Akira was only a little surprised to see Shinji and crew trooping in to join him on Christmas Eve, but he was surprised to see that they had company. He hadn’t heard anything about company, and he looked curiously at the hulking giant who followed them in with someone sleeping on his back – apparently [...]

Clean and dry, Shinji got himself dressed, then Hyun-ki, putting her in warm clothes and a pink jumper with matching pink ribbons, amused as ever at how she swatted at them in the mirror with a happy smile. In the kitchen he made hot chocolate and carried it out to the lounge to put on [...]

Someone was ringing the doorbell. Shinji sat up in a bleary-eyed, half awake, barely aware state and moved automatically, hugging Kiri close and wandering out of the bedroom in bare feet and oversized pajamas, his hair loose and falling around him like a black waterfall, slinky but muddled from sleep. He wasn’t thinking at all [...]

It wasn’t until after they’d all had plenty to eat, plenty to drink, talked and played and laughed themselves to a state of full, happy contentment and elated exhaustion, left Kimiko and Daichi with hugs and kisses all around and made the slow, peaceful trip home again, Kippei dozing with Shinji in his arms in [...]

Shinji grinned at Hyun-ki in Daichi’s lap, looking tiny in comparison to the huge man, but smiling shyly and playing some strange hand game Daichi apparently knew. Shinji imagined Rien in the man’s lap, years ago and smiling brightly and energetically and he laughed softly, going over to kneel beside them and kiss her cheek. [...]