Christmas Eros

The adults stood, pleasantly puzzled.

“What is this?” Hideki asked.

“The Christmas party,” Kagome said. She held out her arms and stepped back. The living room looked dolled up with paper snowflakes and red garland. The Christmas tree was plugged in and lit up. “Jingle Bells” played over the stereo in the background. The table had a red tablecloth.

“You did all of this?” Hideki asked.

“Yes!” the kids said.

“Shall we begin?” Ryo asked. “There are snacks in the kitchen. We managed to find a couple of Christmas-related movies.” Kagome smiled behind him.

“Okay then,” her mother said. She turned to her boyfriend. “Shall we?”

“I suppose,” Hideki said. He followed Michiko into the house.

----------

Ryo turned on the TV. “What shall we do first—movie or karaoke?”

“Karaoke!” the girls cheered.

“Dad?” Ryo asked. Hideki shrugged.

“Karaoke, it is,” he said.

“Yay!” their girls cheered. Hideki smiled and shook his head. Kagome picked the microphone.

“I’ll go first!” she said. As she sang “Last Christmas”, Ryo began plotting the “real Christmas party”. When he gave her the signal, the younger couple would slip away to his bedroom. But first, they needed a distraction.

“So how will we do this?” Kagome whispered as Michiko and Hideki sane a romantic duet. Her boyfriend rested his hand on hers.

“I will give you the signal,” Ryo whispered. “For now, I have an idea.”

“Oh?”

“Watch closely.” Ryo stood up and clapped his hands. “Beautiful! That was great!”

“Thanks,” Hideki said.

“Dad, I didn’t know you could sing,” his son said.

“I used to sing in high school.”

“I see.” Ryo picked up two DVDs. “Which one shall we watch—Tokyo Godfathers or Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?”

“Mr. Lawrence,” Hideki answered. Michiko looked confused.

“What’s this about?” she asked. Hideki hugged her waist.

“A really good war movie set on Christmas,” he said. He kissed her on the cheek. Ryo smiled and winked at Kagome.

-Earlier-

“Why are you picking that one?” Kagome asked in the mall. Ryo held up the Mr. Lawrence DVD.

“Dad likes this movie,” he said. “Plus this will be perfect.”

“Huh?” she asked. Her boyfriend leaned close enough to her ear.

“Stick around and see,” he whispered.

-Now-

Both couples sat in front of the TV watching the movie from 1983. Ryo peeked down the hall. Michiko and Hideki looked engrossed in the film. Ryo smirked to himself. He nudged Kagome on the arm. Her eyes shifted to him.

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Ryo took her hand and led Kagome down the hall. Their parents didn’t even look up. Ryo grinned as he opened his bedroom door.

“Kagome-chan,” he said. “Welcome to the real Christmas party.”