(A/N. This gets kinda deep and I didn't mean for it to. Anyways, Illusion is 13, Juniper is 7, and Gray is 6 in this uwu)

Illusion was suddenly jolted awake. He looked up to see his younger siblings shaking him vigorously.

"Illusion!" Gray chirped, "Get up!"

"It's Christmas!" Juniper squeaked, "Get up!"

Illusion groaned and turned his back to his siblings. He pulled his covers over his head.

"Big brother!" Gray complained, "Get up!"

"No..." Illusion grumbled, trying to go back to sleep.

Illusion heard his mother from down the hall, "GET YOUR ASS OUTTA BED!"

Illusion sat up and scratched his head. Gray and Juniper cheered and clapped, rushing from their brother's room. Illusion looked to the Musharna sleeping at the foot of his bed.

"Have a nice meal?" Illusion asked her.

"Could you maybe have a different nightmare tonight?" Musharna asked sleepily, "Years and years of the same nightmare gets old..."

Illusion rolled his eyes and got out of bed, "I'll try..."

Illusion stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He walked from his room, Musharna not moving an inch. Illusion walked down the hallway into the living room to find his little siblings sitting on the floor, itching to open some of the beautifully wrapped gifts underneath their Christmas tree.

Illusion's father noticed him and smiled. He rushed over to his son and handed him the mug in his hands, "Merry Christmas, my son!"

Illusion blew on the hot liquid in the mug, "Merry Christmas, Father."

As his father turned to sit next to his wife on their couch, Illusion noticed the vast strings of colored lights in his hair. He chuckled slightly and rolled his eyes.

"When are you gonna stand up to Mom and tell her you don't like those lights in your hair?" Illusion asked.

Illusion's mother looked up at her husband, "You don't like it, N?"

N smiled nervously, "Of course I do, my Hilda!"

Hilda raised an eyebrow, but before she could say something, N spoke, "Alright my beautiful children! Time to open your gifts!"

After all the gifts were unwrapped, and Gray and Juniper were swimming in the sea of wrapping paper, Hilda urged her children to get ready.

"Brush your teeth and your hair!" Hilda said, searching for her youngest children in the sea of paper. She grabbed Gray and Juniper and gently pushed them towards the bathroom, "Go go go! Your daddy will clean up the living room!"

N raised an eyebrow, "I will?"

"Yes because I need to start breakfast."

"You will start breakfast?"

"Just clean the room, N."

Illusion chuckled.

Hilda glared at her oldest, "Put on deodorant, teenage angst."

N smiled and began cleaning up the living room. Hilda went into the kitchen, and Gray and Juniper rushed to the bathroom, leaving Illusion alone with his father.

The two were silent for awhile.

"Are you excited for breakfast?" N asked finally.

Illusion smiled, flipping through a dessert cookbook his mother got him, "Naturally."

N cleared his throat.

"Sorry..." Illusion sighed, "I know Mom's the only one allowed to call you that..."

N shoved the last pieces of wrapping paper into the large garbage bag in his hands. He tied off the bag and began to walk towards the front door. He was about to open the door to put the trash outside, but his son spoke.

"How come you hate your name so much?"

N sighed. He put the trash bag next to the door and walked over to where his son was sitting on the couch. He sat next to him and took a deep breath.

"My father..." N sighed, "Was a terrible man."

Illusion blinked. He...He'd never heard his father talk about his grandfather before. Illusion didn't even know he had a grandfather on his father's side.

"He was evil," N said, "He abused me so violently...But when I was a child he was my world. He was my father and he was good. After I met your mother, he showed his true colors. I only allow your mother to call me 'Natural' because she says it like it is something amazing. She does not remind me of him."

"But Aunt Anthea and Concordia call you that..." Illusion said softly.

N grimaced, "I cannot change their habits...I have tried..."

Illusion closed his book and traced the pictures on the cover, "But why keep your name, then? Why didn't you take Mom's name?"

N looked up at the ceiling, "It is still my name- Harmonia..."

"Harmonia Gropius." Illusion said.

N smirked and looked down at his son, "Gropius was my mother's name."

Illusion's eyes lit up, and he began to speak, but N cut him off, "She did not live past my infancy. I do not know anything about her."

Illusion closed his mouth.

"Harmonia is the name he gave me," N continued, "It is his but it is also mine. It is ours."

Illusion frowned. He never really understood his father. This was no exception. They were close when Illusion was young, but the older he got, the less and less he understood his father.

"I am aware that you are confused," N chuckled, "I apologize."

Illusion sighed, "I just...I feel like I don't know you. Either of you..."

N wanted to speak, but Illusion stood up.

"You should go check on Thing One and Thing Two," Illusion joked, "They've been in the bathroom awhile."

N blinked. He got up and rushed to the bathroom, finding Gray and Juniper brushing each other's teeth. Gray noticed his dad first.

"Hi Daddy!" Gray chirped, toothpaste dripping from his mouth.

Juniper turned and smiled, "Daddy!"

"What are you two doing?" N asked quietly.

Gray and Juniper stopped brushing each other's teeth, "We were testing each other's brushing methods!" Juniper explained.

"Why?"

"Gray thinks he's cooler than me."

"Is he?"

"No!"

"Okay."