Warnings: The Asian family. Some OOC. Some insinuations. Some fluff (or maybe not). Awkward writing overall.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Christmas.

A/N: Dedicated to SpeakingThroughWrittenWords. Sorry I'm so late!

Christmas was overrated.

Not that Switzerland had anything against Christmas itself, or its affiliation with religion, for that matter. The holiday itself was fine, and Switzerland had no qualms about celebrating quietly with Liechtenstein or swimming in crowds of people gathered in groups of cheerful tipsiness.

What bothered Switzerland was how much funds went into building the festive air and the generous tradition of gift-giving for every single year.

Presents were only the beginning.

At least gifts were never too much of a problem; Switzerland and Liechtenstein exchanged their yearly gifts without any pressure or need to outdo or excessively please the other. The presents were usually limited to practical or thoughtful gifts, nothing extravagant. After all, they'd spent enough years together to know that expensive gifts didn't fit their tastes.

Other than Liechtenstain, Switzerland rarely gave Christmas gifts to anyone. He had better things to spend money on.

(And he wasn't close enough to anybody else for gift exchanges anyways).

(The cards, on the other hand, were a pain to buy and a waste to send. He had too many acquaintances to keep count of and not enough ink in his pens. The ink and cards were by no means a hefty price, but every franc counted, damn it.)

Then came food, starting from the basic roast beef or boiled ham, scalloped potatoes and eggs, and all the way to walnut cake or gingerbread cookies. Christmas dinners were costly, regardless of whether the meals were served in plush restaurants or home-cooked. Switzerland never quite understood the point in having such lavish meals, weighing down the table and always ending up with too many leftovers to handle, when he could enjoy a simple dinner of bread and soup spiced with the satisfaction of saving whatever money he could.

Desserts were as much as a bottomless pitfall as were the suppers themselves. Cupcakes soft and warm, cookies bright and sugary. Jellies and candies and chocolates galore. Fondue and wine, rich and smooth like silk draped over bare skin.

Not to mention the cake. The huge, sweet, creamy dessert of financial ruin. Slathered with cream and embedded with fruit with chocolate shavings sprinkled all over.

After food were the decorations, because apparently Christmas was naught if there were no trees and lights and red entwined with green in every corner of the house. The ornaments and lights for the Christmas tree were recycled every year, but the tree itself was always freshly cut and hauled into the living room, proudly set up in secondhand attire passed down from generations of trees before it. The candles were always newly bought, which weighed heavily on Switzerland's economic consciousness, but the Christian part of him insisted on keeping the tradition.

At least, he figured, the Bible had been kept for well over a couple centuries.

All in all, Switzerland felt that the financial bomb that wrapped itself in shiny red-green ribbons and blew up every end of December needed to be avoided. The economy was not at its best. He needed to be wiser with his money.

This year's Christmas, Switzerland vowed, would be spent in the most economical fashion.

"So that is why," Switzerland said as he settled into his armchair, "I am warning you beforehand."

Hong Kong re-read the postcard (conveniently bought during a sale in a set of fifty postcards for a fifth of its original price) and looked back at Switzerland. Though the Asian's face did not change, the sense of amusement was still there.

"You are inviting me to an economical Christmas dinner," Hong Kong confirmed.

"I believe that was what my intentions were when I gave you the card," Switzerland said. "Unless you would prefer to spend Christmas with your family?"

"No," Hong Kong immediately responded, his tone and expression unchanging but his reaction time considerably faster. Switzerland raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

"I will make plans to attend," Hong Kong said, changing the subject, "although it will take time to decode your true intentions written on this invitation."

"I do not believe I have encoded anything there," Switzerland remarked dryly and snatched the card to check whatever Hong Kong was talking about. It took him a grand totally of thirty-nine seconds to discover what Hong Kong had perceived as a code. "Do you mean FIGUGEGL?"

Hong Kong blinked. "I did not intend what you have said, as I cannot intend to mean something without being aware of what it is."

Switzerland revised his wording into a statement. "You do not know what FIGUGEGL stands for."

"I do not," Hong Kong agreed.

"Fondu isch guet und git e gueti Lune. It can be translated into 'fondue is good and gives a good mood.' Heidi and I have fondue ready for every Christmas, and it will be one of the few traditions I will keep in spite of an economic holiday."

The fondue would stay, but most of the desserts would have to go. A small cake should be all. Dinner would be simplified as well, not too extremely, but with less food. Leftovers were not economical at all.

"Fondue," Hong Kong repeated, and Switzerland knew that he had just supplied the other nation with something he had been better off not knowing.

"Do not get any strange ideas," Switzerland warned.

"Then perhaps I will get some familiar ideas instead," Hong Kong said.

Switzerland suppressed a sigh. "Just…do not get any ideas at all."

When Switzerland opened his door to not only Hong Kong, but four more Asians in the afternoon of Christmas, he had a sinking feeling that this Christmas would not be quite as economic as he had hoped it would be.

"I do not remember planning for so many guests," Switzerland said to the small group of nations in the living room.

Hong Kong looked up at him with an expressionlessly imploring face, and then looked at his family members with what could only be seen as a baleful expression, without changing his face at all.

China held up a crinkled, torn scrap of paper and thrust it at Switzerland.

Upon closer observation, he saw that it was the postcard he had given Hong Kong last week.

"This was in my house aru! It has an invitation on it, but there is no name for the recipient aru. So we assumed it was meant for all of us and came, aru." China flipped his tied hair over his shoulder and gestured at the top of the card, which had been conspicuously ripped off so that Hong Kong's name was missing from the invitation.

Realizing that Switzerland was not quite on the verge of buying this excuse, Japan stood and graciously shoved a paper bag he had been holding into the blonde's hands. The Japanese man smiled, teeth glinting white under the fluorescent lighting.

"We are so very sorry to barge in on you on a holiday of generosity, regardless of this trivial matter about missing the invitation recipient's name. This is a gift for you and your hospitality."

"And we brought extra food to share, just in case!" South Korea hollered.

Switzerland carefully considered his options. Japan had worded his words smartly. If he kicked them out now, he would be the inhospitable, narrow-minded host who had no Christmas spirit at all. On the other hand, he didn't really give a franc about what these nations, and the rest of the world for that matter, thought about him. The hermit of Europe was not obligated to be nice.

And then Taiwan had to go on and say, "Heidi said she would be so happy to have us over, after all."

Hong Kong actually made a small sound in the back of his throat, like a dying animal being kicked one last time. Switzerland agreed.

"Very well," Switzerland said. He fought off the headache threatening to emerge. "Heidi is in the kitchen. She should see how much food you brought."

Taiwan and South Korea took the food. Switzerland let out a deep breath.

"I am in middle of decorating," he said as he indicated the lights strung halfway around the ceiling. He turned an eye to Hong Kong. "If you would like to help—"

"May I?" Japan rose and volunteered.

Hong Kong looked like he was going to protest, but China quickly sat next to his charge and squeezed his shoulders in a vice-like grip. "Aiyah, Xiang! There are a few issues I would like to discuss with you aru. Right now. Immediately. Aru."

Hong Kong looked at Switzerland helplessly (without changing his expression. Again). Switzerland, who had been about to tell Japan that Hong Kong was taller and perhaps a better candidate, decided China's wrath was not worth it. He turned and showed Japan where to tack up the lights.

But honestly.

What the hell was going on?

Switzerland was presented with an explanation during his walk to the only open market on Christmas, a good twenty minutes away from his house.

They had run out of a few choice ingredients, and Switzerland had taken on the host's duty of going to buy whatever they lacked to complete their increasingly lavish dinner. Heidi had ended up using much more meat than they had expected, and now the pantry was practically empty. Making dinner for seven instead of three was a big difference.

He needed to buy much more food, and his economic Christmas was pretty much gone. Japan, as expected, was not physically the best candidate for decorating walls and ceilings above his reach. The Japanese nation had ended up apologizing and fretting over the two vases, three picture frames, and one jug that he had somehow broken during a span of five minutes. After that, Switzerland had finished the decorating by himself, since China did not seem to intend to release Hong Kong for any time soon.

At least Switzerland would not carry all the food back alone.

"We should have brought more food over da ze," South Korea commented casually as they stepped through the snow, white foot prints deeply marked and left behind.

"You should have," Switzerland agreed, because he could not help but be blunt about it. He had never been charitable with words, after all, and he did not see any need to hold back from sharing his honest opinion.

"Sorry about that," South Korea apologized surprisingly easily. "Taiwan found the invitation just yesterday, and we didn't have much time da ze."

"You could have not come."

South Korea slipped a little, skidding on the icy surface of the path concealed by white. Switzerland instinctively reached out to steady him, and then found himself gripping the other's arm a little to look at him in the eyes.

"Why did you come?" Switzerland asked.

It was a lot like aiming a gun at someone's forehead and demanding information, except what Switzerland was gripping was not a gun but an arm. The thought reminded Switzerland to let go. He did.

They walked some more in silence, until South Korea scratched his head and tugged his muffler to secure it around his neck.

"We don't want to lose him to you." The words dropped from his lips to the ground.

For one moment, Switzerland reminded himself he must be economical. Economical did not equate with throwing spare change at someone else's face. He did not have anything solid to throw, other than his cell phone and wallet. All he could throw were words.

"None of you cared." Switzerland didn't bother to elaborate. He took care not to slip as he crossed an empty street.

"Which is why we're clingy all of the sudden da ze," South Korea said.

Switzerland felt the snow crunch under his boots. He saw his breath float away from him. He thought about Hong Kong. Xiang Gang. The island of China. The port. The colony.

"Maddox," Switzerland finally breathed, "will be fine."

They stood in front of the building and looked at each other.

"…If he ever isn't," South Korea said, turning his head to look away. "I'm going to make you buy me dinner every conference."

Switzerland thought about that.

"Fair enough."

By the time Switzerland and South Korea returned, dinner was nearly ready and Hong Kong looked like he needed his firecrackers to create a diversion. Unfortunately, Hong Kong had been banned from bringing firecrackers into Switzerland's house long ago.

Fortunately enough, South Korea was the best kind of diversion when it came to distracting China.

"Hyung-nim, didn't you miss me while I was gone?" The Korean latched onto his elder and started to begin something what Switzerland highly suspected was sexual harassment.

"Yong Soo, get off me aru!" China screeched, losing his grip on Hong Kong and toppling sideways. Japan politely scooted a little farther away from them on the sofa, seemingly resolved not to move around much more so that he wouldn't break anything else until dinner.

"Laoshi," Hong Kong said in a monotonous voice that clearly was at its patience's end, "you are hindering the process of a pleasant Christmas supper."

China snorted between bites as he sat in his seat between Hong Kong and Switzerland. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, aru. We're eating, together as a family, and that's what a Christmas dinner is about aru."

Hong Kong did not grit his teeth, because that's how Hong Kong was. Instead, he calmly pointed out, "You do not celebrate Christmas. You do not practice Christianity. Yong Soo is the only one of us who does. It would be presumptuous to assume that there is only a single component to a Christmas dinner."

As far as Switzerland knew, that was the closest Hong Kong had ever gotten to being angry. China must have sensed it as well because the smaller nation's whole body had tensed at that. Liechtenstein and Taiwan continued their conversation, unaware of the tension coiling around the table as the silence on their part grew heavier, until Switzerland leaned over to dump another serving of ham onto China's nearly empty plate, because the petite nation ate like a ravenous boar, and said: "Christmas dinner is about sharing. If any of you leave leftovers, you will be banned from my house."

Then he promptly resumed eating his potatoes.

For a moment, it was quiet.

South Korea chuckled. "Sharing, huh?" He nodded and elbowed Japan in the ribs. "If you don't start eating soon, I'm going to finish faster and make you in charge of the leftovers."

This made Japan glare a bit at his Korean sibling before he quickly started to eat. Soon after, Hong Kong and China simultaneously resumed eating. When Hong Kong emptied his plate, China plunked a second serving of food down in front of the other nation.

"I think," China muttered, "I can share."

At this rate, Switzerland observed, there would be no leftovers. And no more clingy, possessive siblings separating him from Hong Kong.

Good.

Just when he thought things were getting better, it had to take a turn for the worse.

They had finished dinner and started on the fondue, gathered in a circle in the living room as they took turns dipping bread into finely melted cheese tempered with white wine. Switzerland was safely seated between Liechtenstein and Hong Kong, but there was something off about how Hong Kong's left arm curled a bit around Switzerland.

Japan was thoughtfully munching on his cheese-coated bread when Hong Kong, oh-so innocently dropped his bread into the pot full of cheese.

The entire room went silent.

"Oh dear," Taiwan said and covered a giggle behind a long sleeve.

And then it hit Switzerland.

They knew.

Hong Kong's arm around his waist tightened and Switzerland confirmed his suspicion. He turned and tried to shove the Cantonese nation away as he scowled at the other nations watching expectantly.

"You did it on purpose," Switzerland accused as he elbowed Hong Kong away.

"I am not sure of what you think I have done on purpose, Vash," Hong Kong said evenly, "and you are not cooperating with me to sit on this bench together."

"You dropped your bread on purpose, because if you drop your bread into the pot you have to kiss the person on your left!"

Hong Kong was going to bruise his hip if he didn't stop. On second thought, Hong Kong was going to be shot point blank if he didn't stop.

"Christmas is about sharing," Hong Kong deadpanned, and Switzerland could tell dreadfully well that he was being teased. "You should be more generous."

Damn it all, he should have known that Hong Kong would look up Christmas traditions associated with the fondue. He should have known that the other nation would definitely take advantage of it.

Switzerland was soon defeated in the battle of wills and his moment of embarrassment—a quick peck on the cheek—was eternalized by the click of a shutter from Japan's trusty camera.

Well, it couldn't get any worse from there, Switzerland figured.

Six dropped pieces of bread in the pot later, Switzerland realized he was wrong. He also realized that he needed to find a way to smash Japan's camera.

"Your family is never allowed in my house on Christmas, ever again." Switzerland sighed as he finally wiped the last glob of cheese from the wall. He dropped the rag into the kitchen sink and walked back out, looking over the living room to check for anything else to clean up.

China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan had left around an hour before midnight. They had assisted in some of the cleanup, but Switzerland had made them leave so that he could do the host's duty. Hong Kong lounged about on the sofa, watching the clock tick and tock until it was quarter before midnight. Liechtenstein was fast asleep, presumably thanks to the wine, in her own room. The lights were off, with only the candles on the tree and a floor lamp beside the sofa giving a sense of bright warmth.

"You are never allowed to send me a paper invitation ever again," Hong Kong said as he sat up and moved a little to allow Switzerland some space to sit and lean back.

"Never again," Switzerland agreed. He felt Hong Kong's hand run through his hair and caught it.

The smell of cheese was still in the air. It was on the sofa as well, come to think about it. And on the rug, but that had been a lost cause before dinner anyways. Then there were the broken artifacts courtesy of Japan. The extra food. Stains on the walls. Laughter in the house.

A family with more people than there used to be.

"It was not a very economic Christmas," Switzerland decided.

"Saving money is overrated on Christmas," Hong Kong thought out loud. "It hinders the process of sharing."

Switzerland brought Hong Kong's knuckles to his mouth and brushed his lips against them. He thought about it. Then he decided that it was fair enough. It wouldn't be too much of a waste to spend a little for Christmas.

"Speaking of sharing," Switzerland said as he straightened up, "I have your gift."

Hong Kong blinked. Once. Twice. "It was not the fondue."

"It was not."

"Oh." A beat. "What will you give me?"

"Not give." Switzerland pulled the gift out from where he'd stowed it in a pocket, because he'd thought that wrapping the present was overpriced anyways, and dropped it onto an outstretched hand. "Share."

It was a ring.

Well, not the kind of ring that one could wear on a finger.

"Share," Hong Kong repeated quietly. He looked at Switzerland, sitting on the sofa with his feet under him, maybe nervous and maybe proud and so definitely willing. Hong Kong licked his lips. "Does Heidi know?"

Switzerland nodded.

The key ring and the key attached to it flashed silver under the lamp light.

"I," and Hong Kong paused, eyes flickering from key to Switzerland, before he finally rushed his last words, "I do not have anything for you."

It took a few moments, but Switzerland understood. "I don't quite need you to give me anything."

When Hong Kong grasped the key with two hands and lowered his head to think, Switzerland wondered if this was what Hong Kong was like when he wanted to express his gratitude, but did not know how to do so. It was new to see Hong Kong without a comeback.

"I suppose," Hong Kong said when he raised his head again, "this means that there is not much point in breaking into your house through the chimney anymore."

"Please do not," Switzerland groaned. "There is no point in breaking into your own home."

The key dropped onto the coffee table, metal clinking against glass. There was the faintest upturn to Kong Kong's lips; a smile so ecstatic that Switzerland had to fight hard to keep a smile from his own face. He lost that fight.

"It will not be enough, but—"

Hong Kong turned a little and placed a hand on the sofa seat, next to Switzerland's knee. He leaned in, slowly and smoothly, until he was using both hands to support himself as he sat on his knees to hover over Switzerland's seated form. Switzerland watched every movement. He watched the stillness. He waited.

"—I may be able to give you an economical present," Hong Kong finally offered.

"If it is freely volunteered labor, I am sure I can find you a chore to do," Switzerland said.

Hong Kong cocked his head a little. "If the chore involves giving you pleasure, maybe you have already guessed what present I have in mind."

If Hong Kong were anyone else, Switzerland would have gotten the wrong (or right, depending on how one saw the issue) idea. Unfortunately, spending too much time with the other nation had honed Switzerland's instincts to not simply accept whatever Hong Kong freely gave. At least, not until he had double-checked for any possible traps there could be.

"What exactly does that present entail?" Switzerland questioned.

"Your bed, the leftover cheese fondue, wine, you, and me."

"No."

Hong Kong made a humming sound as he kissed Switzerland, tasting cheese and ham and chocolate as they sank downwards, ending up with Switzerland on his back on the sofa and Hong Kong on top of him.

When they pulled apart, Hong Kong licked Switzerland's lips and smiled.

"No?"

After a moment's consideration, Switzerland scowled and pulled Hong Kong back down.

"The sofa. It's ruined already."

/I know, it's way past Christmas. It's New Year's Day. I'm hopeless. But hey, I finished it (I guess).

SpeakingThroughWrittenWords, who is awesome and must be checked out if you like SwissHK or even if you don't like SwissHK, requested a fic involving the FIGUGEGL tradition and some fun with Vash and Maddox. Unfortunately, I utterly fail at writing these two, so their dialogue is not even half as funny as what STWW can write.

Meh, I have so many works that I haven't updated for too long. I'm planning on revving up properly and updating. Hopefully.

About that key ring: it can be seen as a marriage proposal if you want. It's just a matter of perspective, and I figure that marriage is as less of an important concept to nations than it is to humans. Either way, WE NEED MORE SWISSHK OUT THERE.

Well, sort of late for Merry Christmas (ironically). Happy New Year!