Abijah wasn't an overly sentimental man. Nor was he a devout Catholic. He was past the piety and self restraint. His sister had prayed to God to save them from the invading British, and He hadn't, had He? Abijah and the big man upstairs didn't get along.

There was many times where he missed home. When the alcohol wasn't strong enough, when the damned food wasn't hearty enough. How he disliked the lack of proper food here. No wonder the Japanese people were so God-damned skinny. No carbs outside of rice.

It was rather irritating.

But, it didn't get as cold there as it got in Ireland. That was one plus, especially since Shindo lived in the draftiest fucking castle ever. Abijah could grudgingly admit that it was nice, not to be freezing his arse off, though he'd rather that than the insufferable heat of Japanese summers.

It still snowed in Japan. Up north, where he resided, it snowed quite a bit. Great drifts that piled against the outside of the castle. And given how remote it was, it didn't become filthy like it did in England. One might say it was pretty.

His pretty little thing was not a fan of the cold, unfortunately. He'd purchased a mink fur coat and gloves for you, which you refused to go out without. His spoiled little thing.

You'd roll over and bury yourself against his side - citing that he was much warmer than the room at any given time. And you weren't wrong, of course. His sleeping quarters were near the apex of the castle. They got quite cold.

He thought you just liked cuddling, however.

It was one such cold morning when you stirred, whining when the blanket slipped off of your bare skin. "Alright, darlin'. Up you come." He glanced at the calender - none of that Japanese calendar nonsense. A proper one. December 25th.

"...Merry Christmas, dote," he murmured, almost like an afterthought. "Y' want your present now?" He brushed your hair behind your ear.