I do not own One Piece
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Third Family Christmas: AKA First Christmas with Mamoru
Katsu Age 10
3rd POV
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She was mesmerized by the way her breath hung in the air. Despite the chilling cold, which bit though her skin, she kept wondering outside as small flakes of white fell from the sky. She had noticed quickly that the white flakes were layering the ground and throughout the day it was becoming white.
Her feet were numb once more. They had grown numb after she had been standing in the cold for a while, but she paid no attention to that. Instead she took a deep breath and let it out, watching as a small fog was created by her breath. Each time she saw her own breath her lips would tug upward and she'd hop a little in excitement.
When she went to do it again, something warm wrapped around her whole body, blocking out her vision. Then she felt herself being picked up and tucked under an arm. Blinking in confusion, she wiggled her head to free her sight around the large coat and attempt to look up.
"Katsu, I keep telling you to put on a damn coat and shoes before you go outside." Mamoru's gruff voice stopped her attempt of looking through the coat. "It's freezing out there, and I'll be damned if you get sick and I have to close the bar to take care of you."
"But it's really cool outside. I can see my breath." Katsu answered, her body shivering now that she realized how chilled she had become.
"Yeah, it's winter, and it's cold. Of course you can see your breath." Mamoru answered, rolling his one visible eye.
He walked past the bar and into the back, which lead towards his home. He had just finished cleaning up for the night when he noticed the red-head had snuck out again. She had done so leaving her coat, boots, and scarf on the bar, again. It's become a trend since the cold weather had started. Thankfully she was still too timid to explore past the front of the bar, Mamoru wasn't sure it would be easy to find such a short person had she wondered off.
Walking into his kitchen, Mamoru pulled out a chair and plopped the child onto it, her head poking out of his coat and it fell down. Her nose and cheeks were red and her skin felt ice cold. He wasn't sure how long she had been outside.
"Stay there." He grunted, walking into the kitchen and turning on the stove as he put a pot on the burner.
"White stuff started falling down from the sky today." Katsu called out, turning around in the chair Mamoru had placed her in. Her hand gripped the back of the chair under the long sleeves of the coat. The hair that Yumi had stopped by to place in a ponytail with a blue bow with white snowflakes on it had fallen out of the ponytail, giving the child a slightly wild look. "The white stuff is cold too."
"That's called snow." Mamoru answered, placing a whisk in the pot which now had different ingredients. "That typically happens in the winter."
"Snow." Katsu repeated then hummed quietly. "It looks pretty."
"I am a little surprised, it doesn't normally snow here." Mamoru mumbled, pulling down two mugs. "Maybe your little fit the other day drew in some of those clouds."
Overall Mamoru admitted he was a little surprised it had gotten this cold on this island. They lived on a spring island, so typically the weather was constant and there was zero likely of any cold weather. That was of course before a child with little to no control over her devil fruit that happened to control wind came to live on this island. Though, he suspected it would be gone by tomorrow.
Pouring the hot chocolate in the glass, he took some chili powder and sprinkled it on top of each mug then carried it over to the table. Katsu's eyes traveled with him, her body twisting to sit normal as he placed the glass on the table.
"Drink this, then you need to go to bed." Mamoru answered.
"Why?" Katsu asked, picking up the mug and taking a small sip. She blinked looking down at the chocolate drink in surprise before taking another sip.
"Tomorrow is Christmas." He answered easily.
"What's that?"
Mamoru paused, fully now remembering that the child in front of him was relearning everything all over again. Perhaps, he wondered, that was why she wasn't as annoying as other children are when Christmas draws closer. A sigh escaped him as he leaned back in his chair.
"It's a holiday." He answered simply, tired of the never ending questions. It would be easier to dump Katsu on Yumi, who would be incredibly thrilled to explain Christmas to Katsu.
"A Holiday about what?" Katsu asked, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.
"Jesus."
"Who's that?"
"God's son."
"God has a son? Who's the mother? Why is the holiday about Jesus? Did he do something important?" Katsu began to spit off questions.
A groan escaped the man, "Never mind that now. You can annoy Yumi with those questions tomorrow. Did you drink the hot chocolate?"
"But I want to annoy you with the questions, not Yumi."
"Then you're getting no presents from Santa." Mamoru smirked, feeling as though he had just finished the argument.
"What's Santa? Where did he come from? Why would he give me presents? Does he give you presents?"
"Santa is a pirate that goes and gives presents to children.-"
"Why?"
"You know what, I think that's enough for tonight." Mamoru nodded, standing back up and picking up Katsu. His hand covered her face, seeing that she warmed up, and he carried her off to her room.
"Sleep." Mamoru mumbled, plopping the child on her bed, not bothering to collect his jacket which was still wrapped around her. Using his free hand he gently unclipped the bow in her hair and freed her hair from the messy ponytail and bow.
Katsu looked up as he closed the door behind him, a smirk on her face. Yumi had already explained Christmas to her earlier that day, though she would have liked it if she got Mamoru's point of view on the holiday. Never-the-less, the child turned on her side and shut her eyes. She wondered if before she lost her memories if she had known and celebrated Christmas.
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"Katsu! Wake up!"
The child jumped at the loud voice, her head turning to look at Yumi who was beside her bed with a big smile on her face. Katsu's eyes went up to look at the red hat on the blonde's head, the bottom of the hat had a fuzzy white trim that matched the top ball on the hat. She wasn't sure why the woman wanted to wear such a weird looking hat.
"What?" Katsu mumbled, rubbing her eye as she sat up.
"It's Christmas! You gotta go open your presents!"
"From who?" Katsu asked as Yumi tugged on her arms and pulled her out of the bed.
"Santa! And of course from Mamoru and me!"
"Old man? Him?" Katsu frowned, following the woman.
She nodded, "Of course, he takes this holiday very serious."
They walked towards the living room, where Katsu found four wrapped presents under the bare Christmas tree. Mamoru had taken her out of the town to the forest and they picked a tree together.
As they walked in Mamoru was walking in as well with three mugs in his hands. He offered one to Yumi, then one to Katsu. "Eggnog, it's sweet." Mamoru answered as Katsu looked at the liquid in confusion.
"Go on and open your presents." Yumi smiled, tapping Katsu's back. "Then you can help me make the ham."
Had Yumi known that Katsu being in the kitchen was a recipe for disaster she likely wouldn't have offered the child the opportunity. However, despite the ham coming out as charcoal, and going through a couple of fires, they managed to not burn down Mamoru's home. Then, despite what Yumi had seen that year, it had become a tradition to let Katsu help cook the ham, which always left the three of them with a burnt ham. Just as such, it also became a tradition for Mamoru to make hot chocolate while talking with Katsu the night before Christmas, and a chilled glass of eggnog the morning of. All while Mamoru complained of course.
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End of the Christmas Special!
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I'll try to get some chapter in soon!
This is not edited