Work Text:
The sound of a clock ticking filled the makeshift office of a man named Paul von Oberstein. It was the night of Christmas Eve, and most of the staff officers either filed a leave early in the month or worked until early evening and immediately leaving for home and come back to a loved one.
For Oberstein, he had little to none of what he would consider a ‘loved one’. His childhood was unhappy, as he grew up too fast and never experienced the joys of childhood. His bionic eyes stared out the window that was covered by snow’s veil, as he reminisced of his adopted brother, Stefan. He was also considering booking a room in the hotel that Reinhard chose to be their temporary base of operations, but remembered that he was in the same planet as his pet dog.
Oberstein snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Ferner walking down the opposite street in his winter clothes. ‘Probably heading home.’ The minister hummed to himself and went back to work. The man noticed he was almost done with the last remaining report from Reuenthal, and went back to it.
As he flipped through the report, quietly commending the admiral for his straightforward writing while wondering if he could not write swear words in his reports, there was an unexpected knock on the door.
“Come in.”
The door creaked open to reveal that the person was behind the door was no other than Hildegard von Mariendorf.
“Oh, you’re still here.” Hilda remarked amusedly.
“What business do you have with me, Mariendorf?” Oberstein was not exactly in the mood to talk to people, he just wanted to get his work done for the day and spend his Christmas Eve at his house with his butler and his dog.
“Well, I would like to gift you something for Christmas.” Hilda said as she walked in with a wrapped package. Knowing the man, she left the present at Ferner’s table, as the aide’s table was empty. Despite his calm expression, Oberstein was curious of what Hildegard had bought for him.
“With this, I shall take my leave, Admiral.” She bowed and turned towards the door. When the blonde had reached the door, she grasp the handle and mumbled with a voice that was barely a whisper, but low enough that only the two of them could hear.
“Merry Christmas, Paul. I hope you enjoy it…” The door clicks and closes, leaving the salt-and-pepper haired man to his thoughts.
Oberstein was in a slight daze from her words, thinking if those words held an emotional weight that had she carried through the greeting and was waiting for him in the form of some materialistic present. He took a deep breath and finished the last of Reuenthal’s report, filing it away for Ferner to check for errors. He walked over and placed it onto his aide’s tabletop, and placed a hand on the gift Hilda left for him. Out of curiosity, he gently unwrapped the present and was surprised at the choice of gifts that Mariendorf gave him.
A grey winter scarf that was obviously knitted by an inexperienced person and not by a machine, as it was a little sloppy at one end but was more refined looking at the other, sat on the top of the box. The man gently moved the scarf aside and saw a few coupons for fresh chicken at a discounted price at the nearby late market. He noticed the sleek and stylish black winter coat under the coupon and took it out of the box. He hummed amusedly at the green details that decorated the jacket. Oberstein tried the jacket on and raised his eyebrows in amusement that it was a little too big for him, but it was a nice fit.
His cybernetic eyes whirred as they focused on the card that was placed at the bottom of the box. Oberstein picked it up and read the contents.
Admiral,
I noticed that no one was willing to be your Secret Santa, so I decided to be yours.
I hope that you would enjoy the gifts that I have given to you.
Merry Christmas, Paul von Oberstein.
Oberstein noticed his right cheek was a little wet, and then his left hand noticed it too, and the next thing he knew, he was blinking big fat tears, covering his defined features in water that was coming out of his eyes.
After all these years, he was crying again.
The brunet’s throat caught a sob that he held back successfully and breathed deeply to console himself. His left hand caught the edge of Ferner’s table as his thoughts ran together with his emotions.
‘Mariendorf… tell me… why are there tears flowing out of my eyes…?’
He shifted the weight that he was putting onto his feet and to his left hand, and took big gulps of air to console his emotions and made sure he didn’t wipe his tears onto obvious parts of his uniform. He can’t let anyone see him in this state, breaking down because his colleague just gave him a gift. Thoughtful gifts, he corrected himself.
He stood and waited for his emotions to settle until he was able to stand on his own feet, wiping away the last of his tears on the inside of his sleeves. He thought he should utilize the gifts Mariendorf- no, Hilda gave to him. He grabbed the box with the coupons in it.
No one noticed that the ruthless von Oberstein cried in his office as he passed by the hotel lobby and out the door. Subconsciously, his feet headed for the late night market near the hotel.
That night, his Dalmatian had eaten more chicken than usual.