Until Then, Farewell

One second, there was no one in the living room, and the next, a man clad in red sat on the sofa, leisurely sipping on a glass of milk. He appeared out of thin air yet acted as though he had always been there, flashing Misha a bright smile.

"Looks like you have a few more people by your side this time around," Santa said, nodding at Masha and Stephan, whose eyes seemed about to pop out of their sockets. "How about taking a seat?"

"Sure," Misha answered as he climbed down the stairs. He walked to the living room, then jumped on the sofa, sitting just beside the man. "Here. Your watch."

"Thank you," Santa chuckled, taking back the golden wristwatch the boy handed him. He stared at it for a moment before nonchalantly wrapping it around his wrist, lifting his eyes to glance over the new faces one at a time. "I guess this young miss is your sister? Though I have no idea who this youngster may be."

"A friend," Gabriel responded as he took place on the sofa, not even an inch away from Misha. "He insisted on meeting you, but it seems like his brain short-circuited. Please, forgive him."

"Excuse me? Aren't you the weird one, accepting his sudden appearance with a shrug of your shoulders?!" Stephan scoffed. "Although I did believe you about time traveling and all, it's still shocking to meet THE Santa Claus in the flesh. 'Cause, you know, it's something a certain beverage brand created!"

"They advertised him into what we know now but did not create the legend," Gabriel deadpanned.

"Oh, come on! You get the point!"

"Yes, yes, I get it," Gabriel shifted his gaze, deciding not to bother with Stephan anymore. Instead, he stared intently at Santa Claus's chubby face, scrutinizing him up and down. "But frankly, I'm curious about what you truly are. You certainly aren't human, and you're probably not the "man" from the legend."

To this, Santa Claus said nothing, only smiling faintly. A light seemed to flicker in his gray eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"What are you talking about?" Misha asked in a puzzled tone, glancing back and forth between Gabriel and Santa. Was it him, or something seemed off?

"Because I don't believe in Santa Claus. And I wouldn't say that man is kindness itself, considering the "poisonous gift" he left you."

"..."

Misha looked down at his feet, fidgeting in his seat. It seemed like Gabriel was still angry about the choice Santa Claus offered him: that is to say, to save his mother or a bunch of unknown kids. It didn't settle well with Gabriel, who thought that it was a cruel thing to do. People who played with Misha's heart deserved a fate worse than death, or so he thought.

An awkward silence stretched, filling up the room until Masha coughed, drawing everyone's attention. She was half-sitting on the armrest of the sofa, wearing a white nightgown that made her long strawberry blond hair stand out.

"Whether he is the Santa Claus from the legend or not doesn't matter. At any rate, it doesn't matter to me." Misha paused to rub her neck, then let out a sigh. "Let me just say thank you. Thank you for giving my brother and my friend a second chance. Right now, I should be disabled or about to take my life anytime soon. My mom should be buried six feet underground, and let's not talk about my father."

Shaking her head, Masha couldn't help but think back on the message her brother had left to himself. When she had first heard it, she felt like he was talking about strangers, not people she knew.

"I've got no memories of such things, and sometimes, it's hard to believe. But, anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm glad to be safe and sound this time around, so, you know, thank you. It wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for you."

Again, Santa Claus did not answer and only smiled, putting his glass of milk on the low table near the sofa.

"Well, I've got a lot of things to do, so I'll be on my way. I hope that you will have a happy Christmas with your family and friends this year, Misha."

Santa then stood up, ruffling the kid's hair into a bird's nest. As his body seemed to turn transparent, he added in a soft but somewhat taunting tone, "See you again in 14 years. Until then, farewell."

__________________________

Chapter revised on 2022-06-05

Edited by Clozed! ♥

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