NSFW_alt1234's Christmas Special

(gentle, cuddling)

Nikki wrapped her well manicured fingers around the ceramic loop of her cup, the opposite hand supporting the weight at the heftier end. She dared to sip on the scalding brown drink in-between cooling blows; a sound that managed to drown-out the soft crackling of the fire and the quiet snoring of wind. Every few silent minutes she'd adjust and cleanse her round spectacles from the moisture of the mug and readjust her tight wool-knit sweater of red with snow flake pattern. She sat idly in her living room as she watched the fire slowly gnaw at the logs, the synthetic bulbs of her Christmas lights illuminate her room with a pine-needle screened glow, an at the endless darkness of a winter night.

She was content, if not lonely. She would have preferred some company, especially on Christmas eve, but if she was inside and warm on a freezing night it was hard to be ungrateful.

As she had her upper lip break the tension of her hot chocolate she heard a half-imagined noise barely over her quite slurping. It sounded like the tip of a finger nail gently grazing a hard surface. The sound was too faint for the source to be located, and assuming it was some unseen bauble gently swayed by a mystifying force she continued her sip. At precisely the same time as she did the sound whispered again, and it confirmed to her that it was something worthy of investigation. She looked towards her left, to the fire; there was nothing out of the ordinary in the orange light. But she heard the sound again, no more or less intense, the same minute taps of keratin to surface. With slightly exasperated eyes she then looked ahead, the Christmas tree wreathed in a festive glow, baubles, tinsel, lights and angel, but nothing out of the ordinary. This time she heard two taps, and now furrowed her brow in utter confusion. Finally, she looked to her immediate right, the window close enough to rest her mug on the sill. It appeared to be normal, complete inky-darkness with the only the immediate dusting of snow tickling the base visible... Nikki had found the source. Amid the centimetre thick gathering of icing-sugar like powder was a minute set of marks, tiny millimetre deep imprints that trailed from the far end directly to the pane, and at the end was a person. A good deal smaller than normal, being perhaps five or five and a half centimetres tall, and roughly a quarter of that wide, thick brown coat included, this was not a normal person, but rather a 'tiny'; a creature somewhat similar.

This tiny, visibly masculine despite his thick coat, banged his gloved fists on the thick transparent wall of the window; he was practically begging to come in. Nikki, reluctant to leave anything, let alone something so similar to a human, out in the cold, pulled on the latch and hoisted the window up. This had the unfortunate side effect of exposing the inside to the horrible gale that entered uninvited. A smattering of snowflakes was carried in and contacted her warm face with a sting, also lodging in her sweater. Thankfully protected by her spectacles, she was able to see when this unexpected guest was past the threshold and quickly slammed the window shut and relatched it. "Brrrr~" she shuddered to herself and gripped her elbows; she enjoyed the few seconds of increased gratitude as she warmed up.

When cosy, the woman looked at the sill of the window at the tiny man that had just stepped in. His coat was thick and woolly, apparently scavenged from scatteres fabrics, and his pants and shoes were likewise ragged and imperfect. His exposed face was a youthful one, even to the mid-twenties Nikki, and his rough hair was peaked and dark.

She realised that neither of them had said anything for an uncomfortable period of time as they inspected one another, and she decided to take initiative. "You poor thing! What were you doing out on such a dreadful night like this?" she said in her sincerest, most sympathetic voice.

"Th... thank... you f-for lett-tting m-me in..." he struggled to say without his teeth piercing his tongue from the shivering. "I... w-was s-stuck ou-out a-and you were the cl-closest..." He wrung his mitten-covered hands together to try and eek out some warmth. "S-sorry for c-coming i-in."

"Oh no no! It's fine, no trouble at all. It's Christmas eve, right? I couldn't leave you out there," she brushed off, retaking her mug to sip on. "My name's Nikki, by the way, please to meet you." Nikki awkwardly extended a finger that she disengaged from the mug, guessing this was the closest thing to a hand-shake they would achieve.

"I-I'm Jin," he said, taking the cue and grasping her fingertip with his now bare hands and 'shook', attempting to move the immobile megalith of her body.

Nikki grimaced internally as his freezing graspers touched her skin and alerted her to just how cold he was. "So Jin, would you like some hot chocolate?"

The tiny simply nodded, apparently giving up on attempting to speak. Nikki returned it and promptly left to prepare his warming drink.

Although he hadn't shown it, Jin was over the moon in happiness. He had taken a gamble this lonely night, he didn't know if he would be able to get her attention, and even then if she'd let him in; but it seemed to be a holiday miracle that he could now bask in the loving glow of a fire and festive lights as he teased the cold outside the window.

Jin was already less icicle-like when the gigantic form of Nikki plodded into the room and dropped a rigid alabaster vessel filled with a thick brown fluid. "Sorry, I only had a toothpaste lid, but it should be fine," she explained, "Sorry if it's... minty."

"Thank you," he managed to say in a non-chattering breath. He slurped the milky sweet chocolate and allowed the thick scent to enter his nose, breathing warmth into his stuffy head. Hot chocolate beat the tepid water of a painfully low winter room-temperature he had been experiencing of late.

Nikki smiled as the ragged youthful arctic explorer drunk deeply from the vessel he himself was unable to lift. He was cute, that was for sure. She couldn't help but admire his dedication, the trek through snow so deep, hell, even a climb up her mountainous house; surely the small cost of cocoa and milk was worth it as a reward. It seemed they had time to spare, and she'd take the opportunity to learn about this enigmatic voyager. "I can't believe you were out there on a night like this. I can hardly stand it myself, I imagine it's a lot more difficult at your... stature."

The tiny sat back from his trough and stretched, finally feeling more human. "Well... it wasn't fun, but this hot chocolate was worth it."

Nikki chuckled to herself, it was all relative she supposed. "That climb must have been tiring, would you like some food?"

"Umm... y-yes please," he nodded, trying to not jump at the opportunity. Again Nikki left, and after a slightly longer interval, returned with a bowl of Christmas pudding. The steam rising from the plum surface made Jin slightly dizzy from anticipation, it had been far too long since he had been privileged enough for dessert.

"Take your coat off, get comfortable," Nikki suggested in a playful tone.

Jin obeyed while his eyes remained locked to the bowl, unsheathing his arms and exposing his diaphanous shirt: a death sentence outside. He removed his boots and walked towards the precipice of the sill, where Nikki had parked her plump palm, rolling hills of soft skin inviting his sock-warmed feet to step on. Nikki allowed the tiny creature access to the bowl in her lap, insulated from burning her by her thick pants. He strained over the bowl rim to snatch a handful a hot pudding and scoff it down, his relieved ecstasy bubbling to surface on his face.

They shared their first dessert as friends. With much adoration from Nikki Jin had halted after only a few grams of the stuff, and lay collapsed in her palm gripping his stomach and smiling smugly while she polished off the remainder.

Jin was on top of the world at the moment, this single hour was near the best of his life. Treated to a buffet of new flavours and privileged to a warmth he had never felt, it was miraculous that he had found someone so generous. The wind still whistled outside which just increased his joy, he could finally mock the chilling gale from an insulated paradise. And this was all thanks to this saint.

In his newfound state of comfort he greedily wanted more, and without the bother of standing fully on his feet he shuffled over to Nikki's wrist as she ate the final specks of plum dessert. Under the pronounced flap of red-dyed sweater he sandwiched himself, back to her palm with his feet teasing at her arm; the fabric was now over him like a blanket. He wiggled against the fleshy mattress and prepared to savour this for as long as he possibly could.

Nikki took notice of what he was doing and smiled without even looking; she was just glad he was safe, it was no great effort on her part and if she could do this one good deed she'd feel accomplished. It still shocked her to think of his trials; she was reluctant to walk even to her mailbox. But she'd allow the little stuffed elf to rest in her palms and soak in the warmth he had been so deprived.

'Nikki..." Jin broke the fire-crackle after a prolonged period.

"Yes?"

"I may have... um... l-lied to you, before," he said like a child forced to apologise.

"Oh?" she said quizzically, hoping that his motives weren't sinister.

"I wasn't just... 'out' and happened to be nearby," he continued, hands clasped close together. "I... I've been living in your garden, in the shed."

Nikki wasn't sure where he was going with this, and the thought of a tiny person living right under her nose was slightly perturbing.

"Well, it's just... it's Christmas tomorrow and I didn't want to be alone, so I came. S-sorry, I thought you wouldn't let me in if I was just lonely."

Nikki silently sighed and rolled her eyes; he felt the need to lie about something so trivial. "Oh I don't mind you silly little thing, I'm glad to have your company."

"Really?"

"Yep, it wasn't exactly crowded in here before you arrived."

Jin sunk into her palm as if it was his own bed. "Thank you, so much."

"No trouble at all."

"Sorry... I didn't bring any presents."

Nikki rolled her eyes again. "Don't worry, just relax. Are you tired yet? It's getting fairly late."

Jin yawned in Pavlovian manner at her mention of tiredness, "I suppose I am..." he trailed off, not sure if this was the part where she kicked him back out; although he doubted very much she would at this time.

Nikki rose and steadied her hand, making sure Jin was upright. She fixed her eyes on him to be sure he was comfortable as she took the few steps to the fire. "Well then I think this is goodnight! Hope you don't mind sleeping here," she wished and presented the long, fluffy, dangling stocking on her mantel. She reached into the decorative footwear to the toe section so he wouldn't need to fall a significant distance and spoil whatever tiredness he had worked up. She tucked him securely as she could, the hammock drooping at his very small weight.

So deep in the embrace of the festive sock Jin could enjoy the direct warmth climbing from the fire and soaking into the fibres. Now he felt weightless and free from all the burdens of life, at least for some time.

"Snug as a bug in a rug," Nikki giggled to herself, talking through a stocking, "Goodnight and merry Christmas Jin."

"Goodnight, Nikki."

"Heh, looks like I will have a little present in my stocking after all."