor. Cilan turns back to Rei and Akari, who are looking at him expectantly. He points to the stairs. "I saw them go upstairs a little while ago and I haven't seen them come down, so I think they must still be up there."

   Akari nods, leaning over to grab Rei's hand. She starts tugging him out of the aisle. "Then let's go up there! I want lunch soon."

   He watches the two of them make their way out into the open area of the book store, shaking his head fondly. His cousins are certainly a handful! Cilan almost feels bad for his Uncle Ingo… though he doesn't because Ingo is just as bad as they are with Emmet! His uncle knows very well how to handle that kind of chaos. Cilan smiles to himself as he follows after the two of them.

   "What do you think of this?" Cress picks up a colorful rectangular box from one of the display shelves, turning it to show off the picture on the front as he holds it up for Chili to see. His brother looks up from the books he'd been browsing a couple feet away, squinting a bit to make out what the picture is showing. It seems Chili still doesn't understand what it is even after doing that, as he turns right back around to put the book he'd been looking at down.

   He grabs his cane from where he'd set it against the shelf, then turns back to make his way over to Cress. "What is it?" Cress watches him for a moment, trying not to stare at his leg as he moves. He'd had to convince Chili to even take his cane with him when they left the house this morning because he was afraid people would stare at him while they were out. It took quite a bit of time to talk Chili into it and he knows his brother is still a little unhappy about that, so drawing attention to it is not in his best interest. Instead, he looks down and focuses on the box in his hands.

   The picture on the box depicts a Lego statue of a steam engine. Now Cress is not entirely sure which one — trains are more Cilan's thing as well as his Uncle and Father's thing — though he can tell it's some kind of fancy old model. The price tag certainly makes it seem special... ah, but that's not a problem with a Gym Leader's salary times three. Cress turns the box around to read the back. "It's a Lego train set. Do you think Uncle Ingo might like it? He has a couple Lego sets in his room, doesn't he?" Most of them are of natural things: flowers, trees, Pokémon. But maybe he'd like something like this too? To add to his collection of model trains that are displayed around the house!

   Chili hums as he stops beside Cress, holding his free hand out for the box. He hands it over easily, then bends down to pick up his bag from where he'd set it on the ground to handle the stuff on the shelf. While he's doing that, Chili looks over the box himself. "Maybe? Uncle Ingo does like building things. Dad said so himself! He's also got a bunch of puzzles around the house that he likes, so I think this might be a good gift." Right! That's exactly what Cress was thinking. He straightens up and slings the strap over his shoulder, adjusting it so it doesn't dig into his skin.

   "That's what I was thinking. We should ask the others what they think before we get it, though."

   Chili rolls his eyes, a playful smile on his face. "Duh! The whole point of us coming out together was so we could decide together." He looks over his shoulder towards the rest of the second floor. "Where are they? Did you see them come up while we were here?"

   Cress shakes his head. He assumes Cilan stayed down on the first level with their cousins, as he hasn't seen any of them since he and Chili went upstairs. Rei and Akari have plenty of stamina sure, maybe even more than they have, but they're still pretty young. They seemed tired when they walked into the book store a little bit ago, so staying downstairs was probably an easier choice for them. "I believe they're still downstairs. Cilan has Akari and Rei, remember? We've all been walking for a while and I'm sure he's staying on the lower level so they don't have to strain themselves."

   That's what Cress would have done, at least.

   Chili nods. "Oh, right. Then we should go down there and find them. And maybe find someplace to sit down…" He shifts a little to his right, leaning more weight into his right foot and on his cane. Cress frowns. He'd noticed Chili doing that every time he's standing still since they entered the book store, but hasn't commented on it. If he did, his brother would probably argue with him again. He's knocked out of his thoughts by Chili's voice. "For Akari and Rei. If they're tired! Wouldn't want them to get all mean because they're tired, yeah?"

   Cress bites his tongue. "Of course." He drags in a deep breath, holding out his hand for the box Chili is still holding. "Then we best be off to find them." His brother stares at his hand for a moment, a frown tugging on his tight smile, then he gives the box to Cress. Tucking it under his arm, he turns towards the staircase on the other end of the floor. He feels a little bad for upsetting Chili — he always does — but without stuff in his hands, Chili can focus on himself better. They're probably going to be at the mall for a little while longer if they want to find a gift for Emmet too, so if he can take any amount of stress off of Chili, even if his stubborn brother is convinced he can handle it, he'll do it without question. Even if it means driving wedge between himself and Chili.

   It's for his own good. Cress just wants to help… and he's helping, right?

   He only gets a couple steps towards the stairs before he sees Cilan appear at the top of it with their cousins trailing close behind. "Oh! Hey Cilan, perfect timing! Over here!" Chili calls from behind him. Cress glances over his shoulder at his brother to see Chili now waving them over, a calmer smile on his face. Seeing it has some of the tension bleeding away from Cress as he turns back to their approaching family members. Right. He doesn't hate him and Cress is helping. He doesn't… Cress shakes that thought away, putting a smile on his own face. He doesn't want to get upset right now — Cilan and Chili will read him like a book. This outing is supposed to be happy.

   Everything is going to be okay.

   Cress waves. "We think we found a good gift for Uncle Ingo. Come take a look!"

   Upon hearing those words, Akari breaks into a sprint. "Really? Let me see! Let me see!" She slides to a stop in front of him, her smile so wide it nearly splits her face in half. Cress laughs, pulling the box out from under his arm to show it off to her. Akari gasps, whipping back around to motion frantically at it. Cress just smiles. "It's a train Lego set. Chili and I thought he might enjoy being able to build something. What do you all think?"

   Turning back around, Akari claps her hands together as she rocks on her heels. "It's perfect! Dad loooves trains. And Legos are soooo cool!" She reaches up for the box. "Can I see?"

   "Careful, Akari! Cilan said we have to be good so he doesn't tell Santa we've been naughty!" Rei calls as he comes to a stop beside Cilan a couple steps away.

   His sister gasps, immediately dropping her hands and stepping back. "You're right! I have to be good." Akari clasps her hands behind her back, rocking side to side now. "That's fine. You can keep it, Cress. I'll just see it when Dad builds it!"

   Cilan laughs now, making a grabbing motion for the Lego set. Cress gives it to him, then lets his arms fall to his sides as his brother examines it. "Oh! This is modeled after an old Galarian steam engine! Super cool find!" He turns the box and reads over some of the stuff on the back. "And it moves too! This is perfect. Looks like we've got Uncle Ingo's gift down now."

   Chili cheers, throwing his free hand into the air. "Awesome! Then let's go buy it and find somewhere to take a break."

   That seems to remind Cilan of something, as he looks up from the box with that look of realization in his eyes. "Oh, that reminds me! Akari and Rei are hungry, so we should stop by the food court before we finish shopping."

   "Great idea! I could use some food!" Chili drops his hand and starts making his way towards the stairs. "C'mon guys! Get a move on!"

   Akari and Rei don't have to be told twice, rushing after Chili towards the staircase. Cress just rolls his eyes and pats Cilan's shoulder before making his way towards the stairs too.

   One present down!

   Ordering food for five people is harder than he thought it would be. Even with all the options in the food court, it still took fifteen minutes just to get everyone to decide on something to eat — Akari is picky and Rei doesn't like spicy food and Chili wanted something sweet and Cress wasn't all that hungry. So many different things to keep track of while running around the food court, picking up everyone's order for them! Cilan feels as if he's made a fool of himself in front of all the people in the mall, but at last he's sitting down to eat his own lunch.

   He sighs as he sinks into the uncomfortable wooden chair, popping open the top of his take-out container. Cilan, like Cress, also wasn't feeling at that hungry. So he decided to go with something simple; a salad. Which may be an odd choice to most, but Cilan can appreciate a good salad every once in a while. It's not very filling and doesn't have any fancy toppings, but Cilan knows he'll enjoy it either way precisely because of that simple flavor! It's a fresh kind of food that won't leave a funny taste in his mouth; the perfect kind of snack! He stabs one of the tamato berry slices with his fork and pops it into his mouth. Ah, perfect!

   "Ci'an! 'Ou ot uh salad?" Akari asks through a mouthful of her sandwich.

   Across the table, Cress clicks his tongue at her. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Akari. That's rude!" He points his fork at her. "I'm sure Uncle Ingo has told you this before." Akari shrugs and swallows her bite, then she sticks her tongue out at Cress.

    "Whatever! I don't have to worry about manners with you guys! It's like… uh…" she trails off, clearly trying and failing to find some sort of comparison. Her brother huffs in his seat beside her, setting his french fries down on the table.

  "What she means to say is that politeness is moot with our peers. You guys are family. You don't count as people when it comes to manners!" Akari snaps her fingers, pointing to Rei and nodding her agreement.

   Cress sighs, setting his fork down in his noodles as he rubs his temple. He almost laughs at the pure exhaustion currently written across his brother's expression, but Cilan manages to stifle his laughter by shoving a forkful of lettuce into his mouth. "Rei… that doesn't make any sense." Cress fixes him with a deadpan stare.

   Beside him, Chili laughs. "Sure it does!" He stabs his own fork into his chocolate donut. "We're like a safe space or something like that. Right?" Chili nudges Cilan with his elbow, turning and flashing a smile at him. "See? I could mess with Cilan all I wanted and he'd still have to love me because we're family, so it doesn't matter if I'm polite to him or not." Cilan swallows his food, frowning at his brother.

   Well… while he's not necessarily wrong — of course Cilan will always love Chili, no matter what — he still doesn't appreciate being elbowed. So, Cilan shoves his brother's elbow away with an eyeroll. "Sure, Chili. But I still don't like having your elbow in my face. Knock it off!" Thankfully, his brother decides to grant him mercy. Chili laughs it off and stops elbowing him, then he turns back to his food with a smile on his face. The whole table falls into a peaceful silence now, either eating their food or staring at something.

   Akari is still staring at Cilan, a frown on her face. He can almost see the wheels turning in her head as she stares at him. And just as he's about to ask what's on her mind, she speaks up. "What were we talking about again? How did that conversation even start?"

   Everyone pauses.

   "Uuuh… I don't remember, actually." Cilan thinks she'd asked him a question, but now he's forgotten what it was. Oh well. He shakes the thought off, looking back down to his food. "It doesn't matter now. Finish your sandwich."

   She shrugs. "Alright, alright."

   With that, everyone goes back to eating in silence. The noise of the mall around them is loud and bustling with people and Pokémon alike; busy enough that Cilan can fall into people-watching mode as he eats. He's not sure why he does it, but he has a habit of watching what others are doing when they're going about their daily lives. Maybe it comes from his training as a Pokémon Connoisseur, or perhaps Cilan has just always been fond of seeing other people living their best lives, but he never fails to spot at least on interesting human interaction wherever he goes. It's just as much of a talent as it is a curse at times…

   Ah, but today it's a talent. Cilan's gaze catches on a young man with his Espeon on the far side of the food court. He's got his purple hoodie zipped all the way up and his hood over his head, yet it does nothing to hide the big smile on his face as he gazes down at his partner in his lap. They're sitting together on one of the benches, bags on the left side of the man with Pokémon toys sticking out of it. In his hands is an ice cream cone, which he appears to be spoon-feeding little scoopfuls of to his Espeon… even from afar, Cilan can tell how devoted the two are to each other. A true Pokémon partnership with a delightfully sweet flavor! Such a sight never fails to put a smile on his face and he can tell he has one now as he grabs his water bottle, popping the cap off to take a sip.

   Ah, how delightful the world is if one knows where to look.

   "-ilan! Cilan!" The sound of his brother's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. He blinks a couple times, swallowing his water and setting the bottle back down as he turns towards Cress. Once their eyes meet, his brother relaxes. "Goodness, I've been calling your name! Seems you zoned out again."

   Chili huffs. "No, he was people-stalking again. You know how he is!"

   He shoves Chili's shoulder playfully. "Yeah, yeah… well, what is it Cress?" Cress gives him a pointed look — don't start a fight at the table — then turns to face everyone.

   "I was asking where we should go to find something for our father. We have Uncle Ingo's present, but now we need something for our father… does anyone have any ideas?"

   Oh. Well, that is a good question. It's probably a good idea to figure out where they're going next so they don't have to spend any more time wandering around aimlessly… but Cilan doesn't really have any ideas. Emmet is tricky when it comes to gifts because he's just so particular about most things. So, it really depends. "Hmm. I'm not sure, but we might have the best luck if we pick something that he can actually use everyday."

   Unfortunately, that doesn't really narrow it down. Cress nods a little, leaning back in his seat as he considers those words. "You're right… but what is something he'd use everyday? He already gets everything he needs for the Subway from his work."

   Akari sighs, putting her elbow down on the table to rest her chin on her hands. Cilan glances over to her and she shakes her head — she's got nothing. Chili is also leaning back in his chair, arms crossed as he stares down at the table in thought.

   "What about a new pocket watch?" All heads snap towards Rei. He flinches, shrugging. "What? Didn't you guys say that Uncle Emmet's old one broke when…" Rei's mouth clicks shut as trails off, realization dawning on him. His eyes finding Chili with a wince. Cilan glances at his brother, who is now staring at nothing in particular in the distance… that's right. Emmet's pocket watch — the one he used everyday day because he enjoys keeping track of the time — was shattered when Chili was injured.

   Emmet has not replaced it.

   Cilan opens his mouth to suggest they think of something else, but Chili beats him to it.

   "Probably a good idea. He could use a new one…" Chili pushes himself out from the table, the legs of his chair screeching against the ground. Nobody else moves. He rises and grabs his cane, heading off before anyone can stop him. "Come on. There's a watch store on the other side of the mall."

   Cilan glances around at Cress, Rei, and Akari. Nobody says a word.

   Looks like they're going watch shopping…

   All he can hear is ticking in the silence of the watch shop — loud as a siren to his ears.

   Chili stands alone in the corner of the room, watching his brothers and his cousins wandering around the big open shop, looking over all the watches around them. They're everywhere. All around the walls and sitting behind glass display cases and draped across cold white counters for everyone to see. Some of them are clearly more valuable than others; watches with brand names and fancy bands and jewels encrusted on them. Others are more mundane with simple neutral colored bands and black numerals on their white faces. All of them are ticking.

   His hand is clenched around the handle of his cane as he leans his weight into it, his leg still throbbing from all the walking he's been doing. It hurts. Burns. Even after all this time… Chili doesn't understand why. Why he still can't stand straight or why he has to use a cane to get around when the doctors said he should be healing. He's supposed to be getting better. But people still stare at him. His family is still worried about him. And worst of all, it still HURTS. They're all liars, aren't they? Chili isn't stupid. He could see the pity in all their faces as clear as day… he knew they were lying when they said he'd be just fine.

   It's been months. Chili isn't fine. Of course not! How could he be fine after what happened… but he doesn't want pity. That's not fair! Pity means he did something that was completely avoidable. Something so dumb and preventable and childish that all it can be given is pity. Pity is bad. And Chili isn't stupid. He knew what was going to happen to him when he joined Emmet on his journey to bring Ingo back. It was dangerous. Reckless. For all of them. But Chili knew. He knew that eventually, someone was going to get hurt. It was inevitable on a mission like that. He was aware of that risk, which means he doesn't need pity! Chili fought for his family that night… and… and maybe some twisted part of himself is glad it was him. He's glad he saved his brothers and his dad from experiencing the ache he feels. From the pity.

   Maybe that is the worst part about what happened, actually. Chili could handle the doctors and the tests and the cane and all of the hurt… but he can't stand the eyes. He can't stand the words people whisper behind his back when they think he can't hear it.

   'Oh that poor boy! He's been ruined!'

   'How sad… he had his whole life ahead of him and… well, look at him now.'

   'Goodness! It's just awful! I'm sure he regrets what happened. And so does Subway Boss Emmet! You should see the way he looks at the boy… so much guilt and regret.'

   Regret.

   Regret…

   It's always about pity and regret… Chili tried to ignore it at first. Tried to block out everything those people were saying. But.. Chili is not stupid. He could see it himself too once he stopped covering his eyes.

   It was all regret. In Emmet's gaze. In his actions. In everything Emmet does. His dad regrets. But Chili doesn't know what parts exactly he regrets and that is what eats him alive.

   Does Emmet regret what happened? Does he regret ever taking Chili and his brothers with him? Does he regret everything that happened on their journey — the ups and downs and the special moments they had together? Does he regret being his dad?

   Does he regret Chili?

   He doesn't know. All he knows is that the night it happened, Emmet started looking at him differently. Even after everything… they had fun together despite it all. They had good times! Why is it that everyone only wants to think about the bad things?

   It's not fair.

   "Chili?" A small, quiet voice says. It breaks through the ticking, through the raging thunder in his head, and the endless questions he can't find the answers to. He blinks, head snapping up to see Akari standing in front of him. There's something small and silver clutched in her hands and the smile on her face is bright… not even a hint of pity in her grey eyes. "What do you think of this one?" She holds up the silver thing in her hands, offering it to him. "Cilan thinks that Uncle Emmet would like the design, but he wants to know what you think."

   Chili blinks. He stares at the pocket watch in his cousin's hands. It's ticking too. Constantly keeping time. Always ticking… Chili remembers hearing the old one shatter. It was hard to focus on anything beyond the feeling of his leg and his back being torn, but the shattering of metal and glass in his dad's pocket was like a bomb going off. And then it stopped ticking just as the pain took over him and drowned his world in red. Chili doesn't remember anything else that happened that night. He probably never will.

   Good.

   He doesn't want to remember why the ticking scares him still.

   Dragging in a deep breath, Chili takes the cold metal watch out of Akari's hand. He can feel the bumps and grooves of the design on the surface. It's nice. Emmet likes textures too. Chili lifts it up, looking down at the watch now nestled in his palm. He unravels his fingers from the outside of it, looking over the design. It's waves. An ocean. With choppy waters and clouds and a small sailboat that's supposed to give the illusion of distance. It looks like the one they sailed on… Chili rubs his thumb over the design, once again feeling every dip and curve of the metal.

   It's perfect. Cilan has a good eye. He's sure Emmet would love the feeling of the design and the weight of it in his pocket and the ticking keeping track of every passing instant. His dad likes keeping time.

   Maybe if Chili replaces the watch his actions destroyed, Emmet won't regret him anymore.

   He takes a deep breath, letting the sound of the quiet Christmas music playing in the store and the chatter of people walking around outside and the rush of his own breathing drown out the ticking. Then he smiles and hands the watch back to Akari. "Cilan is right. I think it would make a great gift."

   His cousin smiles, beaming so bright it's near blinding to look at. "Yayyy! Then we have both of our gifts!" She grabs Chili's hand with her free one, starting to pull him towards the register. "C'mon Chili! Let's get it so we can go home!"

   Home. Yeah, Chili would like to go home.

   He lets her drag him to the register.