Art by  SillyOmegaCaf.

About a month after Thanksgiving, people got more and more used to Azrael and Asmodeus. For Azrael, he was basically treated like the others at this point, and, for Asmodeus, his madness and tendencies became pretty much commonplace. At first, it unnerved the others, but, eventually, nobody was fazed it anymore. As for interactions, while Azrael did talk to the Freelancers when prompted, he and Asmodeus much preferred each others' company. They tried to keep to each other as much as possible. As for Grey and Cedric, Grey noticed that Cedric was acting more strangely as the days went by. He would leave the base frequently each week, and he would leave Grey to go somewhere on his own. Whenever Grey would ask Cedric about this, Cedric would dodge the question and say some sort of variation of either: "Don't worry about it," or "You'll see ;}." While Grey would never doubt or mistrust Cedric, he felt worried due to Cedric's weird behavior.
I wonder what he's planning? Grey thought.
As for Azrael, things weren't much better. He knew that Christmas was coming up, but wasn't sure what to get his best friend. Speaking of which, Asmodeus was acting so strangely these days. He wouldn't talk to Azrael for too long and, strangely, Asmodeus began speaking to Polychrome Ben of all people a lot! Azrael felt sort of... jealous at this. He hid this feeling well, but when Asmodeus wasn't looking, he couldn't help but sneak in a glare at his partner.
It's good that he's making a new friend, but *hiss* why do I feel so bitter? Azrael couldn't help but think.








...





As time went on, it grew colder and white stuff began to fall from the sky (Cedric explained that this was called snow). When Grey was told to cover up to avoid being cold. When Grey attempted to put on his hoodie again for that purpose, but Cedric stopped him.
"That's too thin," he said while walking over to his clothing box.
From one of its parts, he pulled out a fluffy, brown shirt-like thing. It had a rectangular pattern.
"This is a sweater," Cedric said while handing the thing to Grey, "It'll be much better at keeping you warm."
Cedric wore a sweater over his own body, except his was green w/ a strange red box that had yellow lines on it.
Grey, w/ a blush, slid the sweater on. He instantly adored how it felt. While it didn't feel quite as lovely as a hug from Cedric, it still felt warm and comfy. Cedric gave him a wide-eyed smile.
"You," Cedric said while pulling Grey into a hug, "Look so adorable."
He then pulled Grey into a kiss. Grey's mind turned to mush, and both of them became blushing messes. As for Azrael and Asmodeus, Polychrome Benjamin let Azrael borrow one of his old black sweaters that had a white silhouette of a wreath. (The colorful sweaters were a bit too silly for Azrael's tase). Ash lent Asmodeus a red and green striped sweater that had a red skull-and-crossbones. Everyone else thought this was a bit excessive, but Asmodeus didn't care. He adored the clothing either way. Eventually, a day called Christmas Eve came. When Grey awoke that day, everyone except Cedric was gone.
"Where is everyone?" Grey asked during a breakfast of cheese and sausage omelettes.
"They're out Christmas shopping," Cedric said between bites.
"What's... Christmas?"
Cedric gave him a look for about a few seconds before sighing.
"It's a holiday where people buy gifts for each other to show how much they care. The more effort you put into the present you get for the other person, the more it shows how much you care," Cedric explained.
Once they finished eating, Cedric held his left hand to Grey. Grey grabbed it, Cedric's tail twitched, and the pair disappeared. On the other side, they ended up in front of a nameless building. Cedric then pulled out a money bill and handed it to Grey.
"There's $50. Buy something you know I'd like, and I'll do the same for you. Before you ask how to tell what costs what, every item has a price tag that shows how much it costs."
Cedric was then about to take a step forward before he remembered something.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot! Make sure to stay as far from me as possible so that the present is kept a secret. Ask the cashier, the person you give the money to behind the metal money taker, to wrap the gift up. I'll leave the store first before you and call you when I do," Cedric explained.
Grey and Cedric then walked into the store. Inside, the place was kind of huge. There were reds, greens, and whites decorating the walls along w/ various assorted objects. As the items being sold, there were so many different things that Grey couldn't tell what the theme was. Cedric immediately ran off in one direction. Grey hadn't been left on his own like this before. As a result, he nervously began to search through different parts of the store.








...




Grey had a hard time finding the right gift. He looked up, down, and all around, but he had a hard time finding the perfect one. The only things that Grey absolutely knew that Cedric wouldn't want would be writing/drawing materials, air fresheners, horn sharpeners, etc. One section that Grey stayed out of completely was the shoe section since Cedric never wore shoes. After a while of fruitless searching, Grey's phone rang, and he answered it.
"Hey, just bought your gift," Cedric said on the phone, "I'll be waiting outside to the left."
"Ok," Grey replied.
After ending the call, Grey began to panic and frantically searched for the right present. After a while, Grey slowly lost hope that he'd ever find the right gift.
Cedric... I'm sorry. I can't get you the perfect gift... Grey thought, tears stinging the corners of his dark eyes.
A while later, Grey was ready to give up until he spotted something interesting. There was a big, blue thing w/ a black strap. It had some black patterns and, best of all, it was in the shape of a guitar!
"Yes, yes!" Grey exclaimed.
He quickly grabbed the thing. His excitement grew once he realized that it was hollow!
This is perfect! Grey thought. I know he already has something to put his guitar in, but this is much more fitting!
Grey, w/ a big old gapped toothed smile, grabbed the gift and ran over to the front to buy it. There was a small line to the person he needed to give the money to. In front of Grey, there were two young people w/ a man that wore a black suit. One of the young people had long, fluffy brown hair while the other had spiky black hair. Grey had to do a double-take because the one w/ the black hair had the exact same hairstyle and body type as Azrael! Grey then shook his head.
It must be a coincidence, he thought.
At any rate, the three weren't there for too long. The black-haired one bought a long, shiny thing while the brown-haired one got some sort of black hat. Once the two were done, the young people and the dark-suited man promptly left the store. After they were gone, Grey went up to the man running the metal money taking thing. The man almost looked human, but he had blank white eyes and curly horns.
"Will that be all?" the monster man asked.
Grey nodded.
"Ok, just hand that to me."
Grey handed the case to the man. He then pulled a white thing attached to it and slid it across something. Grey then heard a beep.
"Ok, your total is $36.67," the man finally replied.
Grey pulled out his $50 piece.
"Um, I have more than what is required. Is that fine?" Grey asked.
"Oh, of course. Just hand that bill, and I'll give you your change."
Grey handed the bill to the man. The man then pressed some things, opened up the money taking box, and put the $50 in. He then pulled out some dollar bills and coins. A slip of paper then appeared from a slot, and the man handed both of these things to Grey. He then put them in his pocket.
"Ok, thank you for doing business w/ us!" the man said w/ a wave.
As Grey was about to grab the case, he remembered something.
"Uh, can you maybe, wrap this up?" Grey asked the man.
"Hm?"
"This is supposed to be a Christmas present."
"Hm. Well, the best I can do is this," the monster man replied.
He then pulled out a big, opaque bag. The man picked up the guitar case and put it in the bag. He then put some colorful soft-looking things in it.
"There you go."
"Thank you!" Grey replied w/ a smile.
Grey then grabbed the bag left while the monster man waved him off. When Grey walked outside, Cedric walked over to him. In his hand, he had a bag similar to the one Grey had, except Cedric's was somewhat smaller.
"You done?" Cedric asked.
Grey nodded.
"Good. Now, we wait until midnight."
Cedric then held out his left hand. Grey grabbed it, Cedric's tail twitched, and the two disappeared. When they reappeared, they found that the Freelancer's base had been decorated in their absence. Multicolored lights were hanging from the walls alongside some fluffy white stuff. The table had a new covering depicting different cheery-looking things. Finally, there was a tree next to the TV. It was covered from head-to-toe in colorful things. When Grey went up to it, he noticed two things. First, the tree was clearly fake. Secondly, there were small things that looked like all nine of the people who lived in the house. Cedric then put a hand on Grey's shoulder.
"C'mon. We have a whole day ahead until the gift exchange. Hee hee," Cedric said w/ a low chuckle.
He and Grey then blushingly made their way back to their room.








...




The day that proceeded was relatively uneventful. Azrael had returned later than everyone else, and he was w/o Asmodeus because Asmodeus chose to stay behind. Speaking of those two, Grey thought of Cedric's plan for Grey and Cedric to move out and live together. He also thought of Azrael and Asmodeus and how out of place they were at the base. Azrael, like Grey, didn't really enjoy going on missions. As for Asmodeus, he couldn't even go out w/o Azrael, he couldn't go on missions, and everyone else (except for Azrael) avoided him. The more Grey thought about it, the more he felt pity for them. During lunch, which was honey garlic chicken stir-fry, Grey got an idea.
Azrael and Asmodeus should live w/ us! he thought suddenly.
While Grey was still weary towards them considering the slicing and body taking, he'd kind of warmed up to the duo. The best part, it would sort of solve their problems. Also, Grey and Cedric would be able to keep an eye on them. Once lunch was over, and Grey and Cedric were in their room, Grey addressed Cedric.
"Um, Cedric?"
"Yes?" Cedric asked while picking up his guitar.
"You know that plan you had about us moving out of here?" Grey asked.
Cedric gave him a quizzical look.
"Yeeeess?" He drew out.
"Well, I was thinking..." Grey began.
"What is it?" Cedric asked while putting his guitar down.
He then crossed his arms.
"Please DO NOT judge this too harshly."
Cedric cocked an eyebrow at that.
Where the fuck is this going? He thought.
"What if... we let Azrael and Asmodeus live w/ us?" Grey let out hesitantly.
Cedric, in response, got a disgusted expression and stood up. He quickly took a deep breath and rubbed his head before turning back.
"And, pray tell, what the fuck prompted that thought," Cedric asked as calmly as he could.
Grey, somewhat put off by this, explained himself.
"Well, for one, they don't fit in well here. Azrael hates going on missions while Asmodeus is kind of trapped here while everyone else doesn't want anything to do w/ him. Allowing them to live w/ us might alleviate those issues. Plus, we'll be able to keep an eye on them," Grey explained.
Cedric was about to rebuttal this, but then he stopped and thought about it. After about a minute, he finally spoke.
"Ok, admittedly, your logic is sound. I'll think about your suggestion. That doesn't mean I'll agree to it, but I'll think about it."
Grey, w/ a small smile, lean and hugged Cedric. Cedric, w/ a softening expression, wrapped his arms around Grey, kissing him gently on the forehead.








...




After quite a while of waiting, midnight finally came. Before then, Ash and Vicky had each left the base a second time, each w/ a box in their hands. Aside from that, nothing really happened. A bit before midnight, though, things picked up exponentially! Dinner, which was chicken, stuffing, and rice, was served. Outside of that, the living room was filled w/ conversation and some laughter. Oliver, as per usual, was playing video games on the couch. Cherry and Polychrome Ben were joking around w/ one another. Azrael and Asmodeus stood off to the side, quietly chatting and being awkward. Grey and Cedric sat at the table, playing some board game together. As for the presents, those who had gifts to share kept them close. Once midnight finally struck, Ash got everyone's attention.
"Everyone! The time is 12:00! If you have a gift to share, you can do it now," Ash exclaimed.
At that, everyone who had a gift gave it. For Cherry and Polychrome Benjamin, Cherry gave a big, rainbow-colored puff alongside a red ball w/ a band. Polychrome Ben, absolutely grateful at this, gave Cherry her gift. He didn't take it out, but when Cherry looked in it, she quickly thanked him and ran off to her room. After a bit, she came back. For Azrael and Asmodeus, first, Azrael gave Asmodeus something called a kaleidoscope.
"I felt like it fit you," Azrael told him.
Asmodeus giggled as he played w/ it for a bit. Once he was done, he gave Azrael a wrapped box. Azrael tore it open, and from it... he pulled out a long, sumptuous scarf. The ends were torn, and it was swirled black and red. Azrael stared at the fabric in awe.
"Is... is this what you've been working on w/ Ben?" Azrael asked.
Asmodeus nodded.
"SORRY ABOUT BEING W/ YOU LESS, HEH HEH. IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO MAKE IT LIKE THAT, HAH HAH," he replied.
Azrael looked down at the scarf w/ tears in his red eyes.
"I love it!"
Azrael then embraced his friend. Asmodeus, in response, hugged him back w/ a closed-eyed smile. Everyone else, despite any feelings towards the duo, couldn't help but feel warm at that. Finally, it was Grey and Cedric's turn. When Grey pulled his present out, his eyes grew wide. It was a frame and, in it, were different photos that the couple had taken together. At the center, there was the first photo they'd taken together.
"Like it? I had the photos merged a few days ago. I bought the frame today, and I fitted the two together during a bathroom break." Cedric explained.
"I love it!" Grey said w/ a wide smile.
He held the frame close to his chest.
"Heh, glad you do, babe. Now, your turn."
Grey, putting the frame down, gave his gift to Cedric. When he pulled the guitar case out, his eyes widened.
"I was hoping you'd like it," Grey said timidly, "I wanted to get you the perfect gift. Do you... like it?"
"Like it?" Cedric asked.
He pulled Grey into a big hug.
"I love it!" Cedric exclaimed.
Grey blushed as he hugged Cedric back. When the pair let go, Cedric stood up.
"Get up. I have one more thing to give you," Cedric said.
Grey, confused, got up. The pair made their way to the center of the room. Above them, a green, spiky thing w/ red sphere hung on the ceiling.
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make!" Cedric shouted.
Everyone looked over, and the room immediately grew silent. Cedric then turned to Grey.
"Grey..., ever since you came into my life, you've made me the happiest man on Earth. You've stood my side time and time again. You've been a great person to just hang out w/, and I've enjoyed every moment we've had together. Every hug, every second, every word, every kiss, etc., has all been amazing. Overall, you've been the best 'boyfriend' a guy could ask for."
Grey's blush intensified at those words, and he gave a great big smile.
"As you and everyone else knows, I love you more than words can express. And, now that I've known you long enough, I'd like to take things to the next level."
Grey's expression became confused at that. Then, as everyone except for Grey watched w/ bated breath, Cedric pulled out a big, shiny-looking circle. It was whitish and seemed to glitter in the light.
"Grey, I'd like to spend the rest of my life w/ you. I don't know what'll happen in the future. I don't know if things will go well. But, I want to face it w/ you by my side. What I'm saying is, Grey..."
Cedric then got down on one knee and put the circle up.
"Will you marry me?"
Grey's eyes widened. He then looked around the room, and everyone silently and vigorously nodded, some having wild expressions. Grey looked back to Cedric, who had a somewhat pleading face. Grey, w/ tears flowing down his face and a big, gap-toothed smile, answered his boyfriend.
"Y-yes, yes!" Grey exclaimed.
Cedric's face lit up as the room erupted into clapping and whoops.
"Yas, puta, yas!" Cherry shouted.
"Fucking finally!" Ash shouted.
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH, HEH!" Asmodeus chuckled out.
Cedric then grabbed Grey's right hand and slipped the circle onto the finger next to the shortest one. After that, Cedric stood and put his hands on Grey's face.
"Merry Christmas, my fiance," Cedric said dreamily.
Before Grey could ask what that meant, Cedric pulled him into a passionate hug and kiss. Grey, pacified by action, closed his eyes and leaned into Cedric. That night ended up being one that Grey and Cedric would look back fondly.