Following a long day of painful work, the merry light of Christmas felt all the more magical as the three co-workers entered the warm house for a celebration. Of course, not all is joyous, for Tohru is the one who came up with the idea of celebrating, and when Tohru has an idea, some kind of disaster ends up happening.

"Hey there, brought the cake." Kobayashi lead the way, plastic bag in hand.

"There's also Takiya here." Hutch was second, completely hiding the guest with his large frame.

Tohru pulled the knight down by his collar, talking hardly above a whisper. "Why did you allow him to get invited to my and Kobayashi's love nest?"

Hutch got back up and straightened his tie before answering. "First, tone down your delusions. Second, Takiya is inoffensive, he would never dare try to take my future woman." He boasted out loud, to Tohru's annoyance.

In the meantime, not far off is Kobayashi, who heard everything and was practically steaming.

"It happens so often, at that point you should be getting used to it." Takiya pointed out.

"It's just... I can't stand how straightforward he is." Kobayashi answered stiffly. The mood was slowly settling until the door rang.

"I'll take care of this." Hutch, who was the closest to the door, volunteered.

The moment the door opened, Hutch's jovial persona flew away, and while his smile remained, his eyes carried a lot more venom. The target of that anger looked like a winged minotaur. From its mouth came a dark mist, which seemed deadly even at first sight.

"Oh I'm sorry my good sir, it seems like you went to the wrong house." Hutch started, taking an overly polite tone. "But if you don't mind, it would be my pleasure to take you to Hell, where you belong." His tone lowered, openly threatening the strange creature.

"What a shame, I even brought a present. I heard you humans like that." The creature answered in kind, with a more distorted voice. It then charged a blast from its mouth, to which Hutch quickly closed the door.

The door somehow managed to take on the blast, despite almost losing its hinges, even more surprisingly is the fact that it seemed to have perfectly withstood the blast, not taking so much as a burn mark.

"This is my last warning Fafnir, crawl back to the hole where I put you and don't even try to hurt my family." Hutch spawned his sword and pointed it straight at the minotaur, now identified as Fafnir.

"You don't get it Siegfried. I have been invited here, if anything, you're the one who should get away from this house so I can come in without having to see your face." Tension rose from both sides of the door as the enemies glared at one another.

"W-wait, you're t-that Siegfried!?" Tohru asked, an uncharacteristic panic straining her face.

Hutch/Siegfried only spared a glance to the dragon maid before focusing his full attention on his enemy.

"Lady Tohru, did you not know that when inviting Mr.Fafnir?" Kanna looked at Tohru slightly confused.

"What does that mean? Who is Siegfried? And why the hell Hutch looks so pissed off?" Kobayashi question the maid, getting swept up by the general panic.

Tohru breathed in an attempt to calm herself down before answering Kobayashi's interrogations. "Well, apparently, Hutch is the legendary hero Siegfried. There are only 12 legendary heroes in the world. They are humans capable of fighting on the level of dragons, and Siegfried is one of the oldest and strongest among them. What he is most known for is the hatred he shares with and towards Fafnir. Apparently, their last fight was so brutal it even spilled in another dimension. Siegfried won that fight and banished Fafnir in a cave which he can't leave."

Kobayashi was trying to find a way for things to not escalate any further before Takiya moved between the two of them, startling Hutch and gaining Fafnir's attention. "I think we should first calm down. Mr.Fafnir, would you mind turning into a human first?" Takiya politely bowed towards the minotaur, who wasn't taking any of it.

"Are you ordering me human!? Fafnir looked down on Takiya, who, while seeming impassible, had probably crapped his pants.

"Try anything funny on my friend and I'll turn you into my next meal." Hutch was even more angry, which only contributed to further stress on Takiya.

"Now now Hutch... hmmm, Siegfried? We shouldn't judge him so quickly. Who knows, maybe you two can become great friends?" Takiya was desperately trying to get the two mortal enemies to come to an agreement, but this was only met by further refusal.

"I know what you're trying to do Takiya, but Fafnir isn't someone who should be anywhere close to anything that can live. All he can do is kill, kill and kill again. When he lives, everything dies."

"He won't do it this time. I'll make sure of that." Tohru pumped herself up, trying to help Hutch see reason.

"I can't let that be. Not just as a hero, but as someone with people to protect, allowing this dragon to come in will just lead to pain. There's no way I'll accept that."

"Not even if I ask you?" Kobayashi moved in front of Tohru, standing right next to the knight, who was frozen still by the demand emanating from the one person he couldn't refuse.

This proposal caused him a lot of internal struggle. As he pondered over it, he ended up finding a reasonable compromise between his heart and his soul.

"Fine, I will accept. But I have one condition." Hutch crouched down to Kobayashi's level and grabbed her, putting her on his shoulder. "Stay close to me. If anything happens, I want to at least be able to protect you." Hutch said sternly, his sight fully set on the new arrival.

Kobayashi, mixed between bewilderment and embarrassment, only gave a small nod, which went unnoticed by the large man.

"Don't even think we are close to being done, Siegfried. If you won't fight back, it will only make my job easier." Fafnir stepped forward, his hand glowing with an evil force.

Hutch, on the other hand, smirked at the display. "Well it's up to the host to keep a guest entertained. Don't take it too personally if I kill you this time." The Knight's steps were getting easier, cracking the ground on which he was standing.

"Fafnir, Siegfried, don't you dare ruin Kobayashi's special party!" Tohru stepped between the two of them, to no avail, as they were about to throw the first hit on one another. Until Takiya made his presence known.

"Well now, I get that you two aren't on great terms. But, hear me out. There can be some other ways for you two to settle the score." Takiya waved two controllers with his left hand, while pointing at the TV screen with the other.

"Explain yourself human. And make it short." Fafnir glared at the salaryman, who was flinching away.

"That's ridiculous." Hutch scoffed. "No handicap in the world would help him get a victory." Fafnir snapped his head back at Hutch, very irritated.

"I will destroy this ego of yours. It will only make it easier to kill you afterwards. Human! Prepare our battleground!" Fafnir pointed at Takiya with a demanding look, prompting him to plug the controllers.

"Welp, now this is all settled, do you mind putting me down?" Kobayashi asked.

"I would have if it wasn't Fafnir. This guy is a massive problem. For all I know, you could die the moment you stop contact with me."

"That's... a scary thought. Well, if contact's all it takes." Kobayashi climbs back down from the large man, only keeping contact with his hand. "That should be good, right?" She didn't make any eye contact.

"Fine by me." The knight smiled, heating up a fair bit, until a bell ringing took him out of his trance.

"I'll open." Tohru skipped towards the door, revealing another type of troublemaker busting through.

"Oh my! Siegfried! It's been so long!" The newcomer jumped in front of Hutch, pressing herself and her assets very close to him.

"Y-yeah, been a while." He responded meekly, to which the woman seemed to pay no mind.

"Say, Hutch." Kobayashi glared at the scene, which got the large man to twitch in fright. "Do you know why this bimbo is flirting with the coat hanger?" She used her free hand to point at the strange event.

"Miss Kobayashi, this is Quetzalcoatl, she's a friend of mine. As for your question... well..." Tohru pokes at the newcomer, who was still in some sort of trance.

"I did that. I really don't want to be her toy." Hutch points at the scene where Lucoa was keeping the coat hanger in a choke hold, using her assets with extreme efficiency.

"Now that all of that's done, I still need to humiliate Fafnir." Hutch walks towards the couch, where Takiya was having a few rounds with Fafnir.

That is, until a tug on his shirt forced him to turn back. "Didn't you say this Fafnir guy was dangerous? Did something change your mind?" Kobayashi wondered.

"Oh yeah, that. Well, now that Lucoa's around, things should stay mostly civil. She's a bit... well, way too free spirited, but she's more reliable than she looks." Hutch responded calmly, which caused Kobayashi to reluctantly release her hold on the large man.

"Hope you trained your eyes, Fafnir. Cause I want to see your best crying!" The knight jumped on the couch, controller in hand.

"Bold words from a soon to be broken man." Fafnir responded to the taunt.

As a battle raged on near the television, the other side of the room maintained a more civilized air around them.

"So this is the real Siegfried? What an endearing sight." Lucoa looked at where Kanna and the men were gathered.

"How did you even break his spell?" Tohru wondered.

"Hehe, I was never under it to begin with. Such a basic spell doesn't work on me."

"Hm, you're more considerate than I thought."

"Well, I don't enjoy going after someone who already has a mate." She replied, her soft gaze landing on Kobayashi, who felt the pressure of being the center of attention.

"Oh no, we're not like that at all!" Kobayashi waved her hands in panic.

"Is that so? Due to my association with Venus, I can tell Siegfried carries a great deal of affection for you." Lucoa tells nonchalantly, which gets Kobayashi to heat up.

"Y-yeah, that he does." She stuttered, which got the bouncy dragon a bit interested.

"Then why are you not responding? I can feel a big conflict tearing you apart. Whatever it may be, it can't be healthy." Lucoa's eyes were opened, more so than usual, and her stare was very intense and... somehow compelling.

Tohru quickly interrupted the stare down. "I-I'm sorry Miss Kobayashi! When the conversation topic shifts to love, she always gets very insistent!" Her eyes shift between her two conversation partners, seemingly pressed about the whole situation.

The house master raised her hand, displaying a neutral expression. "Your friends are really interesting, Tohru." After sparing a glance to her maid, Kobayashi looked back at Lucoa. "I'll get back to you." She got away from the crowd, slowly walking towards the kitchen. Once she got out of earshot, Tohru was the one pressing Lucoa for answers.

"What made you ask for such things?! I thought you were on my side! If they end up together, I'll never forgive you!" Tohru ranted with as much coherence as she could muster at the moment, getting closer and closer to Lucoa.

"Now now, Tohru. Are you not interested in what got someone as stoic as Siegfried so infatuated?" Lucoa asked, which quickly calmed Tohru down.

"I just want to know what got Miss Kobayashi so interested in this guy?" Tohru looked behind her where Hutch was celebrating yet another victory on Fafnir.

"Isn't that a bit harsh on him? It's not like you actually hate him right?" Lucoa looked at Tohru, with that same neutral expression she always wore, which only grew more irritating by the second.

"Of course I do. We've been at war with each other for our entire lives. I hate him with all I have and I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

"And if you remove the war, what do you have left?"

"An obstacle." Tohru glared at Lucoa, her eyes filled with a bloodlust comparable to the way the 'old Tohru' was.

"You guys drink?" Kobayashi was back, bringing the atmosphere back to normal.

"No thank you, I've been trying to cut down on my consumption." Lucoa politely declines.

"Oh, is that because of that time where you drank some cursed liquor and-" Before Tohu could finish her sentence, she was pulled into Lucoa's bosom, choking on it.

"Nothing happened." Looking at Tohru's fate, Kobayashi decided to ignore the matter.

"Fine by me." Kobayashi sets the beers on the table, and downed one at a surprising speed, supposedly the one meant for Lucoa. With a large sigh, she continued. "This really ain't a conversation I can have sober. So, what we talkin' about?"

Lucoa released Tohru before sealing her fate, as the latter scurried towards the last free pint of beer, fearing the consequences of a drunk Kobayashi so early. Meanwhile, Lucoa was fully focused on Kobayashi.

"We were talking about Siegfried, and how you felt about him." Lucoa's expression remained unchanged as Kobayashi was wiping her mouth with her shirt's sleeve.

"Where do I even begin?" Kobayashi nervously ran her fingers around the still full pint, slumped behind it as if to hide from Lucoa.

"I know how he feels about me. He tells me 'bout it almost everyday. Hell, I still remember the time he confessed to me." This revelation sent both dragons into shock for different reasons.

"He actually confessed to you!?" Tohru was the first to voice her displeasure.

"And you still aren't together!?" Lucoa continued, her thoughts not quite lining up with Tohru's.

Kobayashi flinched at the sudden outburst, compelling both dragons to calm down. Taking down her second beer in smaller sips, she continued her story. "Yeah, we didn't end up together. But y'gotta take my side here. Imagine this. Boss tells you to take care of a newbie. Said newbie is like, super hot, super nice, super helpful, and even a fellow nerd. This man's like prince charming or something. Women were all over him after just a few days. All of 'em much prettier than me. And after a few months, he's been tellin' he has a crush on me, confessin', the whole shebang. Lemme repeat this."

She straightens up, staring down directly at Lucoa. "This guy..." Kobayashi points behind her, where Hutch was teaching Kanna how to play after beating Fafnir senseless. "...wants someone like me as a girl. Haven't held hands with a dude since my dad, never tried to take care of myself, smells like sweat and booze more often than anythin' else, and so unattractive that strangers call me sir. Even for wish fulfillment that's just stupid." Kobayashi flops on the table, making a loud thud as she goes. "Now I made myself sad."

Lucoa didn't react to that confession, keeping her usual composure. Tohru on the other hand was fuming, her face was burning red, and she was chewing on her headpiece. Soon enough, she couldn't hold her feelings in and started lashing out on Kobayashi.

"I know you're my master and all, but I can't let that slide! Miss Kobayashi, you underestimate your own appeal!" Her hands were firmly locked on Kobayashi's, and her eyes were almost sending flames down her direction. "You're the only person who never bore any ill will towards me! You saw me on the door of death, and not only you saved me, you even shared a moment of camaraderie with someone you didn't even know!"

"Well, that was the booze more than me." Kobayashi rebutted.

"It wasn't! I know full well that you would have done the same if you were sober! Because you have a good heart! Also, how does it matter if nobody sees you as a woman!? That just means humanity is full of idiots! I think you are a beautiful woman, Miss Kobayashi, and that's all that matters."

Kobayashi was flushed red, not only because of the alcohol, not only because of how close Tohru managed to get during her passionate rant, but also because of her words that were hitting their target. After a moment, where Tohru's heavy breathing and her heart pounding were the only thing in Kobayashi's ears, she managed to answer.

"Y'know Tohru? I always thought that out of all the girls I know, you were the most attractive. So, if someone like you says I'm good lookin', maybe there's some truth to it. To hell with that! I ain't gettin' nowhere if I start doubtin' myself. Yer drinkin' that?" Kobayashi pointed at Tohru's drink, to which Tohru nodded her head very quickly. Instead, she grabbed the other pint and stumbled towards the boys.

"Move over, loli! It's time for the main heroine to take her spot!" She shouted at Kanna, who was left out of her focus, and subsequently lost to Fafnir, who was taking great joy in tormenting the small child.

"Master, master, what do I do? Kobayashi's all scary." Kanna tugged on the large man's shirt, slightly teary eyed.

Hutch takes one small look at Kobayashi. "I think it's better if you just listen to her. She'll never leave you if you don't." With a yawn, the small dragon complies, rolling away from the large man into a sleeping position.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing brat!? I still have to beat up on you some more before I crush Siegfried." Fafnir was visibly irritated, even more so when everyone just ignored him. "Human! Take the controller, immediately!" Fafnir glared at Takiya.

"Yes dadd- sir! Yes sir!" Needless to say, Takiya was a fair bit inebriated as he latched on to the controller.

In the meantime, Kobayashi had pretty much jumped on Hutch's lap, the pint miraculously not spilling all over as she kept on drinking the night away, a dazed smile on her face as she inched ever so close to the knight, who was trying his hardest to not be the target of her drunken antics

"Saaaaaay, big guy." Her signature glare bore holes into the knight's eyes, and eventually he was forced to cave in, acknowledging her with a nod. "Why you not drinking?" Kobayashi poked the large man's forehead as she questioned him with whatever cognition she had left.

Hutch slowly played with Kobayashi's hair, a gesture that seemed to be appreciated, judging by how Kobayashi's hands were guiding Hutch's gesture towards her cheeks. "Maybe I'll drink later, for now I still ha-" The moment the large man's mouth was at its most open was when Kobayashi struck, emptying the now half full pint into his mouth. "Takiya! Tactical support required!"

All it took was a glance for the guest to understand the situation, and with his scrawny arms, and surprising strength, he tried his best to keep his colleague's mouth open wide as the liquor pours down on him, mostly missing the mark but still flowing hard enough for a few gulps to seep in while he tries not to drown. Once the pint was well and truly empty, the two drunketeers reveled in their victory despite not getting the large man to drink all that much.

This whole commotion was happening under the watchful eyes of the remaining two dragons, with Lucoa being the most interested of the two. "Say Tohru." The dragon maid turned her head to face the busty goddess. "Why are you not joining them? I thought you would dislike all the attention Siegfried is recieving."

Tohru sighed, deciding that she would entertain her long time friend. "I do dislike it. I want to be the one playing like that, having some dumb fun with Miss Kobayahi. But I know I can't bring a smile out of her the way this man does." After this statement, her eyes blaze with the fire of determination. "Bue I know that one day, I will be the one laughing with Miss Kobayashi as he watches with a dejected air, and that day will be my ultimate revenge." She smirks, looking at Kobayashi licking the booze on the large man's chin with an unreadable gaze.

'Maybe you're also falling for his charms. Although in a different way.' Was something Lucoa wanted to say, but she knew Tohru would get mad at the implications.

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Merry Christmas to everyone who makes money out of it. For the rest of you brokies, you have to wait for a week.

As for me, I'm releasing it now because I kinda want to do some other things than reread it over and over again.

As a present, take these almost 3.5k words, and leave me alone. I'm tired of seeing your stupid face