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“Why is the Christmas tree on fire?” Ritsuka asked, a mix of disbelief and tiredness on her face that screamed ‘I’m not even surprised or too worried anymore’, as she looked at the Christmas tree that she had helped decorate only a few hours before burning in front of her.
James Moriarty Archer and James Moriarty Ruler, suspiciously next to the tree, turned both their heads at the same time towards her, looking frantic. “It’s not our fault this time!” The older Professor said.
“This time?” Ritsuka narrowed her eyes while Artoria Pendragon, in her summer version, shot water at the tree, quickly joined by many other summer servant versions.
“Just a figure of speech, Master! We never set any Christmas tree on fire!” Ruler Moriarty quickly added, as he tried to help put down the flames with a blanket.
“Yes! We do not want to make the children cry!” Archer Moriarty reiterated, helping his younger self with the blanket, and Ritsuka sighed. They did have a point. They never did anything to make the children cry, and burning the Christmas tree was something that surely would make all the children servants bawl their eyes out. Luckily for them, no child was in sight at that moment.
After helping put the flames out, Ritsuka sighed. “Ok, I believe you. I suppose you can also tell me who actually was the culprit, right?” She asked, looking around the room with a frown while the flames finally burned no more and the danger ended.
She took a few steps towards the tree, crouching down and grimacing while picking up what remained of a christmas ball in her hand. It was partially melted by the heat, and darkened by the smoke. “We cannot save anything from this…how can we restore everything before the children see it?” She said, mostly to herself, while many other adult servants approached, grimacing and discussing what to do.
A very loud laugh from behind her back made her get up and turn around, both happy and already exasperated. All the various Arturia versions that had gathered around the tree to help disappeared instantly, to avoid having to deal with the source of it.
“Did someone ask for the King’s help?” Ritsuka could have never mistaken that voice for anybody else’s. Archer Gilgamesh and Caster Gilgamesh appeared at one of the doors of the room. “Well then, you are so lucky, mongrels! Not one, but two kings are here to help your sad situation!” The two kings approached the charred remains of the tree and decorations, still laughing. “Our treasury has it all! Ask us, and if we feel benevolent we will gift you our treasures!”
“King Gilgamesh…do you also have Christmas trees and decorations in your treasury?” Ritsuka asked, actually truly impressed.
Archer Gilgamesh laughed again. “Fool! We have it all! Just ask nicely and we will provide!”
Ritsuka repressed a sigh. The things she did for the children…and Christmas in general… “Please, my kings, help us. We need a new tree and all the ornaments, or the kids will cry…” She deferentially asked, putting one hand on her heart, as if to emphasize her honest plea.
That apparently pleased the kings. “Very well Master, since you asked nicely, we will grant your wish!” Caster Gilgamesh said, then spread his arms, materializing his magical tome as Archer Gilgamesh summoned Ea, mostly for scenic purposes.
Both kings then laughed loudly before proclaiming “BEHOLD! THE GREATNESS OF THE KING OF URUK!”
Ritsuka had to admit, Gilgamesh’s treasury really had everything. As quickly as the two Gilgamesh had commanded it, a beautiful new tree appeared in place of the old one, dropping down from the usual golden portals that both kings always summoned when fighting or simply retrieving something from their treasury. Caster Gilgamesh had also cast a spell to clean the charred remains and the surrounding area from any fire damage.
In less than a minute, the room looked even more shiny and festive than before the fire. She grimaced again after a moment of awe. Why did casters always disclose such useful abilities at the last minute? She shook her head, there was no time for that. She had a culprit to find.
Ritsuka thanked profusely the two kings, who laughed and boasted for a short while to her and the servants that had remained around. She then managed to elude their attention and get back to the two Professors, who apparently had been waiting for her to the side, being extremely cautious to avoid the Kings’ attention.
“So, Professors. Who was the culprit? I know you know the whodunnit. You always do. Now I want a name, and an explanation of why you did not stop them.” She stated, crossing her arms on her chest with a serious expression. They both grimaced.
“We swear we just arrived too late!” Ruler said.
“Yes, we could not avoid it.” Archer confirmed.
Ritsuka sighed, looking at them sternly. “A name, Professors. Do not tell me you have a moral code that prevent you from tattling on other criminals?”
“Well, we kinda do, we would not tattle on our other self, at least, or the Chaldea Evil club, but…” Ritsuka’s raised eyebrow stopped Ruler before he could go on with his musings. “But not in this case!” He backtracked, clearly worried of having angered her.
Archer Moriarty finally gave her the answer that she wanted. “It was surely Tesla and Edison. They were testing two devices that used electricity, and the sparkles most probably set the tree on fire. They did not even realize it, they were too busy fighting. We saw them pass by from the corridor with their sparkle-inducing devices heading towards this room, and by the time we arrived here, the tree was already on fire, and they were gone from the other exit of the room.”
Ritsuka shook her head, exasperated. “Oh, for the love of…why is it always those two lately?” The two scientists had started bickering far more than usual in the previous months, as if they were frantic to one-up each other. She did not know what had caused that.
“Well, despite their not so great methods, they want to be useful to you…they are just doing it in the worst possible ways.” Ruler explained, shrugging.
“Do I perceive a bit of respect for them?” Ritsuka asked, raising one eyebrow.
Ruler huffed. “Well, they are intelligent men, and they are trying to help you, that is the truth. We do it much better though.”
“Do you, now?” Ritsuka could not avoid teasing him.
Archer Moriarty laughed. “Come on Master, do not tease the boy. He is still young and inexperienced, after all. Praising other men still slips sometimes. I certainly would not do that. I do not want your attention away from my own grand achievements, after all."
Ritsuka groaned again as he laughed loudly and Ruler Moriarty protested, clearly offended. She left them to their usual bickering with a sigh, turning around to look again at the beautiful tree and decorations that the two Uruk Kings had manifested, happy that at least the children would be spared from the depressing view that she had witnessed minutes before.
She then shook her head and headed to the corridor to her right, in search of the culprits.
——————
Tesla and Edison were brought to Sion and Goredolf, to endure the director’s merciless scolding while both attempted to profusely apologize for inadvertently setting the whole Christmas displays on fire, without noticing it. The Professors had said the truth, the two scientists had been too busy bickering to realize the damage they had done, and they were extremely apologetic.
To make sure they got scolded properly, she had also asked Helena to be present, and she had gladly agreed. Ritsuka left while she was lecturing them harshly about the dangers of fire and the security precepts of the Mahatma, feeling drained.
On her way back, she had met with Mash and the two Ptolemaios, who were helping the children servants with some additional decorations. She had stopped to greet them and to ascertain if the children really had not noticed anything, confirming that the accident had gone unnoticed by most of the Chaldea servants, Mash included. By the time they had finished setting up the last decorations, it was almost lunch time.
Christmas Eve was in full swing, the Santa servants already gearing and preparing to distribute presents to everyone. She had managed to solve the usual Christmas crisis with the new Santa pretty early that year, so all that was left was some relaxation before the usual huge Christmas Eve dinner with everyone, and the presents opening at midnight.
She and Mash joined everyone in the cafeteria for lunch, surrounded by the children servants that were already asking when they could receive their gifts. She then retired to her room, as she usually did after eating, for a bit of rest.
As soon as she sat down on her bed, she sighed loudly. “I know you are here, Professor. Why even hide? I like your company.”
Archer Moriarty materialized in her room with a smug grin. “Because it is really fun.”
Ritsuka sighed again. “I fail to see how hiding from me when I know that you are here can be fun, but I’ll indulge you. Want some tea?”
Moriarty shook his head. “Oh no Master, we have things to do.”
Ritsuka tensed, gulping and getting up from the bed. “Things to do? What happened now…?”
Moriarty gasped, raising his hands to calm her down. “Oh no no Master, nothing bad! Please do not feel anxious. I’m just going to give you my Christmas gift! Look at your bed!”
Ritsuka sighed, relieved, then looked at the side of her bed, where a pajama had somehow appeared. She had been sure it wasn’t there when she had entered the room. She did not inquire on how he had managed to do that, and simply took it in her hands to examine it. It was a very beautiful blue pajama, made of a very soft fabric with butterfly motifs all over. “Oh, this is really cute…”
The Professor nodded, clearly proud. “Yes, Miss Crane and Habetrot were persistent in asking me where I found this fabric, so it took a lot of time to convince them to just let go of that detail and just craft the clothes.”
Ritsuka sighed again. “I’m now even a bit anxious to put this on…what kind of fabric is it? Is it cursed or something?”
Moriarty gasped, exaggerating his offended reaction, placing one of his hands on his chest. “Master! You wound me! I would never! I’m not Douman!”
Ritsuka chuckled. “Ok, ok, I’ll trust you, but…why so secretive about this fabric anyways?”
Moriarty shrugged. “Oh, nothing big, it’s just enchanted a bit.”
Ritsuka groaned loudly, rolling her eyes and putting the clothes down on her bed again. “I knew it. How?”
“It makes the person wearing it sleep peacefully and without nightmares.” The Professor explained calmly, looking straight at Ritsuka.
The girl gulped. It was no secret that her sleep was plagued by nightmares. It had started after the first Lostbelt: after purging it, she occasionally experienced horrible nightmares, with their frequency increasing with every new Lostbelt resolved. But it had been the British Lostbelt that had made things worsen gravely. After her experience inside the Garden of Lost Will, her sleep had been plagued by nightmares almost every night. No amount of tiredness or fatigue had tired her enough to prevent her from waking up in the middle of the night screaming after terrible visions of blood and despair intruded in her sleep.
She had asked for some help from a few trusted caster servants, and they had provided a few enchantments to sleep well, but she had always resisted using them if not extremely necessary, as it felt…wrong. After all, maybe she deserved to feel the sorrow that she had caused to all those lives lost forever in the void…
“I do not need…” She stuttered, looking away to the floor.
James Moriarty sighed. “There you go again, playing the hero.” He said, shaking his head, before stepping closer. “I know you think you deserve to have those nightmares, because it’s the consequence of your actions that sent all those people into the void.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “Well, I did…” Her sentence was abruptly stopped by his hand on her cheek. He had removed his gloves, and his touch felt soft and warm.
“Let me state this clearly again, Master, you do not deserve this. Those people were destined to end up in the void anyways. Do not put on your own shoulders a weight you should not carry. You have enough on you already.” He explained calmly like he already did more than once.
“But…” She could not say anything else, as he interrupted her again.
“No buts. We have already talked about this. No self deprecation on my watch. You deserve a nice sleep, and I cannot always sleep with you, sadly…” He grimaced.
Ritsuka blushed. Indeed, the only way for her to have a good night's sleep was sleeping in his arms. His presence, his scent, his warmth, everything about him surprisingly calmed and soothed her. He whispered her sweet nothings until she fell asleep, and kissed her softly when she woke up.
In those moments, Ritsuka felt happy and safe. Which was pretty ironic, considering Moriarty’s criminal record…But he could not always sleep with her, that was true, especially since Ritsuka was often away for missions without him.
She understood his goal, and it made her feel all fuzzy and warm inside. She nodded as he removed his hand from her cheek, and she took the pajama back in her hands, squeezing it in her arms. It vaguely smelled like him. “I…thank you.” She just said, meekly.
He looked very pleased with her reaction. “Now that’s the kind of cute expression that I want my Master to have!” He stated. “And it’s not the only gift I have for you!”
Ritsuka blinked. “You have another?”
He laughed again. “Of course! That pajama can only work here in Chaldea, but you are away on missions most of the time so…here!” He snapped his fingers, and a small box appeared in his other hand.
Ritsuka blinked, surprised. He seldom came to her with materials and QPs that were useful for her mission, so she was expecting something like that, not another cute box wrapped in a cute blue ribbon. “Wait, you really have another gift for me?”
Moriarty gasped, exaggerating shock again. “Of course! Did you think I would just give you a single present? After all these years of faithful relationship? You wound me, Master!”
The girl blushed. He wasn’t lying, they had been a thing for a long while now…but hearing him remind her of that still felt embarrassing. She pouted, realizing he said that on purpose to make her blush. “Oh come on, you know what I mean…one was more than enough! I don’t need much! Just knowing that you thought of me is enough.”
The Professor sighed, shaking his head and smiling. His tone softened, and he caressed her cheek again, looking intensely at her. “See? That is why you deserve more than one gift. You are just too good!” He removed his hand from her cheek and spread his arms. “You are the lover of the most powerful and intelligent criminal mastermind of the planet, and a simple thing like that pajama as a Christmas gift is enough to satisfy you? Too humble! Too pure! My heart cannot take it!” He theatrically brought his hands to his heart, feigning pain.
Ritsuka chuckled. “Now, that’s a bit too dramatic, Professor.”
He laughed as well, then offered her again the small box that he had kept in his hand all the time. “Now, dearest Master, open your other present.”
Ritsuka obeyed, taking the small box from his arms and untying the cute blue ribbon on it. She opened the box’s lid slowly, and gasped as it revealed some cute, small earrings that matched the necklace that she always wore, the first Christmas gift that Moriarty had ever given her. She lifted one of her hands to take one of them and inspected them more closely, but as soon as she touched the metal, she stopped, raising her eyes to look at Moriarty’s satisfied expression. “They are enchanted as well?”
He nodded, smiling smugly. “As expected from my girl. You learned well from all those Casters. Yes, I did a few favors to some Caster Servants, and asked for their help in return…they are enchanted with the same spell of the pajamas. This way, whenever you are on a mission, you will be able to sleep peacefully.”
Ritsuka did not know what to say. She had stubbornly refused any magical intervention to help her sleep before, as she felt that she deserved her nightmares. However, lately she had become extremely tired of not being able to get many consecutive nights of good sleep. It interfered with her ability to keep a cool head during missions, and her body was becoming weaker and weaker. If that went on, she might not have been able to complete her mission and save humanity because her body would crumble.
Moriarty’s voice shook her. “I know you are getting tired of not having a good night of sleep. And your fatigue is starting to show.” He caressed her cheek another time, lips curved in a soft smile that almost felt tender.
Ritsuka blushed again. “I thought I was hiding it well…”
“Not from me. Holmes was not the only one who could read people easily, and you are the only one I really care about in this place, besides dear Fran. It’s obvious that I know everything that you are thinking.” He continued, his thumb gently stroking her skin.
Ritsuka immediately surrendered. She smiled and tilted her head to the side to press her cheek more on his hand. “Thank you, James.” She rarely used his name, as she still felt a bit embarrassed about it, but this time addressing him by his first name felt almost necessary.
He hummed, clearly happy. “Now, try them on, Master.” He urged her, retracting his hand, and she nodded.
She took off the earrings she was wearing, and put on the new ones, happily walking to the mirror in her bathroom to inspect how they looked. “They match the necklace perfectly!” She said. Behind her, looking at the image in the mirror, Moriarty kept smiling.
“Of course! I chose them carefully, after all.” He proclaimed, watching as she returned closer to him. “Now, since I’ve been this good, can I have my reward?” He asked, a sly expression on his face.
Ritsuka chuckled, bringing one of her hands in front of her lips. “Oh now you want a reward? What about the spirit of Christmas and giving for the sake of giving?”
He laughed, in disbelief. “Me? In any universe? No, never. Unless it is you or Fran. In that case, your happiness should be enough, but…I am a greedy man, after all.”
Ritsuka laughed as well, then moved past him, towards her drawers. She opened one of them and retrieved a nice small box, carefully wrapped in Christmas-themed paper. She turned around and offered it to him with a smile. “There you go, Mr. Criminal. Your Christmas gift.”
Moriarty cheered, taking it gently from her hands, but he did not open it immediately. On the contrary, he took a few steps towards her, closing the distance between them and passing his left arm around her waist, while his right arm held onto the gift. “Can I also have a kiss?”
Ritsuka chuckled, not resisting. “You really are a greedy man…”
He smirked. “Cannot help it. I’m an evil criminal, remember?”
Ritsuka laughed, raising her hands to cup his cheeks. “Bend down, you silly old man.”
He complied, and Ritsuka pressed her lips on his own. His moustache softly caressed her skin, and she sighed, enjoying the sensation. Of course, Moriarty took that opportunity to deepen the kiss, and she had to steady herself by grabbing his back to avoid falling backwards.
When he broke the kiss, she looked at him with a pout, flustered. "Greedy man.”
He smirked again, obviously proud. “Always, when it’s about you. Now, let me open your gift, so that I can thank you properly.” He let her go, and sat down on her bed, inviting her to do the same.
She obeyed, sitting down next to him. “You already know what’s inside, right?”
“Oh, you can say that I have a hunch.” He shrugged, still smirking.
Ritsuka sighed, knowing well that he knew for sure what was inside. He always managed to deduce it somehow. Still, he looked genuinely happy about her gift, looking at the pair of gloves inside the box that he had just opened. “I noticed that your gloves were getting worn out because of all the recent fights we had to face, so…” She explained.
He hummed softly while he tried them on, moving his fingers to test how they well fit. “Perfect fit. I surmise you asked Habetrot and Miss Crane?”
Ritsuka nodded. “Yes, I did. Luckily they had your measurements, apparently they are the same as Ruler…did you know it?”
He nodded. “Oh yes. We are the same person, after all. I am pretty sure he would be very offended if he knew that his measurements were used to craft me some gloves…I will be sure to tell him tomorrow. I know you gave him a math book he desperately wanted as a gift. Murasaki could not keep the secret. I’ll tell him this is far better.”
Ritsuka groaned. “Please do not do anything like that.”
Archer Moriarty chuckled, then he suddenly passed his now gloved fingers gently on her leg, making her shiver pleasantly from the ticklish sensation. “You do like when I touch you with the gloves on…did you choose them thinking about this?” He teased her, lowering his voice to whisper in her ear.
Ritsuka’s face almost set on fire, and she gasped loudly, looking at him with a flustered, embarrassed expression. “NO? What kind of question was that?”
He laughed, obviously proud of having made her flustered. “Just a bit of teasing Master…I’ll behave for this evening…but I won’t promise anything for tonight.” He softly caressed her cheek again, bending down to whisper again in her ear. “Wait for me after the party ends.”
Ritsuka nodded sheepishly, still red as a tomato. Before she could say anything else, the door of her room opened again, and Ruler Moriarty made his entrance with a box in his hands, announcing that he had come to give her his Christmas gift. At the sight of his older self, he grimaced.
“Why are you always around when I want to speak with Master?” He complained, pouting.
Ritsuka sighed, ready to make sure that they did not start to bicker again in her room. It was almost time to go to the Christmas Eve dinner anyways.
They left together after drinking some tea from the cute mug set that Ruler Moriarty had gifted her, stating that she needed some better cups to enjoy tea in her room with him. And despite his declaration that he did not want his older self around, he gifted her three mugs.
Ritsuka smiled warmly as she thanked him. Ruler's slightly embarrassed expression was always adorable. He was such a tsundere.
——————
Late that night, wrapped in her new, soft blue pajamas, Ritsuka snuggled closer to Archer Moriarty, inhaling his scent. The party had been long, fun and chaotic as usual, and she had forgotten for a long while about all her woes and responsibilities, just playing with the kids, eating with the servants, joking with the staff.
She had come back very late in her room, Archer Moriarty already waiting for her in her room. He had not said a word, just helped her change, and hugged her as they had laid on her bed.
There was no need for anything to be said, after all.
At least for Christmas, she deserved a good night’s sleep.