Chapter Text
Shadow hadn’t expected to wake that morning to Blue’s protests and Red’s cheerful banter in the hall, but he supposed there were far worse ways to be woken just after dawn. Vio was fast asleep beside him, warm arm pinning him beneath the heavy sheets, and if it weren’t for the continuing conversation outside Shadow surely would’ve fallen back asleep. But the commotion outside only continued, and with a huff he carefully untangled himself from his partner’s grasp and padded his way to the door.
“Red, it’s too early to be decorating for Yule,” Blue’s groans became audible as Shadow peeked into the hall.
“You made me promise to wait until December this year and guess what Blue, it’s December!” Red chirped from atop a step ladder, colorful string lights hanging in his arms as he taped them along the top of the wall.
“That’s because last year you put up a tree in the living room right after Halloween,” Blue sighed.
“The day after Halloween is the beginning of Winter, y’know,” Red giggled, pausing when he caught sight of Shadow down the hall. “Oh, Shadow! Perfect, could you help me decorate today?”
Blue quickly shook his head from behind Red, deflating when Shadow grinned conspiratorially. “Sure Red, what’s going on?”
Red smiled wide, bouncing on his toes in a way that made Blue edge closer to the step ladder in precaution. “Yule is coming up soon and I’ve got to put up lights, decorate a tree, maybe bake some cookies--it’ll be fun!”
Shadow laughed at Red’s enthusiasm, though the holiday was unfamiliar to him. His memories from inside the mirror were fuzzy, and the short period he’d spent out of it had been entirely during warmer months. It had nearly been a year since Vio and Zelda had managed to free him for good, but that had been in the Spring, and he was still learning new things about Hylian culture every day. At this point Shadow was accustomed to shrugging off his confusion. It was more fun to wait for the answers to come on their own.
Blue threw up his hands in frustration and stomped down the stairs to get breakfast, Shadow and Red laughing more as he left. Red handed off a spool of lights and Shadow got to work on the other side of the hall, nodding along at Red’s cheerful banter as they decorated the house. It was quick work, and by the time they’d finished hanging colorful balls on the tree--ornaments, Red had called them--the sun was peeking through the clouds outside. It had been overcast more often lately and Shadow enjoyed being able to go out during the day with Vio due to it; exploring the town as the streets grew quieter and shops became golden with warmth.
“Psst, Shadow,” Red whispered, motioning for him to come towards the entryway with a devilish grin. Red held a small sprig of green leaves and tied with a maroon ribbon, pointing silently to the arch of the entryway above them. “Can you pin this up there for me?”
“Sure thing,” Shadow took the bundle and floated up, taping it securely as Red stifled his giggles behind a hand.
As he finished his work Blue’s pounding footsteps came down the stairs again and Red scrambled back to the tree, motioning quickly for Shadow to follow. They took up the last of the ornaments and Red put a finger over his lips with a wink as they waited. For what, Shadow wasn’t sure, but Red’s mischief was always the fun kind and he was eager to see where this would go.
“Green, wait up,” Blue huffed, and a moment later the two appeared in the entryway, Green dressed in a light tunic and Blue close on his tail.
“Blue, I’m going to be late for my shift,” Green groaned as Blue caught his arm, looping a thick navy scarf around Green’s shoulders. “I don’t need all this stuff, it’s not even that cold out and the forge--”
“I don’t care if the forge is just around the corner, you’ll catch a cold if you go out like that,” Blue pulled a hat down over Green’s eyes and huffed out a laugh. “And I’m not taking care of you if you get sick for being an idiot.”
“I’m not an idiot, I’ll overheat if I wear all this!” Green frowned as he pulled the hat off, his hair sticking up enough to make Shadow snort. “You don’t wear nearly this much when you go out.”
“That’s because I run warmer than you do,” Blue crossed his arms, eyes narrowing as Green laughed.
“Yeah, sure you do,” Green met Blue’s gaze in challenge, taking a step closer until the few inches between their heights seemed to disappear.
“No fighting under the mistletoe!” Red finally chirped, keeping his back to the duo as he bit back a grin.
Mistletoe?
Blue and Green stiffened, both looking up to the small bundle of green hanging above them. There were a few moments of tense silence where Shadow looked to Red in question, the shorter man giving nothing away. Then Blue laughed and Green blushed, pulling the hat on to cover his reddening ears. Green mumbled something, shoving Blue lightly as the taller laughed more, and then Green leaned up to press a kiss to Blue’s cheek before hurrying from the house.
Well, that was certainly interesting. Was the mistletoe enchanted, or was this yet another Hylian custom he just wasn’t aware of? Red certainly looked pleased with himself, giggling as Blue shot them a weak glare on his way out the door.
“That went much better than expected,” Red grinned, abandoning the ruse of decorating further.
“Was that supposed to happen..?” Shadow couldn’t help but ask, Red giving him a confused look before realization dawned and he slapped his forehead.
“I’m sorry Shadow! I just assumed--” Red shook his head, face setting in determination as he began to tug Shadow towards the kitchen. “I’ll explain while I get started baking!”
“Okay, so,” Red hefted a bag of flour onto the counter and got to work while Shadow perched on the table to watch. “Yule is a holiday we all grew up celebrating, though I enjoy the festivities a lot more than the others at this point.” Red sighed with a smile, mixing some ingredients in a large bowl. “Lots of people decorate their houses with lights and put a tree up with ornaments this time of year. Mistletoe is one of them, and when two people end up beneath it they’re supposed to kiss! It’s all good fun though, you don’t have to kiss someone if you don’t want to.”
Shadow eyed the mistletoe curiously, ears heating somewhat as he realized how easy it would be to get caught under it when entering the ground level. Red laughed and Shadow turned back with a nervous chuckle, realizing his face must have betrayed his embarrassment.
“Alright, so what else is there to this holiday?” Shadow redirected, and Red hummed in thought as he rolled out the dough.
“Well, in a few weeks there’ll be the Yuletide Festival! Everyone in town will celebrate in the square, there’ll be yummy food and music and it’s tons of fun! The next morning is Yule and that’s when gift giving happens,” Red grinned up at Shadow as he brought over a baking sheet, flour sticking to the front of his sweater. “That’s my favorite part, I love seeing everyone’s reactions!”
“Sounds like fun,” Shadow agreed, though he was growing nervous as he realized just how much he’d missed from within the mirror.
“It is! I try to come up with the perfect gift for everyone each year, but you don’t have to worry Shadow! It’s the thought that counts,” Red assured, and Shadow relaxed slightly. Red began cutting the dough with metal shapes, producing cartoon trees and other mysterious holiday things. “Most of us make each other gifts anyway. I may have spied on Blue last night and figured out what he’s doing, but I promise not to do that to you!”
Shadow chuckled, watching as Red carefully cut and wove some of the dough. “Whatcha doing there?”
“Just braiding!” Red chirped, then motioned for Shadow to come closer and pushed two ribbons of dough his way. “It’s fun, just weave one over the other like I am.”
Shadow watched Red braid his pieces, then carefully set to work on his own. It was looser and a bit sloppy, but when he finished Red grinned wide and set the braid next to his on the tray. Shadow continued to help punch out cookies and braid, Red going on about holiday traditions and all the fun they were going to have. There was a warmth in his chest, one that had taken root months ago after Shadow had finally settled into life here with the others. Vio had called it love, safety, and Shadow smiled without thinking as it washed over him.
“Good morning, you two.” Vio’s soft voice drifted from the hall and Shadow turned to find him leaned against the entryway, still dressed in his purple nightclothes. “I see it’s time for Yule already?”
“It’s December 1st! Yule could have started a month ago,” Red quipped, and Shadow laughed at the perturbed look on Red’s face. “Oh Shadow, could you grab the other box of cookie cutters from the living room?”
“Sure thing,”
Shadow shared an amused look with Vio as he passed into the next room, ignoring the muted conversation that followed as he looked for the right box. When he finally found the small container the conversation had ended, and when Shadow passed into the kitchen once more Vio stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“Not so fast, Shads,” Vio smirked, and Shadow froze as he realized the trap he’d just fallen into.
The mistletoe was right over them.
Red hid his giggles in his hands and Vio’s eyes danced with mirth as Shadow huffed, face warming immediately. He shifted the box and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Vio’s in a quick kiss. As he pulled back, Vio tucked a lock of hair behind his ear with a soft smile, only serving to make Shadow’s ears burn hotter.
“Happy now?”
“Very,” Vio murmured, pressing another quick kiss to Shadow’s forehead.
“Good,” Shadow mumbled, barely keeping himself from smiling at Vio and Red’s antics.
He placed the box beside Red and got back to work, Vio moving around them to get his morning coffee and sipping it while he watched. Eventually they filled two trays with various cut out shapes and braids, Shadow’s looking much neater by the end. Red popped them into the oven and they exchanged a smile before Red hurried upstairs to get dressed. Shadow wondered what the cookies would taste like when they were done; he didn’t have to eat like the others did, but he always tried whatever Red made.
“You’ll have to wait for them to cool before you have one,” Vio reminded from the table and Shadow sighed dramatically, coming over to sit beside his partner.
“You eat a cookie right out of the oven one time, and it’s all anyone remembers,” Shadow groaned, and Vio hid his smile in his mug. “It’s not like it hurt that bad even, but no, now I’ll never live it down.”
Vio made the mistake of trying to take a sip of his coffee and nearly choked laughing. “Okay, okay, I’ll lay off. It was pretty funny though,” Vio smirked and Shadow rolled his eyes. “I’m thinking of going out after breakfast to pick up some things for the week. Want to come?”
“Okay, but only as long as you promise to take a book home instead of reading the whole thing at the library again,” Shadow teased, and Vio sighed into his mug.
“I deserved that one, I guess.”
“Now we’re even,” Shadow chuckled, and pressed a kiss to Vio’s cheek.
---
The town really was beautiful this time of year, all decked out in lights and lit up in golden hues. Shadow had found the changing of the seasons quite interesting, especially since temperature didn’t affect him nearly as much as the others. While everyone else was bundled up in sweaters and coats, Shadow could wear a light tunic and tights--though Vio had made him wear a jacket anyway just in case. Vio looked quite nice in his coat and purple scarf; something Blue had knitted for him last Yule apparently. They walked hand in hand through the market, Vio keeping track of what they needed to get while Shadow looked around curiously.
He still had hundreds of questions, ones he was mostly fine waiting to learn the answer to… but something that Red had brought up kept nagging at the back of his mind. In every shop window there were toys and new stock and advertisements for Yule… and Shadow had no idea where to begin with gift ideas for the four. He knew what they liked of course, but as he passed all the displays it continued to bother him.
“Hey Vio…” Shadow began, looking away when amethyst eyes glanced over. “What, uh… What are you planning to do for Yule, for the others? You don’t have to tell me what gifts you’re doing of course, I’m just…”
“It’s a lot to take in all at once, isn’t it?” Vio always understood him, and Shadow relaxed with a nod. “Don’t worry too much, there’s plenty of time until Yule. I’m sure they’ll love whatever you get them.”
“Are you making your gifts?” Shadow fiddled with the bags he was holding. “Red said that’s what you guys usually do, but I don’t think I’m any good at making stuff.”
“I’m not a very creative person myself,” Vio chuckled, squeezing Shadow’s hand reassuringly. “But I may be cheating just a bit with my gifts. Or planning ahead, I guess, but in any case I’ve had a head start. If you need any help with ideas you can always come to me, I’ll keep your plans a secret.” Vio winked, and Shadow laughed as his nervousness faded.
“Thanks, Vi. This is all pretty new to me, but I wanna try to do it right…”
“You’ll do great, Shads. Whatever you decide on, we’ll all love it.” Vio smiled, and then tugged Shadow in the direction of the library. “Now let’s go look at the crafting section for ideas.”
Shadow laughed, following Vio towards the weathered stone building and watching the shops pass. Windows with yarn, cloth, beads, papers, and all sorts of supplies lined the street, but Shadow felt determined now rather than overwhelmed. He had no idea what he planned to make yet, but he was excited to figure it out.