Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Monday

[glacial_queen]

Regretfully, Captain Chiba had had to explain over the phone that, no, his yacht was not available for them to charter today, as it was already in use. That had led to much sad eyes and wobbly lower lips on the other side of the phone until Warren had asked the good captain what it was chartered for--possibly to offer the other party some kind of financial incentive to let them go instead. That was when Captain Chiba explained that the week leading up to Christmas, he and his crew sailed around the islands, offering rides and dressed up like Santa and his elves to hand out presents to children.

Warren hadn't even had to look at Karla before he asked if they could come along and help pass out gifts.

Captain Chiba had sounded surprised that they were interested in coming to visit for a trip that wasn't romantic or private or even very scenic, but they'd insisted they were serious (and Karla had squealed enough so he'd believed them), and he told them that he'd be arriving at Oahu's main port Monday afternoon--and that if they did manage to come, he'd have something special to serve them for dinner, if nothing else.

While he was fairly certain that Karla and Warren were rich (and he was right), eccentric (double-right), and enthusiastic (righter still), he probably hadn't been expecting them to be waiting for him at the docks, a giant pile of presents by their feet, with Karla dressed up like an elf and Warren in white pants and a vest, wings out and resplendent.

He was the Christmas angel, of course.

[NFB and for one, please]

Comments

[wwiii]

And so long as the Christmas Angel didn't need to stretch, he'd be doing just fine. Honest! It wasn't like he was nervous or anything. It was a really convincing costume! Really.

Really really.

"Tell me again," he said, still smiling, "that this wasn't a bad idea?"

He would have probably looked pretty goofy as an elf, but all things considered, anyone who didn't know the wings were real were probably going to look at him and guess that there was some serious narcissism at play.

Or maybe just point and whisper, like some of the kids were doing.

[glacial_queen]

"It was a wonderful idea," Karla said, grinning and waving at the children as Captain Chiba--dressed to the hilt in a Santa suit, though his had a red-on-red Hawaiian pattern of palm trees on it--brought the Serenity in to dock. "No more hiding, remember?"

Not that they were going to be stupid about this or anything. But Captain Chiba--if they were going to keep hiring him, if they were going to talk about taking family trips on his ship years in the future, well, then they needed to know that they could trust him.

[wwiii]

"No more hiding," Warren agreed, taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders a little. "It's just, I kind of figured the not-hiding parts would start at home, mostly."

Which they had. Since he'd made absolutely certain that there was no shadow of doubt that the boy who had jumped from the Worthington Labs window months before was, in fact, the Worthington heir. But still!

[glacial_queen]

"Most people will just assume that you've gotten an impressive costume," Karla soothed. "I mean, look at this pile of gifts we have for a bunch of children we've ever even met. Extravagance is kind of what we do."

How much do your jeans normally cost, Warren?

[wwiii]

More than some cars.

But still.

"I guess so, huh?" He glanced at the pile, and then turned a sheepish little smile back toward Karla. Once they got back to the island, he was going to have to make certain that he hadn't completely destroyed his father's company, if they were going to keep doing things like this. "This just almost seems too easy."

[glacial_queen]

"Don't jinx it," Karla said, nudging him. "We're here to have a calm and relaxing day. If you don't give it too much thought, they won't, either."

"Ohoo, hooo hooo!" Captain Chiba called, waving down at them. "Merry Christmas! I'm glad to see you two got into the holiday spirit!" He blinked a little as he took in the size of the pile of gifts at their feet.

[wwiii]

Warren coughed a little, looking again at the pile of gifts before waving back up at the Captain.

"We might need a little help bringing it up," he admitted, offering him one of those lopsided little smiles of his. "We... possibly got a little carried away."

A bit.

It had been a stressful month, dammit.

[glacial_queen]

"That is why Chiba Claus has many elves!" he boomed as one of those elves jumped down to tie the boat up while they docked. "But if I may say, this is the first time I've gotten to have such a pretty elf on my ship!" He doffed his Santa hat at them and winked.

"Permission to come aboard, Santa!" Karla called picking up a few of the packages. She'd be more open about her powers if someone picked up on Warren's wings, but for now, she didn't want to draw much attention. "For one helpful elf and one heraldic angel. He's got a message to deliver or something."

[wwiii]

"Or something," Warren agreed, glancing sidelong at Karla with a little blush on his cheeks. "Tidings of great joy. And ball gloves and teddy bears and stuff."

Still inspired by the teddy bears. Don't judge.

[glacial_queen]

There was a special teddy bear with Warren's name on it. That he would totally get. Probably. One day. Eventually.

"I hope you don't mind?" Karla offered while the gangplank was being readied. "We got all caught up in the holiday spirit."

And trying to get out of the crushing despair that had been the rest of December.

"No, I--I don't mind," 'Chiba Claus' said, sounding a little choked up. "More presents for the children are always appreciated."

[wwiii]

Aw, Warren kind of wanted to go up there and hug the big guy.

... Really Warren kind of figured he'd probably have the life half squished out of him with a hug once he got up on deck anyhow. But while Chiba was being all sniffly up there...

"It was really the least we could do," he offered. "I mean, on no notice like this, you being kind enough to have us here at all... We really don't want to impose."

And so they bribed their way in! Aha!

[glacial_queen]

"We figured that since you were kind enough to allow us to join our festivities, we could put the greater part of our usual Hawaii budget to good use," Karla said. The gangplank on the docks now, it was swarmed with the usual crew, all of them dressed in jolly reds and greens. They grabbed hold of the gifts, refusing to let Karla and Warren carry any, and brought them back up.

"Please, please, my friends!" the good captain boomed. "Come on up and join us. We have plenty of eager little faces who are looking forward to meeting Chiba Claus's newest helper and her angelic companion!"

[wwiii]

It was so weird being just casually called that. Seriously. Warren managed to tamp down the urge to nervously fluff his feathers as he reached for Karla's hand.

"Shall we, then? The little kids need a chance to meet the prettiest of the elves, after all."

[glacial_queen]

"And the handsomest of the angels," Karla agreed, taking his hand and squeezing it. She knew how big a deal this was for him. She was there for him, always.

The children were far more interested in the parade of gifts that came streaming up the gangplank than they were in the two people following it, but Captain--errr, Chiba Claus had a hearty hug and grin for both of them.

"I am glad I insisted my chef make a special stop," he said. "In case our elf and angel friends wished to enjoy a private dinner when we get back and the children are all being picked up by their parents."

[wwiii]

That man's cheer never failed to be infectious, did it? Warren couldn't help but duck his head a little and smile at the sight of that grin, or the rib-grinding hug that went with it.

"You're really too kind," he insisted, softly. "But that does sound amazing. We've started comparing every meal we eat to the ones we have here. Nothing compares."

[glacial_queen]

"Especially not kobe-beef hamburgers," Karla said, with a saucy glance at her boyfriend. "As delicious as they are."

They were still wrong. Vastly, dreadfully wrong.

Chiba Claus's expression suggested he felt the same way. "Kobe hamburgers?"

[wwiii]

Oh, Karla! See if Warren ever got you kobe burgers again, now!

"Delicious blasphemy," Warren intoned. Stubbornly. "And only intended to tide us over between trips to Hawaii."

[glacial_queen]

"They were incredibly delicious," Karla admitted with a sheepish grin. "Even when eaten with the full knowledge of the sacrilege."

Chiba Claus shook his head and clucked at them both. "Well, you are in Hawaii now," he said. "So we'll have no more talk of such things. Here, you can partake of the goodness that is kobe as it is meant to be."

[wwiii]

"He's presenting a really good case for us just getting ourselves a summer home here or something," Warren noted, in one of those whispered asides that wasn't all that whispered and wasn't really all that aside, either. "I mean, pretty sure they'd get sick of us after a while, but it would be a great deal for us."

[glacial_queen]

"Well, Darkness knows, I wouldn't mind," Karla said just as 'quietly,' the bells on her costume jangling along with her. "We could just stay until they kicked us out? I promise I'll be good!"

With another belly-shaking laugh, Chiba Claus shook his head at them. "Get sick of my favorite elf and angel friends? Nonsense. Besides, it would stop my cook from badgering me about when 'the pretty girl with the big appetite' will be coming back. He firmly believes you two are the only ones who properly appreciates his cooking, you know."

He gave them a wink and then said in a stage-whisper of his own, "His ego might get out of control if you do stay forever, though." The nearest elves snickered and nudged one of their fellows, who just grinned at the two of them.