Nutcracker Season - Part One

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#13 of Fire Down Below

Christmas Time is finally here, and you know what that means... Nutcrackers everywhere! Apparently, the word "nutcracker" has put some painful ideas in my characters' heads...

Our favorite lion siblings strike again! Well, Sally strikes again, anyway... And the Mighty huntress's latest festive prank proves to be a viral hit, as gray fox sister decides to try it out on her own brother, too. And then, Sally decides to ring a pair of bells for the holiday season, when her brother acts like a real grinch...

Story features ballbusting played for laughs among siblings, playful femdom, and a brief bit of nudity/CFNM.


***

1.

***

"Hi everyone! It's Sally here, your favorite Mighty Huntress." The lioness spoke into her phone, her voice hushed. "I'm about to play a prank on my older brother Max."

Sally turned the phone towards the half-decorated Christmas tree adorning the living room. Near it stood a slender, geeky lion in a gray hoodie, and old jeans. Thick glasses perched upon his leonine muzzle. A reddish, patchwork mane surrounded his neck. He nudged one of two boxes wrapped in golden paper with his foot, seemingly his ignoring his sister.

"That's Max right there," Sally said, pointing to him on camera. "And while he opens his present, I'm gonna teach him the Nutcracker Prank." She turned the phone back to herself. "And I'm gonna kick him right in the-"

"Who are you talking too?" Max finally tore his attention away from the present long enough to give his sister a confused look.

"No one, Max," Sally said. "I'm just making a video about my new pajamas."

"That's so boring." Max knelt down, slowly picking at the taped up golden wrapping paper adorning a box with his name. "Literally no one is going to watch that."

"Grandma will!" Sally stepped closer. "So, I'm gonna film you opening yours too, okay?"

The lion siblings each recently received two early presents from their grandmother, intended to be opened well before Christmas. Sally had already opened hers, and dressed in the festive pajamas she found inside. Max, meanwhile, had been too busy playing video games with his friends to bother opening his until now.

Max glanced up at her, flicking his ears. "Wait, you're filming this for grandma?"

Sally shrugged. "Well, for my followers, but also for Grandma."

"Oh..." The older lion shook the first box. "Well, judging by the weight, I also got pajamas, so..." He chuckled to himself. "I'll try not to act disappointed." Then he swished his tufted tail, his ears back. "Wait, edit that part out."

"Sure, Maxwell, I'll get right on that." Sally made a show of filming herself, instead. "These are my new pajamas, everyone! They came from my grandma." She held out a red-sleeved arm, showing off the paired candy canes decorating it. "I love this sweatshirt!" Then she lowered the phone to show her legs, where an entire army of red and white nutcrackers marched across the soft black fleece. Her golden-furred feet peeked out from under them. "But I love these pants even better!"

"Gee," Max said, his voice flat. "I can't imagine why."

Sally offered her brother her most innocence-filled smile. "I've no idea what you're implying, Maxwell. Would you like to explain to grandma what you mean?"

The older lion awkwardly cleared his throat. "Because you love Christmas. So, uh, good choice, grandma."

"That's what I thought." Sally stuck her tongue out at him, then walked to a nearby table. "Lemme just get my phone set up before you finish opening your present." She crouched down and propped her phone up against a half-full can of soda, then whispered to it. "Okay, I'm about to kick my big brother right where it hurts boys the most! This is..." The young lioness paused for dramatic effect. "The Nutcracker Prank."

Sally straightened up, padding towards her brother. Max was once more focused on his presents. For some reason, he was fixated on opening his packages without ripping the paper. Exactly why he was so fastidious with wrapping paper, Sally didn't know. He wasn't especially tidy in any other way, but he'd always opened his presents slowly, and carefully. At least it meant he was too distracted to pay her much attention.

"Hey, Max?" Sally came to a stop just in front of her brother. "Guess what my favorite holiday ballet is!"

"Huh?" The older lion didn't even look up. "Knowing you? Probably something by Tchaikovsky."

Sally blinked, her tail swishing. That wasn't the answer she was expecting. "What? Who the hell is that?"

Max glanced up, his ears splayed. "You know, Tchaikovsky? He's a very well-known composer? I thought you were making a joke about his most famous work."

"No, Dummy." Sally huffed. "Damn it Max, you're stepping on my punchline!"

"Huh?" Confusion washed across the lion's face. "What punchline?"

"My favorite holiday ballet, Max!" Sally quickly stepped forward and kicked hard, snapping her foot right up between her older brother's legs. With Max on his knees, it was an especially easy shot at the dorky lion's balls. The top of Sally's golden furred foot slammed home into the center of Max's crotch, causing a single lion testicle to bulge out against his jeans for a moment. "The Nutcracker!"

"Awwwwwwwh!" Max yowled in shocked agony, both hands flying to his crotch. His blue eyes bugged out behind his glasses, his muzzle gaping wide. Then he gave a low, lingering groan, eyes rolling back as he slowly toppled over onto his side. "Oooooooooh! My balls! Oh, God, my balls!"

Sally burst into giggles as Max curled up into a groaning heap of that special leonine boy pain she just couldn't get enough of lately. "Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air, bouncing on her toes. "Got you again, Max!"

"Ooooooooh!" Max trembled, rocking back and forth, his whole muzzle scrunched, face contorting behind his glasses. Both ears twisted back at different angles. "Awwwh, God! You nailed my left one_so_ bad!"

That only had Sally laughing her golden-furred lioness butt off. "Oh my god, did you hear that, guys?" She turned towards the camera. "Right in his left nut!" She stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Seems like that one's always in the way lately, huh Maxwell?"

Max squirmed in place, his fangs bared in anguished grimace. "Oh, my god Sally...Is this why you're filming me?"

"Sure is, Max!" She pivoted towards him, dramatically pointing. "The Mighty Huntress strikes again! That's the Nutcracker Prank!"

"Yeah, well..." Pain strained Max's voice, lifting it higher as he rolled from side to side. "Joke's on you!_Because Tchaikovsky _wrote the Nutcracker! So I was right!" He curled a moment, groaned, and then rolled to his other side again. "You didn't even know who he was! Looks like you're the dummy, Dummy!"

Sally glared at her brother. "That's it. You're getting kicked again in the nards, again!"

Max curled up tighter, trying to protect his feline privates. "Kicking me again won't make you smarter!"

"Shut up, Max!" Sally bent over, grabbing for his hands to try and pry them away. "I'm gonna give you _such_a Tchaikovsky!"

"That's...not how it works!" Max struggled to fight her off, curling tighter, trying to roll away from her grasp. "Cut it out, Sally! Go make more dumb pajama videos!"

"I'm gonna make another video, alright!" Sally managed to wrap her fingers around his. "Another ball kicking video!"

For a few moments, the siblings wrestled over control of Max's hands, and the fate of his testicles. Though the older lion had a height advantage, Sally knew all it ever took was a good kick in the balls to sap most of his strength. Soon enough, Sally pried his hands away from their protective position. She clenched Max's hands in hers, and swiftly shot her foot for his crotch again. But Max's squirming made aiming difficult, and her toes only caught his thigh.

"Ow!" Max wriggled on the ground, trying to keep his privates out of range. "Knock it off, Sally!" Between the way his balls were already aching, and the fear of that ache growing worse, the dorky's lion's voice had lifted nearly a whole octave. "Stop kicking me! You already got my balls!"

"And now I'm gonna get them again!" Sally kept a tight grip on Max's hands, sending another kick towards the older lion's genitals. This time, she got his other thigh. "Hold still! You may as well just let me do it, cause I'm not gonna stop till my foot finds your nuts again!"

Max did anything but let her. The older lion twisted and squirmed, rolled to his side and back again. All the while he tried to yank his hands away from Sally, but her grip remained persistent. Sally kicked at the wiggling lion's crotch a few more times, until finally her foot struck something soft, and sensitive. Yet whatever it was, it felt like the wrong shape, more cylindrical than oval-shaped.

"Owwww!" Max yowled, though it wasn't quite the right kind of yowl. "My sheath! You kicked me in the sheath that time!"

Sally only giggled, a sound that soon shifted into a playful snarl. "Ooh, I've been wanting to try that! But what I really wanted to get is a little..." The younger lioness sized up her aim, taking her time now. "Further..." When Max's squirming shifted him in just the right direction, she lashed out again. "Down!" This time Sally slammed her bare, golden-furred foot dead-center between her brother's legs. This time, she clearly felt the sharp impact of her toes against both feline testicles. They bulged, trapped against his jeans. "Bullseye!"

"AWWWWWWHH!" Max curled in an instant, tears springing from his suddenly-crossed eyes. The intensity of his reaction was finally enough to jerk his hands free from Sally's, and the older lion curled up into a ball. His muzzle ended up pressed against the floor, his glasses akimbo. Tears wet Max's fur as the dorky lion screamed into the carpet, clutching himself. "Aaaaaaaahhh!"

Sally pivoted towards the camera. "Got him again! And that's why you don't mess with your little sister." She lifted her foot, stepping on her older brother in victorious pose, with her hands on her hips. "Cause we'll kick your balls! That's why we rule the house!"

Max didn't even try to dislodge her. He just under her foot, curled and sobbing, yowling against the floor. "Aaaaaah! My balls! Damn it, Sally! My balls, my baaaaalls! Aaaah!"

Sally only smirked down at him. "I know, I know. Your balls! I got them again, didn't I." She lifted her foot, only to kick at the older lion's protectively cradling hands. "Better get used to it, Max. Cause it's Christmas time, and you know what that means, right Tchaikovsky?" She leaned down to smile into the older lion's tear-streaked face. "It's Nutcracker Season."

***

2.

***

"Jeremy!" Rebecca stood in the kitchen doorway, glaring at her little brother. "Is that my last soda?"

"Ummm..." The younger gray fox stared down at the green can clutched in his hand. He pinned his rusty-red furred ears back. "No?" Quickly, as if he thought Rebecca wouldn't notice, Jeremy peeled off the bright yellow post-it note affixed to the can. He scrunched it up and shoved it into the pocket of his tan-colored shorts. "Definitely not."

"Then why did that note have my name on it?" Rebecca growled, lashing her bushy gray tail.

The younger fox shrugged. "No idea what you're talking about." He slowly turned the can around in his hands. "I don't see your name anywhere."

"Hilarious, you little shit!" Rebecca growled and rubbed her muzzle, her ears splayed. "Why are you such a brat, lately?"

"Me?" Jeremy stared up at her. "I'm not a brat! Samantha's the brat." He gestured with the nearly empty can of soda. "I bet she's the one who drank your mountain dew. You should go yell at her."

Rebecca was the oldest of three siblings, while Jeremy was the youngest, with their sister Samantha the middle child. As the eldest sibling, Rebecca was also the tallest of the three gray foxes. Jeremy, meanwhile, was the shortest of the household. Beyond that, the three of them bore similar appearances. Each fox had silken gray fur across most of their bodies, with rust-hued highlights across their ears, their limbs, and around their necks. Cream fur marked their throats, and black smudges lined their short muzzles. Jeremy had more even more gray fur than his sisters, while Rebecca had more pronounced black marks across her muzzle.

"Samantha's not home!" Rebecca bared her fangs. "And you're literally drinking it right now!"

"Yeah, well, I needed a sugar rush before I go hang out with Michael." Jeremy swished his tail, idly scratching at the worn-out rock band logo on his t-shirt. "Good thing I found this totally unclaimed soda in the fridge." The younger fox flashed her a smug grin, his ears perked. "Anyway, whoever's it was?" He tilted his head back, draining the rest of the can into his muzzle. "It's gone now."

Rebecca fumed as Jeremy tossed the empty can into the trash. Now the little brat was just rubbing it in her face, she thought. That was it. Time for some payback. And Rebecca knew just what kind of sisterly revenge younger brothers dreaded more than any other. A good, swift kick aimed for the place that would make him regret being a boy - his family jewels. It made for a perfect time to try out the festive joke she'd seen going around online lately.

"Hey, Jeremy." Rebecca stepped closer. "Guess what my favorite piece of classical Christmas music is."

"Huh?" The smaller fox slowly turned back around, confusion etched across his splayed ears. "Who cares? That crap's dumb, anyway."

The vixen only smiled at him. "You're about to care, because it's the Nutcracker Suite!"

Rebecca swiftly kicked her little brother right in the nuts. The vixen's bare foot snapped up sharply between the little fox's legs, making direct impact against both young vulpine testicles. To Rebecca, they were like two rubbery grapes bouncing off her toes. For a split second, their vague oval shapes bulged out against his shorts, trapped against the top of Rebecca's foot.

"Awwwwwhh!" Jeremy doubled over in an instant, bug-eyed and grabbing his crotch in both hands. With his muzzle gaping wide, he hung there a moment, eyes slowly crossing. Then he dropped to his knees with a low groan. "Oooooh!" His whole face scrunched up, ears as flat as could be, muzzle twisting up. "My nuts!"

Rebecca burst out laughing at the silly expression he made. "That's right, brat!" She swung her foot in the air, feigning another kick. "Right in the nuts! That's what you get."

Jeremy flopped over onto his side, still clutching himself in both hands. "Aaaaahh!" He curled halfway up, rubbing his legs together, writhing in place. "My nuts! My nuuuuts!"

Rebecca just kept laughing. For several minutes, she simply savored the sight of her revenge. Jeremy lay on his side, his eyes squeezed shut, muzzle contorted in pained grimace. He groaned, rolling around a few times, only to end up on his side again. He curled up into a ball, then uncurled again, whimpering and trembling. Rebecca watched and giggled all the while. It was fascinating to the vixen how easily one little kick was all it ever took to leave a guy helplessly curled up and rolling on the floor.

"Awwwwwww!" Jeremy curled up tightly again, his tail limp. His whole body shuddered. "Oooooh, my freakin' nuts!"

"Yeah, yeah, your stupid nuts." Rebecca reached into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her phone. "Hey, didn't you say you were going to visit your friend Michael? I better let him know why you're gonna be late."

"Don't...you dare!" Jeremy tried to growl at her, but only managed a whimper.

"Or what?" Rebecca opened her camera app. "You'll curse me out and keep squirming on the floor?" She quickly snapped a few photos of the stricken fox, clutching his nuggets. Then she typed up a text, speaking it out loud. "Hi Michael, it's Rebecca. Jeremy is busy helping me celebrate Nutcracker Season right now. But he'll be over as soon as his..." She slowed down, smirking at the pained fox. "Two...little... achy testicles feel better." Then she attached the photo, and sent it off to the scrawny lion Jeremy often hung out with. "Done!"

"Not...funny!" Jeremy rolled over onto his other side, lifting a hand away from his crotch to drape it across his face. "Ooooh, god. My nuts. My nuuuuts!"

"It will be, when your buddy sees you crying about your dumb nuts." Rebecca grinned down at him, nudging the little fox with her foot. "Besides, I know how often you smack that scrawny lion runt in the cat balls, and that's for no reason. So I don't wanna hear about it when Sammie and I get you in the family jewels, for being a little shit."

The younger fox sniffled, rolling from side to side. "That's different! Sack tapping Michael is funny! Kicking me isn't!"

"Agree to disagree." Rebecca giggled, then bounced on her toes when something else occurred to her. "Ooh, now I can post that photo to that Kickball Sisterhood group I just joined! I bet it's gonna be really popular with the other girls."

"Don't-"

"Yeah, yeah, don't I dare." Rebecca turned away, heading out of the kitchen. "Whatever. Enjoy your aching balls, brat." She paused at the doorway, glancing back. "Oh, and by the way. Samantha's still mad at you for getting her in trouble last week. So when I tell her you tried to frame her for drinking my soda? She's gonna wanna knock your little fuzzy nards around, too. But have fun at Michael's." She walked off, laughing to herself. "We've got all Christmas break help you celebrate Nutcracker season."

***

3.

***

Sally padded back and forth in the darkened living room, trying to decide where to place one of the last ornaments on her family's Christmas tree. It was the first night of winter break, and the house was empty save for Sally and her older brother Max. While everyone else was out Christmas shopping, the lion siblings had been charged with placing the last decorations upon the tree.

"Here, maybe?" Sally stretched up on her tip-toes, reaching for a higher bough. "Or maybe..." She crouched down, holding the crystalline snowflake against a lower branch. "Down here?"

"Just pick a location, Sally." Max perched on the arm of the sofa, glaring at her. "Literally anywhere is fine."

Sally glanced back at the older lion over her shoulder. "Don't be such a grinch, Maxwell. It has to be perfect."

"No one's ever gonna know where your damn snowflake is, anyway." Max flopped back onto the sofa, his legs draped across the arm. "There's approximately sixteen thousand ornaments on that tree already."

"I'll know, Maxwell." Sally paced around the tree again. "It has to look great! I promised to send grandma pictures of it, after she let us some of our presents early."

"Lucky us." Max idly kicked his feet, tail twitching. "Pajamas."

Sally held her snowflake up to another empty bough. "Why are you complaining? You're wearing them, after all."

"I didn't say they weren't comfortable." Max propped himself up on his elbows, looking himself over. The older lion was dressed in a dark green sweatshirt, with an enormous golden bell upon it. Fuzzy, black pajama pants adorned with pairs of gold and silver bells adorned his lower half. "And they're festive, or whatever. But they're not exactly video games."

"Well, I like them." Like Max, Sally's new pajamas were also a matching set. She wore a crimson, long-sleeve sweatshirt with crossed candy canes on the front. On the back was a large, gold and black uniformed nutcracker. Her pants, meanwhile, were adorned with an entire army of smaller, red and white nutcrackers, marching in unison. Sally stretched her arms over her head again, hanging her crystal star on a tall branch. "There! Perfect."

"Hooray." Max's voice was flat. He lifted his hands, and clapped a single time. "And there was much rejoicing."

Sally wandered back to the coffee table sitting near the couch. A scattered collection of ornaments, bows and tinsel adorned it. She scanned it, then soon selected a ceramic Santa, riding a reindeer. As she untangled its string, she glanced up at her brother. "Aren't you gonna hang any?"

Max grunted, running a hand through his patchy, reddish mane. "I've already hung like, a dozen."

Sally turned towards the tree. The ornaments Max had added were all hanging from some of the lowest boughs. "Your ornaments are dangling awfully low, Max."

"They sure are." Max smirked at her, then adjusted his glasses atop his golden-furred muzzle. "These Christmas pajamas are really warm."

The younger lioness tilted her head. "What does that have to do with it?" She flicked an ear back, then gasped when Max shifted himself through his pajamas, and it clicked. "Gross, Max!" She giggled, shaking her head. "That is not what I meant." She took a few steps towards the tree, then paused. "Wait, is that true?"

The older lion put his hands behind his head. "Is it true that these pajamas are warm? Yes."

Sally rolled her eyes. "I meant, the thing about boys. Do your nuts really hang lower when it's warm?" She affixed Santa to another branch, and turned back towards her brother.

"Yeah." Max flicked his tail, answering without looking at her.

The little lioness licked her nose, her ears splayed. "That's weird. Why do they do that?"

"Biology." Max idly kicked his feet again. "They have to stay cooler than the rest of us."

Sally's whole muzzle twisted up. "Boys are strange." She returned to the sofa, staring down at her brother. "Are your pants as soft as mine? Mine are really warm and cozy, too." Before her sibling could reply, Sally shook a finger at him. "And no gross jokes. I really wanna know."

Max grunted. "They look the same, so probably." He lifted his head, glancing at Sally, then at himself. "You can feel mine, if you want."

Sally reached out and grasped the bottom of the lion's pajama pants, just above one of his feet. Like her own pjs, the fabric was soft and fuzzy. She rubbed it between her fingers. "Yeah, these are just like mine. Except yours have bells, and mine have nutcrackers."

The older lion rolled his eyes. His tail flicked against Sally's leg. "How fitting for you."

"I know, right?" Sally flashed her brother a playful grin. "Grandma knows me so well." She returned her attention to the fabric, running her fingers against it. "I bet these are really expensive."

"Maybe." Max shrugged, crinkling his snout. "I mean, they're a nice gift, and all." He flicked her with his tail another time. "It's just boring. I wanted-"

"Video games, I know." Sally swatted his tail away. "You've said it like, a million times. You know, not every present has to be something you can play. You're a real Grinch, lately, Maxwell."

"Am not." Max thumped his tail tuft against her hip, harder than before.

Sally tried to grab his tail, only for Max to swish it out of range. "You are too! You didn't wanna watch Christmas movies the other day. You don't wanna put up ornaments tonight. You don't like your presents. Therefor." She jabbed an accusing finger towards him. "Grinch!"

"Now you're bringing up the Christmas movie?" Max lifted his head from his hands long enough to glare at her. "I told you, I wanted to go build a real snow fort with Adam, not watch a dumb movie about-"

"Grinch!" Sally stuck her tongue out at him. "You need to get into the festive season, Max!" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "At least you look festive, with all the bells everywhere."

Max dropped his head back onto his hands. "Lucky me. At least they don't ring."

The little lioness flattened her ears back, her tufted tail twitching. "You're a real Scrooge tonight."

The older lion smirked. "Thought I was a Grinch."

"You're both!"

Sally was getting fed up with Max's grumpy, non-festive mood. And as much as she enjoyed decorating the tree, she didn't want to get stuck doing all of it. It would take all night. As Max lounged on the sofa, idly kicking a single foot, Sally's eyes wandered over the cheery images decorating his pajamas. The young lioness couldn't help but notice that one of the many sets of paired golden bells happened to be emblazoned precariously close to Max's personal pair of bells. A devious idea quickly formed in Sally's head. As far as she was concerned, if Max was going to act like a Christmas pajama hating Grinch, she might as well ring _his_bells.

Max shifted again, rolling slightly to his side. For a moment, Sally thought her brother was onto her. But Max didn't cover up, she realized he was simply taking up an even lazier position. His legs parted further, one still draped over the arm of the sofa, and the other hanging off the couch cushion. If anything, he'd left himself even more open. While he stared at the ceiling, bored and drowsy, Sally sized up her targets. The twin golden bells on the crotch of Max's pajamas made for an inviting bullseye to aim for. Better still, the lion's lazy sprawl had ever so slightly pulled open the front of his pajamas, where a tiny button lay undone.

Sally sucked in a breath, her belly twisting in wicked excitement. She could almost see what lay hidden inside the lion's pj's. She stepped closer, tilting her head, trying to peek inside without Max noticing. Soon, she caught a glimpse of a single, golden-furred lion testicle resting just beyond the opening. From its position, Sally guessed it to be Max's left one, the same one she'd peeked at before, and playfully claimed ownership of. As far as Sally was concerned, Max's left nut was the trouble maker of the two, always in the way or trying to be seen. The other lion ball was faintly visible as a rounded outline in Max's pajamas, pressed against a fabric bell.

The little lioness balled up her fist out of sight, hoping to get them both with one blow. "Hey Max," Sally said. "You know what's even more festive than wearing bells?"

Max blinked, lifting his head to glance at his sister. "Huh? I dunno, probably something boring like-"

"Ringing bells!" Sally wasn't about to let him step on her holiday punchline, this time.

The young lioness pivoted, rocketing her fist right between her brother's legs. The gold-toned bells decorating the crotch of his pajamas made for a perfect pair of bullseyes. Sally's fist slammed directly into the geeky lion's unprotected testicles. They crunched a little against her knuckles, bouncing. Not only did the impact knock them up and away from her fist, but it pushed them both out into view through the opening in Max's pajamas. For a second, both sun-hued feline balls were on full display, propped out just outside Max's clothing, and inadvertently offering Sally her first view of two testicles at the same time. One fuzzy, golden nard looked a little larger than the other. Then they were gone just as quickly as Max's hands shot to his crotch, and he curled up, yowling.

"Awwwwwwhhh!" The lion's eyes went wide behind his glasses, crossing in an instant. Max's muzzle twisted up, his ears went flat, and he gave a sharp scream. "Aaaaaahhh! My balls!" He squirmed in place, tears already dampening his thick glasses. "Damn it, Sally! Not again!"

Sally cackled like the world's most adorable little demoness. "That's right, Max! The Mighty Huntress strikes when least expected!"

Max took a few shaking breaths, fighting back a sob. "Urrrhhh!" He rocked back and forth a few times, uncurling and then curling up again. "Awwww, god! You got them both that time!"

"I know!" Sally bounced on her toes, giggling even harder. "I saw them both, too!" She smirked down at him, hands on her hips. "Not as long as I got to see your left one, that one time. But still, I saw your balls!"

The older lion made a noise that was half-agonized groan, half-humiliated mewl. "Aww, come on, Sally. That's not funny! It's embarrassing!"

"Which is exactly what _makes_it so funny." She tilted her head, glancing at his hands. "Are they still out? Or have they gone back into hiding? If I pry your hands away, am I gonna see them again?"

Max mewled again, the inside of his ears flushing scarlet. He tried to roll away from Sally, only for the roiling, boys-only ache between his legs to send him squirming back in the other direction. This time, he wriggled a little too far and rolled right off the couch. The lion yelped as he hit the floor. "Ow!" Then his muzzle contorted as he curled up again, whimpering. "Awwrrr! That jarred them again!"

"Good!" Sally kicked her older brother in the butt. "It's what you get for being such a Scroogy Grinch." She bent towards him, feigning a pout. "Are your little golden bells just ringing, and ringing?"

"Sh-shut up, Sally," Max said, his voice little more than a pained, defeated whine. "Awwww, my balls. Oooh... You have to stop hitting me in the testicles so much!"

Sally straightened up, shaking her head. "No I don't! If anything, I should get you even more until after New Year's. Ringing boy's bells is the best way to celebrate Nutcracker Season."

Max squirmed back and forth, his tail curling in on itself, legs rubbing together. "That's...not a thing..."

"Sure it is!" Sally waited till her brother rolled onto his belly, then plopped her butt down against his back, earning a muffled grunt. "Now. Here's what's gonna happen." She patted his head, between his ears. "You're gonna lay here and cry into the carpet, wishing your silly little bells would stop ringing so loudly. And when they finally do..." Sally pointed towards the table, where all the remaining ornaments were. "We're going to finish decorating the tree. Together. Or I'm gonna kick you in the nuts again until you change your mind. Got it?"

Max's only reply was another mewling noise, followed by a quiet, trembling sob.

Sally leaned forward, grasping his ear to make sure she had his attention. "Well, Maxwell? Gonna do what I say, or should I give you another Tchaikovsky right now?"

"That's..." Max coughed a few times, sniffling. "Not how that word works."

"Tchaikovsky it is!" Sally pivoted around, towards Max's rump.

"No, no, no!" Max's voice rose to an even higher, panicked pitch. "Leave my poor nuts alone, please! I'll decorate the stupid tree with you!"

"Oh, you will?" Sally turned back towards his head. "Aww, how sweet of you!" She patted his mane, laughing. "See? I knew you'd be feeling festive eventually. This is gonna be a great night." Sally stood up, grinning. "Happy Nutcracker Season, Max!"

******

That's it for now! Stay tuned for Part Two! If you've enjoyed, please leave a FAVE and a COMMENT with your thoughts, and/or favorite moments! Also, feel free to suggest who should "celebrate" nutcracker season next? Melissa and Adam? Amanda and Alex? Sally and everyone in range? Sarah, James, Sam, Sammie and Jeremy, more new chars? Lemme know who'd you most like to get getting busted again, and maybe it'll happen!