Where the Love Light Gleams (Meiling & Syaoran gen)

[storypaint]

Title: Where the Love Light Gleams
Author: rhap_chan
Written For: tsukimineshrine Secret Santa 2008: shiiki
Prompt: Syaoran & Meilin (non-pairing), Christmas away from home
Characters: Meiling, Syaoran
Rating: G
Length: 532 words

Excerpt: "We're going to spend Christmas together, aren't we, Syaoran?" she asked.

In China, Christmas was more of a family holiday than it was in Japan. Sure, Syaoran and Meiling weren't Christian or Catholic, but at Christmas-time, one stayed home, poking at the fireplace and listening to the aunts argue about Chinese New Year celebrations. It was, then, a bit of a shock to see the way the Japanese took the holiday.

"It's like Valentine's Day?" Meiling said, wrinkling her nose and darting a glance at her cousin, who looked just as confused.

"Well, not when you're little, as much," Tomoyo said, "but when you're older, it's supposed to be romantic."

Syaoran couldn't resist a longing glance at Sakura, who wasn't paying attention to the conversation and instead puzzling over their math homework. She looked confused, but it was a more pleasant expression than the one that crossed Meiling's face. Her stomach twisted. Something, something was going to have to give here.

And it might have to be her.

But Li Meiling never gave up on anything without a fight, so she perservered.

"We're going to spend Christmas together, aren't we, Syaoran?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Syaoran said, snapping out of his reverie.

"Of course we are!" Meiling said cheerfully, reaching for his hand across the aisle, but then Terada came in and class began to quiet down.

*

Syaoran wasn't sure when exactly he'd agreed to spend "the whole day, all of it!" with his cousin, but it was Christmas, and they were far from home. It wasn't a bad idea. They woke early and made breakfast together (Syaoran carefully keeping track of the stove, which seemed to be Meiling's weak point). They spent some time in quiet afternoon reading, but after dinner Meiling dragged him out of the house.

It was a little cold for a walk in the park, but there were a surprising number of couples there, holding hands. Meiling didn't reach for his hand this time. They strode along in a comfortable silence, the air sharp with cold, and after a while began to talk about Christmas-time at home, about believing in Dun Che Lao Ren and hanging their stockings for him, about the way their mothers argued over the family meal, and how the aunts would stay up and talk, late into the night, their voices a familiar dull pattern as the children tried to sleep.

Abruptly Meiling paused and stared up into the sky. In Hong Kong, it was always too bright to see the stars, but a few winked in the Tomoeda darkness. She smiled a little.

"Are you okay, Meiling?" Syaoran asked, gazing up at the sky after her.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Thanks for sharing Christmas with me, Syaoran."

"We're family," he said, shrugging. It wasn't a dismissive shrug. Of course they'd spent the time together; that was what Li's did. He would have been surprised if anyone had suggested otherwise.

"Merry Christmas," she said, poking him on the nose before whirling around and running down the sidewalk, feeling the wind blow through her hair, listening to her heart thump, watching with amusement as the slowly-moving couples dodged her youthful exuberance.

"Meiling!" Syaoran said, breaking into a run behind her, and his shout made her grin.