Chapter Text
Emmet walks up the steps to the covered porch, dusting snow off his shoulders. The wet, icy sludge that has gathered on the fabric of his coat slides off fairly easily, splattering against the wooden surface beneath him as he swipes his hands over his arms. He can feel the cold dampness soaking into his gloves as he does, but he elects to ignore that in favor of ridding himself of the snow — Emmet has been waiting to do that since he stepped out of the Anville Town Train Station a little while ago, as it was useless to try to get rid of the snow while he was still out in it. Under the cover of the porch though, safe from the flurry, Emmet no longer has to worry about that. So, he pats himself down and wipes his boots against the mat in front of the door to shake off as much snow as he can.
Oh how Emmet hates snow! It's the bane of his existence, he's sure. Being cold is already the worst feeling in the whole world and adding the sensation of snow melting on him, drenching his clothes and somehow making his skin damp too makes it much worse. Practically every night since the beginning of the season, Emmet has had to trudge through the thick snow just to get home — that is something he has unfortunately been forced to make peace with since they moved out of Nimbasa City, which didn't get as much snow being so close to a desert and all. And they still don't own a car, as Emmet refuses to submit to lesser forms of travel and the house is only a few minutes away from the train station, so he's got no choice but to weather the elements! It sucks and he's miserable! Well… maybe he's being a bit dramatic.
Emmet will never like snow. But, complain as he may, he's slowly getting used to the frosty downpour. It's no less unfortunate for him, but Emmet can handle walking five minutes in the snow to get back to his home and his family every night. And being in the cold isn't so bad when he knows he'll be greeted with warmth and smiles and maybe a cup of some hot drink if he's lucky as soon as he walks in the door. That — seeing his twin and his sons and his niblings waiting for him after a long day — is always worth it in the end. So Emmet will happily endure the wintery weather if it means he gets such a reward after he does.
Plus, despite the snow, Emmet actually does enjoy his commute from the station to his house. After his journey to get Ingo home from Hisui, he'd developed a healthy desire for walking! A couple minutes every day through the forested area is hardly the hiking he'd been doing before, but it scratches his itch to get his steps in. And dare he say, he actually likes walking around in Anville Town more than he did in Nimbasa; less people and noise… more than that, Emmet is happier in Anville Town too. He grew up here, after all and maybe that's why it feels so much more like home than he'd ever expected despite the fact it was a major change to his schedule.
At first, Emmet thought he'd struggle more than he has in moving away from the home he'd been living in since his college days — big changes always give him a hard time. He'd told himself that they were moving for his brother's sake and for his niblings to feel more comfortable adapting to modern life again, which helped him power through the initial discomfort. Then he ended up loving it in their little house in the middle of the woods where nothing and nobody can bother them. It's peaceful and quiet and close to his parents and everything Emmet could have asked for. So, he can handle the commute if it means keeping his family and himself happy.
And happy they are living in Anville Town.
So verrry happy… after what felt like an eternity.
Not much time has passed since Ingo came home from Hisui with Rei and Akari, but in the months since it happened, they've made a lot of changes to their routines and had to deal with so many obstacles just to stay together. All of that struggle made it feel like he'd aged years! It was hard, as he knew it would be, but that struggle was worth it in the end for this outcome. Now all of them are more or less settled into the life they've built and just in time for the Holidays too! This is their first Christmas in their new home… and their first Christmas as a family. Together. And everything is finally okay after all the time they spent fighting for their peace. Emmet is so glad that he's finally in a good enough mental state to truly enjoy it!
He smiles to himself as he brushes his hands together to get rid of the snow on his gloves. Emmet intends to make this the best Holiday season he can for his brother and the kids; a celebration for all they've overcome together. In his humble opinion, all of them deserve it. Ah, but he's getting distracted now. Emmet has been standing on the porch for longer than he should and his family is likely waiting for him inside. He should stop getting lost in his head now! Rerouting!
Bending down, he starts to untie his snow boots. Usually he would take them inside and set them by the front door to dry, but the snow had been particularly high today. So high that the bottoms of his pants have been soaked through and his boots are dripping with icy sludge inside and out! He'd prefer not to soak the foyer or track snow through the house, so he's just going to leave them on the porch to dry. He's sure Ingo would appreciate that at the very least, as his brother seems to have taken on a bunch of the household duties while waiting to be cleared to work on the Battle Subway again. Scrubbing the floors is not something he'd like to put on his brother's to-do list.
Emmet gets his left boot untied first, then he slips it off and tosses it at the wall in front of him. It bounces off and flops to the slide with a wet slapping sound. He cringes as he goes to untie the soggy shoelaces of his right shoe. Even though he's still wearing his gloves, Emmet can't help but feel like he's getting his hands dirty right now. He's going to have to shower once he gets inside just to settle his mind. Not that he wasn't already planning on doing that. Taking showers after work is not uncommon for him, after all. And after the day he'd had, running around the station and taking on almost triple the amount of battles he usually does, Emmet could use a nice hot shower.
Oh, even just thinking about it has him excited!
It takes only another moment for him to undo the laces of his right boot, then he's sliding it off and tossing it next to the other one. He watches it hit the wall and then topple over the other boot just as the front door swings open, light suddenly illuminating the dark porch. Emmet flinches, shooting up to his feet as a flash of sparkly red crashes into him. "Oof!" He grunts, the force of the body slamming into his making him take a step back so he doesn't fall. Once he manages to regain his footing, Emmet wraps his arms around the little person that has him ensnared. One glance at the sparkly red Christmas sweater he is certain he watched her steal from his brother's room this morning and her long black hair that's tied back in a braid lets Emmet know that it's his niece who has attacked him.
Akari. He should have expected it would be her! She is usually the very first person to greet him every night, followed closely by his brother or one of his sons and occasionally Rei. It's almost like she's made it her personal goal to beat everyone else to it! Though she does typically wait for him to actually enter the house first before saying hello… ah, but perhaps Akari is just extra excited to see him today. Emmet did promise her he'd help her decorate the house when he got home, so he can't blame her for her excitement! No doubt she's been watching the windows, waiting for him to return all day so she can finally put up all the decorations she'd been talking about at dinner last night.
"Uncle Emmet! You're home!" Her voice is muffled in the fabric of his shirt where she's got her face pressed against his side, but Emmet still hears her loud and clear.
He laughs, bending down to scoop her into his arms and hoist her up into the air. Akari shrieks, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as Emmet twirls around with her. "Yyyup! I am Emmet and I am home!" Emmet does another spin, then turns back to the open doorway as he leans down to kiss the crown of her head. "Mmmwah!" Akari starts laughing too now, swatting at him and kicking her legs. He plants another kiss on her forehead, then straightens up again. "And just what do you think you're doing, little lady? I'm sure your dad would nnnot approve of you answering the door like this, yup!"
Akari opens her mouth to reply — probably to snark him, as she almost always does — but another voice beats her to it. "Akari? Where did you go?" Ingo shouts from somewhere in the house. Looks like his niece has snuck away again. She's very good at being sneaky, he's come to find out. Emmet huffs an amused sigh as he holds Akari a little tighter, making sure she can't squirm out of his arms as he steps into the house.
"I've got her, Ingo!" Emmet calls back, turning and pulling the door shut behind himself.
A pause. "Is that you, Emmet?"
"Yup! I am home now." Almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, a commotion rings out from somewhere upstairs. He has a feeling he already knows who that is… Emmet smiles to himself as he walks down the short hallway into the living room where his brother is hunched over the fireplace, tossing more logs into the flickering flames. His twin glances up at him when Emmet enters the room, a ghost of a smile spreading across his face and a fond sigh following as his gaze lands on Akari. She's squirming in Emmet's arms now. "This one caught me at the front door. I am Emmet and I think she was trying to run away! Or maybe she's just excited to see me?"
Akari groans, kicking the air. "Nuh uuuh! I'd never run away! Food is too good here." She flails a little harder. "I'm innocent, I sweaaaar! Put me dooown! Daaad! Save me!"
Ingo laughs, turning back to the fire he's building. "I see! I believe you may be right, Emmet. About the excitement, I mean. She's been talking about decorating the house since you left our home station this morning. Alas, she may have to wait longer still." He puts one last log in the fire before leaning back and closing the door, tossing his gloves onto the pile of wood next to him. Ingo dusts his hands off as he rises to his feet. "I figure you are going to shower before we do anything else?"
Akari gasps, then stops struggling to whine. "I have to wait longer?!" She throws her head back, braid slipping down to hang too. "Uuuuggh!"
"Only a little bit longer, little lady. I'll be quick." Emmet bends down, setting Akari on the ground then rising back up just as thundering footsteps tear down the stairs. "Why don't you go bring the decoration totes upstairs in the meantime?" His niece pouts at him, crossing her arms. She stares at him for a moment longer, then turns and starts walking towards the basement door. Emmet watches her retreating form, then glances at his brother. Ingo gives him a salute before heading off down the hall to follow his daughter. He stifles a laugh and instead turns back towards the foyer to wait for his son to appear.
Sure enough, Chili is walking down the hall a moment later. Well… sort of. He's leaning against the wall as he limps into the living room, slowly inching towards Emmet. "Dad! You're back! Cress and I were getting worried because you were taking so long." His son pauses in the doorway, leaning heavily against the wall to take more weight off of his left leg. Emmet can't help but wince as he glances down at the black brace wrapped around Chili's leg. And unfortunately, that doesn't escape Chili's notice. The smile on his face quickly morphs into a frown as he looks down at the brace himself. "I'm fine. Just overdid it a bit by running down the stairs." A pause. Chili pushes off the wall and hobbles over to Emmet. "See? The brace helps a lot, so I don't need my cane in the house!"
Emmet shakes himself out of his frozen trance, brain finally catching up with his mouth. "Right. Well, I'm happy to hear that… try to take it easy though. You remember what the doctor said." He opens his arms, accepting Chili when he gets close enough to hug him. His son sighs, wrapping his arms tight around Emmet's middle and hiding his face in his shirt. Whether he's trying to keep himself up or just needs the pressure, he doesn't know, but Emmet won't ask. Staring at the brace like he just did is enough attention on it for tonight — he'd prefer not to upset Chili any more. So, he changes the subject. "Anyway, I am Emmet and I'm going to shower. Ingo and Akari just went to the basement to bring up the decorations if you want to help?"
Thankfully, Chili perks up hearing that. He tilts his head up, smile spreading across his face again. "Can I? I'm super strong!"
Emmet smiles at him, bending down to kiss his son's head. "Mm-hmm! I'm sure they could use your strength, yup!" With that, he straightens up and ruffles his hair. "Now rrrrun along! I need to shower rrright away!"
Chili laughs, then steps away from Emmet to salute him. "On it! Send Cilan and Cress on your way, yeah?" Emmet salutes him back and Chili takes that for his answer. Then he turns on his heel, making his way towards the basement.
He watches the boy move for a moment, eyeing the limp and making a mental note to ask Chili's doctor about maybe increasing his dose of medication, then he heads back towards the foyer where the staircase is.
Emmet was right. A warm shower and his green Christmas pajamas was exactly what he needed after a long day. Oh, and the steaming cup of hot chocolate that Cress had made for him in his hands helps too. It's got a nice minty flavor that doesn't overpower the chocolate, which he is a big fan of and fears he may never get anywhere else — perhaps he could in Striaton City at his sons' restaurant, though that is hardly as convenient as getting it from his own kitchen. Truly, he will forever thank his lucky stars that his sons know how to make good food and are generous enough to share it. He takes another sip as he watches Rei and Akari dig through the ornament boxes from his spot on the couch. Seeing the two playfully argue about what should go where is more entertaining than it should be. Like one of those sitcoms Ingo is so fond of!
Akari steals an ornament from Rei's hand, then shoots up to put it on the tree herself. Her brother naturally chases after her and starts yet another argument about which branch it would look best on… ah, the joy of having siblings. Emmet laughs to himself as he swirls the drink in his hand. He wonders for a moment if he and Ingo ever argued like that when they were young. It's been so long that Emmet doesn't remember, but he doesn't think he and Ingo were keen on fighting. Sure they had their moments, but they were a two-car train through and through! Though maybe he could give their parents a call and ask them to be sure before he goes around claiming that. Emmet is sure it would be nice to hear from them and see how they've been doing anyway.
The sound of rustling beside him pulls Emmet's attention away from his niblings and out of his thoughts. He looks over at Cilan as he digs through another ornament box. This one is smaller than the big totes sitting on the floor near the fireplace and tree, filled with all of their special fragile ornaments and a shit ton of paper to go with it. Ingo had entrusted those boxes to Emmet's sons, as they're less prone to arguing about ornaments or accidentally dropping them. So far, there have been no casualties. Emmet watches Cilan unravel the paper around one of the ornaments they got while visiting Johto in their teen years — a sleek silver train to model the bullet trains in that region. His son's eyes light up as he turns to Emmet. "Is this a model of a Johto bullet train?!" He brings it closer to his face to get a better look at it. "The Azalea Shinkansen! Oh! It's lovely and so accurate to the actual train!"
Ingo laughs from his place next to the tree, hanging a sparkly red bulb before turning to face the couch. "Good eye, Cilan! If I recall correctly, we got that ornament while we were visiting Johto with our Uncle Drayden! We were… uhh. We… hmm. Well, I'm afraid I don't recall why we were there." His frown deepens in what Emmet recognizes as his brother's 'thinking face', arms crossing over his chest. Poor Ingo has regained most of his memories, but sometimes he struggles with a few minor details. Arceus had said eventually that would sort itself out too, but that time has not come yet and, of course, Emmet is more than happy to fill in the gaps for his brother.
He leans forward and sets his Tynamo mug down on the coffee table. "He brought us to visit Grandma and Grandpa, remember? That was our last summer of freedom before we were off to Nimbasa University, yup! Spent the whole summer in Johto and found that ornament in one of the gifts shops on our way out." Ingo's expression lights up and he nods.
"Ah! Yes, I remember now! We were running all over the place while trying to find the right train to take us to the airport, weren't we?" Ingo uncrosses his arms to put his hands on his hips instead, the tension draining away from him. "Neither of us could read the signs because they were all in Kantonian, so we ended up getting incredibly derailed!"
Emmet laughs. "Yup! Then we walked into one of the gift shops, ready to call it quits! Thankfully, the lady at the register spoke some Galarian and was able to help us call Uncle Drayden. We bought the ornament while waiting for him to arrive, yup!"
That was an interesting day indeed. Even after spending so much time in Johto and learning some Kantonian, they still could barely make out what any of the signs were saying! Maybe it was just because they'd overslept and were afraid to miss their flight that they were having so much trouble, but it certainly wasn't a fun experience in the moment regardless. Of course, some good things did end up coming out of that situation — being able to ride a bunch of the trains and getting the ornament were a couple highlights. Funny how good things can come out of bad situations.
Cilan gasps. "Really? Wow, that must have been stressful. Though I'm sure the trains were wonderful! We didn't really have time to take in the true majesty of the trains while we were in Johto, but maybe some day we can go back to see them." He stands up from the couch, sliding around the coffee table and heading towards the tree. "As a metro connoisseur, it would be my greatest honor to see every train in the whole world!"
His twin ruffles Cilan's hair as he steps up to the tree, stepping aside so Cilan can hook the shiny silver rope tied around the ornament over a branch. "Perhaps some day we can make that a reality. I know your father and I vowed to do the same when we were your age."
Someone laughs from the kitchen. Emmet turns to look over the couch towards where Cress is standing over the stove, phone in his hands while he skips through the Christmas music playing on the speaker. He doesn't say anything as he stops on "The Christmas Song" and puts his phone down. Only once it's on the counter does Cress speak up. "Oh don't get him started! We'll never get to finish decorating tonight if he goes off on one of his tangents," he says, a teasing smile on his face. Cilan laughs, but makes no comment on his brother's words, likely trying to avoid a teasing match.
So, Emmet takes Cress on for him. "I don't see a problem with that, yup! Trains are verrry cool. I am Emmet and I fear I'll have to disown you if you don't agree. No son mine will hate trains."
Cress shrugs, unbothered by his empty threat. "Well, I guess you don't want the cookies I'm baking for after we're done decorating then, do you father?" He picks up the spatula he's been using to scrape the cookies off the tray, waving it around in the air. "So ungrateful! I worked hard on these cookies and you're just going to throw me out on the street over such a simple disagreement!"
His brother butts in now, scoffing at Cress' words. "Trains are no matter of 'simple disagreements', my dear nephew! We are talking about the very reason Emmet and I get out of bed in the morning — well, and for our beloved children, but that is beside the point. Train slander is blasphemy in this household!" A pause. "Ah, but if cookies are involved, then I could be persuaded into saying not another word while we finish decorating. What kind are they?"
The betrayal! Emmet whips around to glare at Ingo, who simply shrugs at him with one of his silly smiles on his face. Oh where is his twin's sense of justice? His honor? Both have disappeared in an instant with the promise of baked goods! This is bribery in its most vicious form! Cress laughs a bit, which prompts Emmet to turn back around. He looks over at his son as Cress plucks one of the small golden cookies with red berry jam in the center off the cooling rack. "Thumbprint cookies with an assortment of berry jam centers." He glances down at the oven. "And chocolate crinkle cookies in the oven."
Emmet takes everything he was just thinking back. He could absolutely be convinced now. And, obviously, so can Ingo. "It's a done deal, then! Emmet, come help me finish up the tree!"
He turns back around, saluting his brother as he rises from the couch. "Full steam ahead!"
And so I'm offering a simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you
He catches himself humming along to the song still quietly playing in the background as he stares at the twinkling Christmas tree in the corner of the room. All the ornaments shimmer under the red and green lights they'd strung up around the branches, which is going to be verrry interesting to the Pokémon when they see it. Emmet can imagine the shenanigans now — Archie trying to eat the ornaments and Lavender floating around it to stare at the lights. They do it every year. Oh! And Emmet can't wait to see how Ingo's Hisuian Pokémon react to it! He'll have to get a camera ready when it happens. Hopefully they don't cause any damage, though.
It had taken them over an hour to decorate the thing, plus almost twenty more minutes after Cress' joking threat to finish putting all their ornaments up and get the golden train tree topper Elesa had gotten them as a gag gift last year on the tree, but at last the decorating is done. He'd hate to see it ruined by a couple curious Pokémon, though he has no doubt they'd be able to piece it back together if something does end up happening.
Emmet pops a pecha jam thumbprint cookie in his mouth, running his free hand up and down Chili's back as his son sits curled up in his lap. He tries to focus on his lower back, where he knows a lot of the pain Chili still feels is. Hopefully it helps his son at least a little… Emmet feels bad for the kid. He'd spent most of the hour it had taken to decorate the tree up in his room — he really did overdo it with all the running — but he'd come back downstairs a little while ago to help wrap up. Then he had a couple cookies and promptly fell asleep on Emmet's chest when they turned The Polar Express on. He doubts Chili will be ready to move for at least a little while and Emmet is more than willing to stay as long as his son needs… always.
Dealing with the pain in his back and his leg has been one of the major challenges he's faced this year, even with all the doctors and the medications and the physical therapy. It just seems like Chili is always in some kind of discomfort. The doctors had said that was part of the healing process and to be patient, but Emmet can't stand seeing it. He just wants Chili to feel better. Hopefully some rest and less running will do him some good and maybe the decorations now in the house will help him feel a little more jolly.
Emmet can only pray to the dragons that it's so.
He presses a kiss to Chili's head, shifting his hold on him a bit to make sure his son is comfortable.
"He's sleeping?" Rei whispers beside Emmet. The sound of his nephew's voice nearly makes Emmet jump, but he manages to hold off as he turns towards Rei. He's looking up at Emmet with a small frown on his face, worry in his eyes as he holds the blanket Ingo had given him around himself. Honestly, he's a bit shocked Rei is sitting so close to him. His nephew has been very skittish around him ever since he came home from Hisui. Not that Emmet blames him, of course! Everything that has happened is certainly an adjustment! But maybe the fact Rei is sitting beside him is progress. Emmet smiles at him.
"He is. Are you getting sleepy?" He watches Rei look back towards the tv screen, then to his lap, and finally back to Emmet.
"A little, but I wanna see what happens in the movie." Rei turns back towards the screen, a small smile spreading across his face. "Dad says this one is his favorite because it's got a train in it."
Emmet can feel his smile growing. "It is a verrry cool movie. Ingo and I have watched it every year since it came out. The Polar Express is awesome, yup."
Rei hums, leaning against Emmet's arm. "Then I think I should watch the rest of the movie before going to bed. I have to see if it's as cool as you're saying it is."
He doesn't dare move, afraid that if he does he's going to scare Rei into moving away again. This is progress. It's been a slow and bumpy route, but at last he feels like maybe he's connecting with Rei. Emmet is glad. Happy… he looks out over the couch. At his other sons sitting on the far side under the same blanket, talking quietly and sharing popcorn. At Ingo and Akari in the corner, her hands in his brother's hair, braiding little sections of it. And finally at where Chili and Rei are resting against him.
Emmet is happy.
So verrry happy.
He turns his attention back to the tv screen, smile stretching so wide that it hurts his cheeks.