Hi everybody! Welcome to my little one shot. I hope you enjoy it and are having a good Christmas holiday, or good day, or whatever day it is now. This isn't anything too great or super amazing. Just wanted to write something fun for the holiday season before I missed my chance and Christmas was gone.
The story takes place obviously in the Christmas season, but it doesn't exactly follow the canon timeline of the Young Justice story. Just pretend all the crazy stuff with The Light and the missions haven't been going on yet. This is something a little more light hearted. ;3
I hope you enjoy it. And have/had a Merry Christmas or just a good day.
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. TAT
Anxiety. Fear. Terror. Uncertainty. Just those words alone were about enough to describe what Samantha Freya was feeling at the moment, sitting alone in her room at the Freya manor. She was up against the toughest thing she could ever think of and it was very much wracking at her mind and thoughts ever since she'd been confronted with it.
It wasn't a new enemy. It wasn't another crazy demand from her father. It didn't even have to do with her hero work. No, what she had to think about was the solution to the toughest tradition someone would ever have to face during this time of the year.
"Why? Why did we agree to do secret santa?" Samantha asked herself, slumping on her bed inside the Freya manor.
It was Christmas Eve and the group would be getting together that night to initiate the little gift exchange they had all agreed into doing (at the urging of Wally), but to be honest Winter didn't have any idea on what to do for a gift still. It wasn't that she was bad at giving gifts, but she had been given the task of getting something for the one person she was unsure about.
Superboy.
The boy of steel himself had been the person she pulled out of the hat and it was up to her to try and get him something she thought he would enjoy for the Christmas season. The whole time her mind sped with ideas, but they all seemed useless in the end.
It wasn't like the two never talked with one another. It was the complete opposite. Since the Cadmus incident and helping to free him, along with the two bonding at her house when Superboy needed a place to stay before they became an official team, the two had grown to be good friends and team mates working with one another on missions, training, and just chatting with one another. But even with all the times she remembered sharing together Winter didn't feel confident that she could find the perfect gift for the dark haired teen.
Resting her head on her desk, Samantha groaned at the nonexistent amount of progress she had gotten done. As easy as it was for her, the young rich girl could simply buy something expensive for her friend and be done with it. But she didn't want that. As embarrassing as it was to admit, Samantha really wanted to give Superboy something special and from the heart. It was his first Christmas with the team after all. Not to mention that she wanted to give him something as special as honestly as he made her feel. Even if he didn't know the affect he had on her, his blunt attitude, confidence, and rare smiles every now and then made the ice princess's heart dance. She did not want to screw this up.
Frowning Samantha got up from her desk and began pacing in her room, her mind going back and forth with various gift ideas. From comic books, food, or even some sort of electronics, every idea was met with denial. Each one in some way didn't fit to what she thought Superboy wanted or really needed, and it was becoming evident that she was running out of ideas and time just standing in her room.
"There has got to be som-"
*ring*
Talking to herself once more, Samantha stopped mid-sentence when she heard the familiar ring of her phone resting on her bed. Walking over to her bed and picking up her cell phone, Samantha's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the caller I.D. and clicked the accept button, placing the phone to her ear to speak.
"Conner? Hey. Did you need something?" Samantha asked, a bit curious as to why her team mate had called.
"Hey. You busy right now?" Superboy's voice replied back.
"Uh nope. Not really. Why do you ask?"
"I need some help finding a gift, but everyone else is busy with Christmas stuff. Can you meet me?"
Clutching the phone in her hand a little tighter, the ice user could feel her heart jump a little in her chest. 'He's asking me!? I want to, but how am I going to find him a gift in time if I'm with him every second today?...But I can't just say no to him.'
Shaking her head and smiling to herself, Samantha replied, "It's no problem. Where do you want to meet?"
'What have I gotten myself into?'
-Star City Mall
December 24th, 12:00 PDT-
'I'm a little surprised he wanted to meet up close to home.'
Samantha had made sure she was bundled up in the warmest clothing she could think of before she set out on her little meeting with Superboy. Even if she was a controller and creator of the frozen snow beneath her feet and was a person who wore a skirt...correction, battle skirt into freezing weather during missions, it didn't mean she was going to let people stare at her for the lack of necessary clothing any reasonable person would wear with the conditions outside.
Dressed in a long sleeved snow white winter coat, black stockings with matching boots, and a soft baby blue scarf neatly tied around her neck, ready to hit the mall and help her friend find what it was he was looking for.
That is if he would tell her what exactly he was looking for.
Twirling a strand of her hair nonchalantly, Samantha shifted her gaze to Conner who stood next to her at the entrance of Star City's mall, his face giving off his usual monotonous expression staring out at the various decorations littered around the exterior. He had came in what she had usually seen him dressed in, his hero shirt, jeans, boots, and a long sleeved jacket, though it didn't look like the cold was bothering him much.
'He hasn't said anything since we met up. Do...I say something?' Samantha thought, feeling a bit of social anxiety clutch at her chest and her mind going blank. 'So much for those conversation lessons father made me take.'
Deciding it be best to try and get her friend to talk, Samantha turned to Conner and smiled. "So Conner, uhh...I was surprised you wanted to come to mall in my hometown. Any reason?"
'What kind of ice breaker question is that?! You sound like you're trying to interrogate him you idiot!' The brunette's thoughts screamed at her.
Looking over to her, the super boy did nothing but shrug. "Not really. Though it'd be easier for you since it was close to where you lived."
Her eyes widened just a little after Conner spoke. That was not the answer she was expecting. To think that his decision was made just to make it easier for her to come by and help. She knew Conner was not the type of person to think into detail about these types of things and he decided it on a whim, but still it made Samantha feel nice for some reason deep inside.
Feeling her face warm up a little at the honest answer Conner gave her, the ice user couldn't help but feel her lips curve into a smile, but quickly used her scarf to hide it so her companion didn't see it. 'Why can't I stop smiling? I feel like I'm going to explode. And Conner was just being his usual self. He probably thinks I'm acting stupid.'
Not hearing an answer from his friend, Conner looked over to Samantha and noticed her thoughts were somewhere else. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Snapping out her thoughts at Conner's question, Samantha wiped the grin off her face and gave a nonchalant smile to Conner. "No, not at all. That's very sweet and considerate of you Conner. I appreciate the thought, even if you don't think it's a big deal. I was just curious was all. I just remember the last time we were here it wasn't the most...relaxing of times." The brunette explained, heading towards the mall's front doors and motioning her friend to follow. The last time she was here had not been the best of visits when she showed Conner around. Besides the issue of finding him clothes, a particular set of villains had been there to make the day all the more difficult.
Going after Samantha, the boy of steel knew exactly what the ice manipulator was talking about, rubbing his neck in pain at the memory. "The terror twins. That muscle head terror twin threw me into a window."
Wincing at the memory of her friend breaking through glass, Samantha opened the door and let her friend walk in ahead of her and followed inside, wiping her snow covered boots before walking inside. "Hopefully we won't have to be worry about those two for a while. For now let's just think about what we came here for. You said you needed help finding a gift? Is it for secret santa? Or am I not allowed to ask?"
"It's not for secret santa, but it's important. I...I really want to get this right." Conner answered, his voiced giving off a more honest tone than he usually used.
'It must be really important if Conner sounds so serious about it. And he asked me for help.' Samantha thought, walking over to Conner and standing beside him. Smiling, Samantha gave the boy a thumbs up. "Don't worry. I'll help as much as I can and find the best gift possible. Just be ready for a lot of prodding. I'm gonna want to know a lot about this special person we're finding a gift for."
Seeing his team mate smile, the boy of steel couldn't help but give one in return and nodded, walking through the mall alongside the brunette and headed towards a clothing store. "It's for a guy. I don't really know much about what he does, so I'm not sure if anything I say will make this easy."
Tilting her head in confusion, Samantha looked to Conner. "Hmm. This might get a little difficult, but I'm sure if we put our minds together and work some ideas out, we'll find something good enough."
Heading inside a clothing store, Samantha walked alongside Conner to the males' section and looked to the various clothes hanging on the racks and folded neatly on the shelves. If this was her only chance to try and find something for Conner while she was out, she'd have to try and be discreet with finding what he liked.
"Well lets starts looking. You think a sweater would work?" Samantha asked, pulling out a black wool sweater from a rack and showing it to her friend.
Inspecting the item, Conner shook his head and looked at the various items around them. "Don't think so. I don't know much about his wardrobe, but I don't think he'd wear anything like that. I wouldn't either."
Frowning at her first idea being shot down, Samantha placed the sweater back on the rack and headed towards a shelf of folded shirts. "Okay, sweater is out. How about a shirt? Everybody wears them right? Do you know his favorite color? Or perhaps any designs he likes?"
Shaking his head, Conner picked up a random shirt with a santa claus design on it and frowned at it before throwing it back onto the rack. "Not really."
"What about you? Does he wear anything similar to your clothes? If he does maybe we can find something you like and it would work out." Samantha suggested, hoping it would help to find Conner's gift.
"He doesn't wear anything like I do. At least not from what I've seen. I'm pretty sure we dress different." Conner replied, shaking his head at Samantha's idea/
Not getting much information from her friend, Samantha shrugged her shoulders and motioned Conner to come with her. "Well maybe clothing isn't the best choice. Why not something more work related? He has to have a job. Something practical is always helpful."
Heading off to another section of the mall and walking into a fancy looking business attire, Samantha and Conner headed to the first counter they could see and searched through the various trinkets on display. Shining in gold, silver, bronze, and other various colors each one had a different design and looked like something that would make any person happy to receive.
But who was it she was helping to find a gift for?
'He still hasn't told me. Is it a secret? Or does he not trust me?' Samantha wondered, her eyes moving away from the display case and gazing on her friend next to her. She could see his eyes were engrossed on everything inside the display, as if trying to look for that diamond in the rough that he knew would be perfect. She'd never seen him have this much concentration on something before.
"Excuse me, sir, miss. Do you need help finding something?" A desk clerk asked, walking up from behind a counter nearby and catching the two teen's attention.
Conner, his gaze still on the items, didn't say a word. Seeing this, Samantha looked up to the clerk and gave a polite smile. "A little. I'm helping my friend find a gift for a guy, but a lot of our ideas are coming up as dead ends."
"Ah, I see. Well I can give some suggestions for gifts in our displays here if you'd like. We have a wide variety of items here today that have been flying off the shelves and making wonderful gifts for any friend or family member this holiday season. Such as this money clip." The clerk explained, opening the display case full of various accessories to pull out a gold money clip and giving Samantha and Conner a closer look at the item. "Two karat gold and designed to accompany the best dressed wardrobe to secure your finances when out on the town."
Inspecting the item, Samantha could tell it was a nicely designed accessory, but would it be a good fit. "It's nice and does look like a-"
"No, that won't work." Conner replied, cutting the brunette off.
"What? Really?" Samantha asked, turning to Conner and seeing him still searching through the display case.
"He's not the type of guy to show off. That's not it." Conner replied back, his eyes looking to the clerk before gong back to the display case.
"I can see you are a man who knows what he wants to look for." Putting the clip away, the clerk seconds later pulled out a thin box and opened it to reveal a onyx black fountain pen. "These pens have been very popular. They are great gifts for any person you know who has a desk job and needs a handy tool to get their paperwork or taxes done. It is durable, well made, and the ink flows nicely so it does not smear or leak."
"A fountain pen huh? Would that help Conner?" Samantha asked, looking to her friend.
However his gaze was still looking at the display case, as if his mind was somewhere else. "I can get a pen at any store."
'This isn't working. He hasn't agreed on anything we've looked through so far. What is he looking for?' Samantha thought, frowning at the dark haired teen next to her.
"Of course. I suppose you are looking for something a little more special and unique. I have something in the back that may catch your eye. I'll be right back." The clerk said as he placed the item back and left the two teens alone.
Seeing the clerk leave and finally giving the two teens some time alone, Samantha turned to Conner and looked to her friend. "Conner. Hey, Conner. What's going on with you?"
Hearing his friend call him, Conner released his gaze from the display case and looked over to the brunette. "What are you talking about?"
"You've been distant since we've come here looking for whatever it is you're trying to find. You called me because you needed help, but all I've seen you do is shoot down every idea we've found. Why don't you just tell me who it is we're finding a gift for? This would be a lot easier if I knew." Samantha spoke, trying to get a read on the stoic boy.
His gaze turning downward, Conner shifted to the side and looked back at the display case, not saying a word.
Frowning, Samantha moved closer to Conner and continued to talk. "Don't ignore me Conner. This isn't some life or death mission. We're friends aren't we? You can trust me. I'm not going to tell anyone or laugh at you."
Unsure if he wanted to say anything, the dark haired teen looked back to his friend, hesitation showing on his face. Feeling as if the will to say something was building, Conner opened her mouth to speak...
That was until the clerk walked back to them behind the counter with a velvet box in hand. Smiling to the two, the clerk placed the box on the counter and faced it towards the two. "I hope I did not take too much of your time while I was gone."
Watching Conner close his mouth and shift his gaze away from her, Samantha couldn't help but mentally sigh at the poor timing. However wanting to stick to her manners and not cause any problems, the brunette smiled politely to the clerk and shook her head, deciding to focus back on the task at hand. "No, don't worry about it. The time flew by and you didn't take long. What did you bring?"
"A little something that could perhaps solve your predicament. Or at least I hope so. It's our most popular item in the store and has been bought on many occasions the past month for a Christmas gift." The clerk explained, placing the hand onto the lid and slowly opening it to reveal its contents.
Nestled in a neatly made red velvet display case and shining in the light to the two teens, a marvelous and expensive looking watch sat inside. Colored in the sleekest of silver, gold dial inside covered by a thing layer of strong glass, and matching silver bracelet to wrap around the users' wrist, the colors concluded in an small array of red and blue mixing in between the top and bottom parts of the inside of the watch, giving it a colorful yet unique look.
It was Conner who first said something, and like before his observation was a bit...blunt. "It's a watch."
Chuckling at the boys' answer, the clerk shook his head. "Why it may seem so, but this watch is unlike one you'll find anywhere else. It's been handcrafted and manufactured to be the best watch to have on the market and is made durable for any occasions, whether work related or get togethers with family or friends. Made with two karat gold for the small numbers and pieces inside, fastened with an oyster lock folding clip for easy placement and preventing any accidental openings, and equipped with the best clockwork metal work to allow the telling of your own time zone and another, this watch has become the perfect gift for many men, whether a colleague at work, friend, husband, or father."
"Fathers huh? I can see why. It is a nice accessory to have." Samantha said, observing the intricate and expensive looking item. If she remembered correctly, her father had a watch like it. He always wore it during parties and his guests would always compliment it when he showed it off. But was it what they were looking for?
"Fathers like this stuff?" Conner asked, his voice peaking with some interest as he stared down at the watch.
Hearing Conner carry interest in an item all of a sudden, Samantha looked over to her friend, a bit surprised. Why all of a sudden did this watch get his attention than the other things they looked at? And why did he ask if...
'Fathers...Is all of this for him?' Samantha's thoughts asked herself, her mind thinking over what Conner had said. Why hadn't she put it together before? The present was for a man, the secrecy, the lack of information he had given her, his interest on whether fathers were interested in the gift.
Everything pointed to Superman.
'That's why this was so important to him. I should have figured it out. But...why doesn't this feel right to me?' The ice user's gaze shifting to Conner who looked deep in thought.
"Why yes, this item is. Many fathers tend to have jobs and do business at their offices or go out on business. A watch is always helpful to have on hand, especially one of this caliber and make." The clerk explained, placing the item back into its case and closing it. "The item however is expensive, surely far beyond the money you young ones have brought with you. It goes to the two-hundred range and is my last one. If you'd like it, I would be happy to wrap it up or you now." The clerk explained, looking to both Conner and Samantha for an answer.
Digging into his pocket, Conner looked down to the crumpled bills in his possession. Some leftover cash saved from the money Samantha's father had supplied them with months ago to help him get started with his new life, even he knew it wasn't enough to pay for the gift. But maybe if he bargained?
"I'll-"
"Could you give us some time to think about it?" Samantha asked suddenly, cutting off Conner.
His voice stopped mid sentence, Superboy looked over to Samantha, unsure of why she said such a thing. Wasn't this his decision?
Seeing the two teens looking a bit hesitant in one way or another, the clerk gave a nod and took the box from the countertop. "Of course. Take all the time you need. However please be aware that the mall will be closing early this day to prepare for Christmas Eve."
"Of course. Thank you." Samantha said, giving a nod before watching the clerk walk off to go and help another customer. Sighing a bit at feeling the transaction situation be put to a halt, the ice user turned to look to Conner, the dark haired teen looking at Samantha with a confused look. "What?"
"Why did you tell him we'd think about it? We could have tried to get the watch a second ago." Conner replied, his voice rising a bit in aggravation.
Seeing the anger slowly build on the boy's face, Samantha frowned and shook her head. "I...didn't think it was a good gift."
"Why? You saw the watch. It looks great, its made nicely, and it isn't something that'll break easily. Why would it be a bad gift for anybody?" Conner asked, eyebrow raised in confusion.
She knew she was going to have to bring it up at some point. If she didn't, the conversation was going to go nowhere and the two would argue back and forth. Sighing, Samantha shifted her gaze to the side, not feeling like she wanted to look at Conner as she spoke. "Because...you'd buy it for the wrong reasons."
"The wrong reasons?" Conner repeated, not sure with what his team mate meant.
Groaning a little at her tap dancing around the issue, Samantha shook her head and whispered her next words. "Conner. . .I don't think buying something super expensive for Superman is going to suddenly change his mind about you."
She didn't look to Conner after she spoke, but just from the space between them the ice user could feel the slow growing anger from her team mate grow. Her gaze shifting to his hands for just a second, his hands were clasped tightly into fists, an apparent sign of him trying to keep his anger in check.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Conner asked in a low growl.
Hearing his anger laced in his voice, Samantha treaded lightly with her words. "I'm not trying to sound mean. I'm just being honest. You've been so absorbed in finding a gift that you asked me for help and I've tried to help you, but every idea I suggested to you was shot down. You keep looking for something unique that nobody else can get or have. Buying something expensive and special to give to him won't change his mind about you, and it isn't the right way to get the attention I know you want."
"How would you know? I've tried to do everything I can to try and get him to talk to me. Notice me. I've fought the bad guys threatening people, I joined the team, I made friends and I'm going to school, but none of that is working. How do you know trying this won't change that?" Conner asked annoyed.
"Because buying his love isn't the same as getting it mutually. It isn't, and I know you don't want him to acknowledge you just because you bought him something. The gift is supposed to convey your emotions to him, not try to awe him. If you want him to understand your feelings, get him something more meaningful than what's on the price tag and what clerks think he'll like." Samantha spoke honestly, looking to Conner.
'In a way everything I just said was the exact same thing I was thinking about for him.' Samantha thought, chuckling mentally at her words. She was trying to convey to him how getting a heartfelt gift would be the better solution to help him express his emotions to him, and there she was trying to do the exact same thing for him this Christmas Eve. It was too bad following her own advice was so hard.
Growling, Conner clutched his fists tighter before barking back. "You don't know how I feel. You never could. You've always had a father there for you."
Taken back by the answer, Samantha's eyes widened as she stared at Superboy. Why bring up her father all of a sudden? "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You have a father who's been there for you ever since you were born and is still there. You've never had to live your life without him being there to talk to or learn from. You've always had a roof over your head, lived in a nice house being waited on hand and foot, your dad is there to watch you and tell you what you need to do, and gives you his love." Conner argued back, moving closer to look at Samantha face to face. "Don't try to lecture me about how I feel when you can't understand what I'm going through."
Silence filled the air between the two teens for a few moments. It wasn't very long in hindsight, but it felt like the world had come to a stand still for minutes before anything truly felt heard.
The words Conner spoke finally having a chance to sink into Samantha's mind, the brunette couldn't help but tighten her teeth in anger, her fists curling up like Conner's. What right did he have to say those things to her? He didn't know what her life was like! How she was raised! How her father treated her, ignored her, forgot about her own birthday for his own needs. It was nothing like the rose colored words Superboy described. Every time she was with her father she was on her toes trying to impress him every way possible, to repay him for the life she took from him, to try and gain the fleeting moments of affection she could remember. From following her lesson plans to a "t", doing her best to excel and improve at a young age, follow every direction he'd ever given her. She did it all, and even now she wasn't sure it was working. But she did it because she had to. It was the only way to get him to listen.
She had tried buying him things. Just like how Conner was trying to do. It never worked. Her father was a man who had everything and could get anything. Buying him something would never satisfy him or sway his attention of her. And any attention she did receive from giving him a gift never helped to fill the void she felt inside. And she knew if Conner did the same thing, he wouldn't find the solace he was looking for.
She could feel her emotions welling up inside her. Memories from years past surfacing, hidden emotions beginning to flood out. Samantha could feel she was losing her cool, and soon enough she knew her powers were going to manifest somehow, if not before she started feeling tears run down her face.
"You don't know anything." Samantha whispered harshly, her hands clutched into tight fists as she stared at the ground.
"What?" Conner asked, looking at Samantha in confusion at her whisper and tried to get closer to her.
"You don't know anything you jerk!" Samantha yelled, her voice cracking as hot tears were beginning to fall down her face as she pushed Conner away from her to give her more space. Trying to wipe the tears off her face and failing miserably, the brunette glared at Conner before turning away and running off.
"Do whatever you want Conner! I don't care anymore."
It was quiet despite the people walking around in the mall. One after another Conner could see families, mothers, fathers, couples, and children walking around going to various stores from his seat.
'Why was she crying?'
Sitting by himself on a bench in the mall, it had just been only a few minutes after the heated fight both Superboy and Winter had. He was surprised to see her crying like that after what he said, and knowing she was probably mad at him for what he did say, there was no way going right after her was going to lead to anything good.
So there he was. Alone rather than with the the person he had asked for help and sulking in the aftermath of everything. How did it all go wrong?
His plan was simple in hindsight. Ask Winter for help finding a gift, get the gift, give it to Superman. Somehow. He didn't know how the last part was going to happen, but he wanted nothing more than to get something for the man of steel. If Conner could get Superman something both amazing and necessary to him, perhaps he'd realize how important he was. Finally talk to him like the son he was. Be a father...
But was the gift suddenly going to turn everything around like he said? Deep inside himself Superboy guessed that perhaps it could happen, that what he wanted was in his grasp if he got the perfect gift. However the rare thoughts of reason that were inside his heart told him better. It had been months since he met Superman and joined the team. He worked hard to fight bad guys, learn to use his powers, and made friends along the way, but even after all of that Superman still hadn't done much to be the father Conner wanted. Would a gift really change everything?
'You don't know anything you jerk!'
Conner glared harshly at the tiled floor below, his mind flashing back to the fight earlier. Samantha's words still ringing in his head and pictures of her crying swept in and out of his mind. Had what he said really touched a nerve in her? Was he really being an idiot and saying things to her he didn't understand?
'I met her father. That one time.' Conner mused, his thoughts flashing back to when he had been freed from Cadmus. Winter had been the one to take him in when he needed a place to stay until Batman decided on their team arrangement. That night he was introduced to Winters' father, though he could tell it was not the best of meetings. He had this...look about him. Like he was judging his own daughter as she explained the Cadmus incident, not joining the Justice League, him, every detail.
But all he said was that he was disappointed with the results, his face looking aggravated and tired. He didn't even ask if she was hurt or if she was okay emotionally. He just wanted results and orders followed and Samantha did everything he asked of her if it meant helping Superboy that night.
If her own father acted and talked to her like that in front of a guest, or rather her own colleague, did he treat her the same way by themselves? Or perhaps even worse? Had his rant about her not knowing anything about fathers hit harder than he intended?
'I made her cry.' Conner thought to himself, his words sinking in as he clutched his hands into fists. Anger was pouring into himself again, but this time it wasn't meant to be put on someone else. How could he be so rude to his friend? He had called her and asked for her help on Christmas Eve of all days and she had been willing to sacrifice whatever time she had to herself to help him. And what did he do? Yell and argue with her about his father, or rather a lack of, and assume how her own father treated her.
Samantha had been right. Conner really didn't know anything and his anger and thick head had gotten the better of him again, this time hurting someone close to him on a more personal level.
"I need to apologize." Conner said to himself, getting up from his seat and looking around the mall area. Needing to find his friend to apologize, the super boy scanned the room with the help of his powerful super vision. Left and right his eyes scanned, but nowhere could he see the figure of Samantha inside.
'She was crying. She wouldn't want to be seen by anybody. She's got to be outside.' Putting two and two together and turning back towards the entrance of the mall, Conner headed off to the exit, running at quick pace as he did so. Reaching the doors and skidding to a halt outside, Superboy once again used his super vision to scan the parking lot area of the mall in search of his hidden friend.
Cars filled his vision and stragglers of shoppers wandered the streets. Continuing to scan around, the dark haired boy turned his vision over to a park far of in the distance. It was abandoned from what he could tell, the cold and snow to bothersome or children and families to be out and play. However despite the observation, a lone figure sat at the single bench in the vicinity. Not too small, feminine in shape, and from what he could see the figure's body signature was cold and giving off no heat despite being able to hear a heartbeat.
It had to be Samantha. Her powers had to be acting up from their fight.
Sighing a deactivating his super vision, the black haired teen began to his trek towards the park, making his way without a moments stop to head over to the quiet park. His walk was quiet except for the beating of his heart and the thoughts that ran through his mind. What was he going to say? How was he going to apologize for what he said? Would she forgive him? Would this ruin their friendship and team work on missions?
Finally crossing the street and quietly walking on the sidewalk to reach the park, Conner frowned when he noticed the figure of Samantha sitting quietly by herself on the bench. Quiet sobs could be heard from where he stood and a wipe of her sleeve over her eyes showed she was still crying and trying to stop her tears. What he noticed more was her hair, its dark chocolate brown color gone and replaced by the familiar snow white color he was used to seeing in battle together.
As bad a time as it was to think it Conner had always preferred her white hair, something that stuck with him when he first met her. He wasn't sure why, but it made her look more...serene? Beautiful even? It made him feel more calm and relaxed and he could never get tired of looking at her. Whether it was during the heat of battle or in the aftermath of a victory.
'What am I thinking at a time like this?' Conner thought annoyed, trying to beat away the random thoughts in his head as he tried to come up with something to say. Nothing came up however that seemed like a good idea. For all the ease and simplicity it took for Superboy to use his anger and ego to hurt his friends feelings and yell at her, it was amazing to see how hard it was to try and come up with sentimental words to apologize.
Knowing his actions spoke louder than his words, Superboy said nothing but quietly walked over to the bench Samantha sat at. Not saying a word and coming up to the front of the bench, Superboy looked to his crying companion in the hopes of getting a message to her.
Hearing his footsteps and seeing his boots on the ground she looked down at, the white haired teen wiped her eyes once more in an attempt to try and clean herself up. Unsure if she wanted to actually talk to Conner after what he said, Samantha hesitantly looked up towards he boy, her puffy red and ice blue eyes staring at his darker shade of blue.
It was the eye contact between the two that made Conner feel like he'd been punched by Superman himself. While he was not the best person to explain or show emotion, he could see the tired and hurt look in Samantha's eyes. His gaze faltering for a moment, Conner swallowed down the shame he was feeling and moved to sit down to the right of Samantha, his gaze looking down to the ground. He had already hurt her enough. He wasn't going to bother her with his stare if she didn't want the attention on her.
The silence went on after that. Seconds turned to minutes, and as the time ticked away there was no exchange of words for a time. The two super heroes simply sat in silence, basking in the aftermath of their fight and overall welled emotions. Fresh snow beginning to fall down from the sky (whether it be from the actual weather or Winters' powers herself), it was the voice of the ice user that broke the everlasting silence.
"Hey." A shaky reply came out of Samantha, her voice still trying to recover from her previous sobs.
"Hey." Conner replied back, not very sure how to respond to his crying friend.
"Did you get that dumb watch?" Samantha asked, her voice slowly regaining some of its strength while laced with what sounded like anger and disappointment.
Glaring off to the side at the mention of the accessory that had started their argument, Conner shook his head. "No. I decided not to get it."
Wiping the last leftover tears from her face, the ice user kept her gaze on the snowy ground, kicking a small piles of snow between her boots every now and then. "Why? I thought you wanted to get something great for Superman. You seemed pretty adamant about it before."
Clutching the seat of the bench he sat on, Conner glared off in the distance as he was reminded of the fight the two had earlier. His stubbornness over that dumb watch and the whole issue with his non existent father had made this mess in the first place. Turning to look at Samantha, Conner kept his gaze on the ice user who was looking at the ground.
"I...was being stupid. You were right. About everything." Conner answered honestly, trying his best to find the words he wanted to express.
Hearing Conner trying to make some sort of apology to her, Samantha looked up from the ground and turned to look at the boy sitting next to her. Her gaze still holding a few hints of disappointment, Samantha urged the boy to continue.
Nodding, he sighed and turned his head to look out at the park in front of them. The playground was covered in a soft blanket of snow, snowflakes still falling down from above them. It was a peaceful and quiet sight, and soon enough the silence helped to allow the anger prone boy to find the words he was looking to say.
"This...wasn't how pictured going out today." Conner started, his hands clenching and unclenching as he spoke. "I've never celebrated Christmas before, but I know of it. People giving gifts to friends and family because they care about each other. They say goodwill is always around this time of year and family counts the most. I thought if there was any chance of him finally talking to me, trying to get to know me, teach me like a real father would, it would be today. It would be even better if I got him a great gift. He'd appreciate it and he'd have something from me to always remember."
"But I was wrong." Conner spoke up, his gaze turning back to the snow beneath the teens feet. "I was so caught up with trying to impress him today and find something perfect that I wasn't thinking straight and I yelled at you. I mean, if he never found the time to come and see me months ago when I got out of Cadmus, what would make today any different?" Conner asked out loud, throwing his arms up in anger before resting them in his lap. "And then I yelled at you, took my frustration out on you even though I called you to come out here to help me. And then I went and assumed how your own father treats you."
Looking up from the snow, Conner looked over to stare at the white haired girl next to him, their eyes looking into one another. While his gaze still faltered every now and then, the boy tried his best to hold confidence in his next words. "I...I'm sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have said any of those things to you. Or yelled at you. Or hurt you like I did. I should have known Superman would never want to- "
Trying to say more, Conner stopped mid sentence when he felt the presence of something cold on his lips. The small fingertips of Samantha's' hand on his lips, the ice user looked to the boy she stopped from talking, giving him a knowing look to him.
"Don't you dare finish that last part Conner. I want to clarify some things." Samantha spoke, giving him a small smile as she took her fingers off of his lips. Resting her hands in her lap, the ice user looked out at the snowy park in front of them. "Everything you said...it hurt. You said things you had no understanding about. My father, what my life was...is like, how our relationship is. You made it sound like you're the only guy who has trouble with their own father. And that made me so mad. I wanted to punch you to be honest." Samantha said, a small chuckle escaping her lips at her last comment.
"But...I can understand too. Why you were angry and so desperate to find a gift." Samantha spoke, tapping her feet on the soft snow below her. "I used to do that a lot with my own dad when I was little. He was always so busy with his genetics research and his work that we never had time to talk or be a real family. Whenever we were it was about my studies or lessons, and when my powers showed up it only increased our time together long enough to make it a routine of checking up on my progress. It was never just to ask how I was doing or if I made any friends at school. I thought using gifts would try to help better our relationship, but it didn't work. He'd talk with me a little, but it was never enough."
"That's why I didn't want you buying Superman something. I knew it wasn't going to work the way you wanted it to. It may help a little, but its not going to fill up the feeling inside Conner. It stays there for a while." Samantha spoke honestly, her face falling downcast at her words.
Listening to his friend's words, Conner turned to face his gaze to the park beyond, his hands resting in his lap and clenched up into fists. "So its useless."
Caught by the words Conner said, Samantha quickly turned to look at Conner. Seeing his face give off a tired expression, the ice user looked down to his clenched hands and grasped her tiny hands over his larger ones. Hoping the contact in some way would help him quell his pain, Samantha continued. "No, that's not what I'm trying to say. Conner, trying to buy Superman's love and attention won't work, but you can still try to understand each other better. Just talk to him."
"I've tried. He doesn't listen to me. He just says a few words and flies off when he gets the chance." The super clone replied back, his hands beginning to shake in anger at remembering the fleeting times he was around the hero.
"Than try again. Don't just give up. None of us on the team do when you get like that. Find some time when you're alone together and make sure he doesn't leave. And don't just try to say a few words like you always do or beat around the bush about it. Really talk with him. Be honest about your feelings like you are with me right now. You can't get it wrong if its the truth. And he can't ignore you if you're telling him how you really feel. Superman is a respectful man like that. At least from what I know. " Samantha said, giving Conner a genuine smile.
Feeling the small yet warm hands of Winter holding his own and the words of wisdom given to him by his friend, Conner felt the anger that was inside him slowly melt away despite the cold weather around him. Revealing a small smile on his lips, the black haired teen looked over to Winter and noticed the kind smile she was giving him.
It was that smile. Something about it just made the super boy feel lighter when he saw it. Like he was flying.
There was something else too that he wanted to do, though he wasn't sure how to go about it. Though his actions did always speak louder than his words usually. Taking his hands out of Winter's and moving a little closer, Superboy moved his arms and wrapped them around the white haired maiden sitting with him, pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you." Conner spoke honestly and with earnest, his grip on the girl tight as he tried his best to convey his thankfulness to her.
A bit taken back by the gesture, Samantha jumped a little at the hug. However it was the soft spoken thanks from the power house friend of hers that made her slowly melt into the gesture and slowly move her own arms to wrap around her friend. She was a little embarrassed at the contact, her face most likely flaring up with heat. It was a good thing Conner couldn't see her face right now. "Y-you're welcome. You can always come to me if you need someone to talk to. We're...friends after all."
'Friends? Is this really what friends do with each other?' Conner thought, his mind focused on the simple word Samantha had spoken. Did friends fight with each other like this? Yell at each other, talk honestly to one anther about their problems, and then hug to make up? Did having friends always make you feel so...content and safe in a hug? Conner had been given joking hugs and pats on the back by Kid Flash and Robin, and every now and than a friendly hug with Miss Martian, but none of them felt like the one he was sharing with Winter. Why was it different with her?
"Conner...we should probably get going. We'll be late for the party." Samantha's voice spoke, trying to get the boys' attention.
His thoughts halted for a moment, Conner felt the small hands of Winter undo the hug she gave him, letting her own rest at her side as he too released her from the physical contact between them. Staring over to Samantha, the super boy could see hints of redness on her cheeks,a clear sign of blood rushing to her face. Was the cold getting to her? "You look a little red."
Jumping a little at the observation, Samantha rubbed her cheeks in a flustered motion and laughed, trying to make the redness in her face go away. "Heh, I-I guess so. You're a little red too."
"I am?" Conner asked, a bit surprised by the observation. It wasn't until he got out of the hug that he began to feel a warm sensation in his cheeks, most likely from the redness Samantha pointed out. The warmth he felt nonetheless wasn't an unpleasant feeling and Conner smiled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Guess I am. Hope I'm not getting sick."
"Yeah. That'd be kind of bad. My hands are already cold enough from being out here." Samantha awkwardly, smiling as she got up from her seat and turned to Conner. Reaching her hand out to him, Samantha grasped onto Conner's and helped to pull him off the bench to stand next to her. "Ready to go?"
Looking to the smiling ice user, Conner couldn't help but smile back and nodded, starting their walk side by side to the nearest zeta tube teleporter. Though the two continued to walk in silence, it was a quiet and peaceful one. Their hands still clasped in each other's grasp the two walked through the snow, letting the serene fall of frost and the shared warmth from their contact envelope them.
-Mount Justice-
"Alright! Let's get this secret santa party started!" Wally called out with energy, a santa hat atop his head as he sped off to grab various snacks and drinks from the kitchen. Putting drinks together on the counter top the speedster began to run over to each team mate, handing them a soda and leaving a bowl of chips on the small table nearby.
Decorations littered the cave, the colors of red, green, and white covering parts of the cave walls and the counters of the living room. A small decorated tree sat in the corner of the living room, glittered ornaments and sparkles showing in the light of the room to give it a festive look. It couldn't have been possible without the group pitching in and putting it all together, and overall no snags had gotten in the way of their decorating.
However there was a moment where Artemis and Samantha had to swat Wally away from using the mistletoe he kept trying to whip out for his enjoyment.
Once Conner and Samantha had made it to the cave and the group finished decorating, the two along with the rest of the team joined in relaxing in the living room. Samantha and Conner had taken seats on the couch, M'gann sitting on the arm chair nearby with Artemis taking one of the arm rests for herself, Robin casually laying on the floor, and Aqualad taking his own seat nearby the table.
Gifts of colorful wrapping paper sat down on the table in front of the group, each one unique in size, shape, and choice of wrapping paper. Whatever was inside each one was a mystery to all but those who bought them, and soon enough the group would find out what was in each.
"So how did everyone else's Christmas shopping go? I never thought it could be so much fun trying to find a gift for someone." M'gann said, smiling as she remembered her shopping experience.
"Fun isn't exactly the way I'd put it. You would have to be an alien to think Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve of all days is fun. I would have rather fought Mister Freeze again if it got me out of it." Robin joked, shaking his head at the martian's comment of her own experience.
"Who cares it was fun or boring. Let's get these present opened up!" Wally exclaimed, speeding over to the table and grabbed the gift he had bought. "Alright! First gift is from me. And the lucky recipient is my man Robin! Catch!" The red head said, throwing the gift to the boy wonder.
"Sweet. Let's hope there isn't a half eaten bagel in here." Robin joked, catching the gift and opening the wrapping paper and box. Pulling out the contents, Robin smiled when he sowed off a pair of sunglasses. Sleek in design and onyx black, they shades looked nearly identical to the ones he wore.
"You got him the same pair of sunglasses?" Artemis asked, an eyebrow raised at the dramatic reveal.
Waving a finger at Artemis's skepticism, Wally smirked. "Nu uh uh. Not so fast. You know the wall man is way more creative than you think. I tweaked these baby's with the help of some of the guys at the Justice League. Fixed em up to allow them for heat signature scanning and to allow zoom in camera's in the shades to take pics. Never know when a detective is gonna need a camera ready to investigate."
"Couldn't ask for a better gift. Thanks KF." Robin said, inspecting the glasses with interest.
"Lets hope they don't explode." Samantha joked, taking a nonchalant sip of her drink.
"Well since he was up first, I might as well go ahead next. Merry Christmas Wall man." Artemis sarcastically said, grabbing a small envelope from the table and flicking it to the speedster.
Catching the envelope Wally smiled at the archer. "Aww, you shouldn't have. But lets see if your gift outshines my expectations."
"I think you'll like it Wally. She asked me about it before she got it and I think it'll be great." M'gann said, giving a friendly high five to Artemis.
Opening the small envelope, Wally peeked inside the small paper carrier and poked his hand inside. Grabbing onto what was a slip of paper, Wally pulled out the slip and flipped it over to look over the written contents. Quietly reading the unknown paper, the speedster's eyes grew wider with every second before a big grin was plastered on his face. "No way! How'd you get this!?"
"Don't keep us in the dark Wally. What is it?" Aqualad asked, wondering what it was that was making the resident speedster so excited.
"It's a coupon for all you can eat pizza at Mikey's Pizzeria! This baby will keep my stomach stuffed for the next year!" Wally exclaimed, his mouth almost watering at the idea of all the food he would be able to eat.
"Tat pizza place we all went to in town a few months ago?" Conner asked, not sure if he was understanding what was making Wally jump around.
Giving a smug look at the ecstatic face Wally was giving, Artemis rested back on the armrest in victory. "I've got my ways. It wasn't really hard to think up ideas for you. Just had to think about how much you stuff in your face and it was set."
"Oooh. She's got you there buddy." Robin replied, his new sunglasses now one his face after placing them on when nobody was watching.
Wiping his mouth of the access drool that had rolled down his face, Wally shook his head. "I'll ignore that only because this gift, as much as I hate to say it is pretty awesome." Giving a genuine smile to the blonde, Wally gave a thumbs up to Artemis. "Thanks Artemis."
Her face growing a little warm from the gratitude Wally showed her, Artemis casually moved her gaze to the side. "Yeah, whatever."
"Aww, somebody's embarrassed." Robin joked, laughing at the two team mates interaction as he popped a chip in his mouth.
"I'll go next. This is for you Aqualad. I hope you like it." M'gann said, getting out from her chair and handing Kaldur a small gift wrapped box.
"I am sure I will love it M'gann." Taking the present from the martian and being careful not to damage what was inside, Kaldur finished opening the present and pulled out what appeared to be a picture frame. Carved out of wood and not very flashy in design, the picture frame held a picture of the group as civilians, a photo they took while out having a good time at a carnival a few months back to bond.
Fidgeting with her hands a bit nervously, M'gann smiled. "I didn't really know what kind of gift to get, but I knew that you travel sometimes to Atlantis from time to time to help out every now and then. It's hard to be away from your friends and family for a while, so I thought a picture of all of us would help make the waiting go by. That way you always have us with you when you're back at your home in Atlantis."
Smiling at the framed picture, Kaldur showed the picture to the others, allowing them to revel back in the past memories of the photo. "Thank you M'gann. It is perfect."
"That's not the only thing perfect around here." Wally complimented, speeding over to M'gann's side to give her a dreamy stare.
"Oh, uh, thank you for the compliment, but I'm not perfect. I just thought it'd be a good gift." The female martian replied honestly, shrugging her shoulders and feeling herself get a little embarrassed at the attention.
The festivities continued on after that. With gifts being unwrapped and the teens laughing and commenting on each one pulled out, it never was a dull moment in the cave on that snowy night. With gifts being given and the teens eating to their hearts content, it finally came time for the next gift to be revealed.
"Okay, me, Wally, Artemis, M'gann, and Aqualad got our gifts and gave our own. Looks like that leaves Sam and Superboy." Robin mentioned, pointing to the two teens sitting on the couch.
"Ooh, I'm curious. I'd like to know what kind of gift Supey could come up with for Christmas." Wally replied, rolling on his back on the floor to stare at the blue eyes teen.
Shrugging, Robin smirked to the super clone and gave a thumbs up. "Looks like you're up big guy."
Rubbing his neck as the group stared at him in anticipation, Conner shifted his gaze over to Samantha, who in fact was looking to him as well. "It...isn't all that great."
Noticing the hesitation in his voice, Samantha smiled and gave a friendly nudge with her shoulder to Conner. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter if its expensive or not, remember?" The ice user voiced, her words reminding the two of their earlier conversation.
Hearing the encouraging words of his friend, Conner nodded and got up from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. "I got help from Robin, so I can't take all the credit." Going into the fridge and pulling something out, the taller power house slowly walked back into the living room and set down the mystery gift on the table.
Neatly decorated and crafted to delicious perfection was a small round vanilla cake. Covered in pure white whipped icing and made to look both simple yet refined in design, the cake had various amounts of colorful snowflake sprinkles covering the sides of the food, with strawberries topping the edges. Gel icing of red, blue, yellow, and green were scattered atop the cake's surface, and lastly a neatly carved mini chocolate sign sat in the center of the cake, a message written in white chocolate reading "Happy Birthday Samantha" for all to see.
"Is that a birthday cake?" Wally asked out loud, breaking the silence in the room.
Feeling herself caught by surprise at seeing the cake for a moment, the brunette looked over to Conner and smiled to him. "You didn't have to get me a cake."
"It's your birthday?" Artemis asked to the ice user, looking over to the girl in surprise.
"Why didn't you tell us? We could have celebrated and had a big party here for you." M'gann replied as well, a frown gracing her features for not realizing the occasion.
Shaking her head, Samantha smiled to the group and shrugged her shoulders. "It's not a big deal. I'm used to sort of having my birthday lumped with Christmas anyways. And I didn't want to distract everyone from the secret santa stuff we were doing and make today about me. I don't need a big party. However I am curious about how somebody knew when exactly my birthday was without telling them, along with knowing my favorite flavor of cake." The brunette said, raising a knowing eyebrow to Robin.
Smiling and shrugging his shoulders, Robin whistled. "Detective remember? Wouldn't be that great of one if I couldn't get figure those out."
"I believe we are missing the point of this particular gift." Kaldur spoke up, turning his gaze over to Samantha and giving a happy smile. "Happy birthday Samantha. May your life find happiness and success in the future."
"Yeah. Happy birthday Sam." Artemis replied as well, smiling and giving the brunette a casual thumbs up.
"And let's hope for many more to come. We'll have an actual party next year." M'gann replied, clapping her hands in excitement.
Feeling the love and energy in the room thanks to the smiles of her friends, Samantha couldn't help but smile back and feel heat rush to her face. "Thank you. Everyone. I really do appreciate it." Moving her gaze over to Conner who had sat back on the couch next to her, she gave him a grateful smile. "And thank you Conner. This gift is perfect."'
Speeding over to the arm rest nearby Samantha, Wally gave a wiggle of his eyebrows and moved a hand over both his and Samantha's head. "You know, with it being your birthday and all, guess that means we'll have to get you some extra gifts. And I could get you something even better than a cake. Say for instance a super special birthday kiss from your's truly snow angel." Wally suggested, his hand above their heads holding a small bushel of mistletoe.
"And there goes the good moment." Robin spoke, his eyebrow raised at the poor flirting attempt of his friend.
"Wally, we told you to put that dumb stuff away already." Artemis growled, her glare on the speedster never leaving his sight.
"But it's a Christmas tradition. You can't just throw out a Christmas tradition like that." Wally retorted, trying to fight the glare of Artemis with his own.
Rolling her eyes, Samantha quickly snatched the plant out of Wally's hands and kept it with her. "Than how about I confiscate it? It can be your birthday present to me to not use it for the rest of the night."
"She's right Wally. You'll have to listen to her since it is her birthday." Kaldur spoke, his voice firm in the light hearted matter.
"Aw man. I barley got to use it." Wally whined, pouting as he sat back down on the floor next to Robin.
Rolling her eyes, Samantha looked over to Wally. "Will cake somehow make you feel any better Wally?"
Ears perking up at the question, the speedster smiled and looked to the cake with interest. "Well...maybe."
Hearing the suggestion, Conner looked over to Samantha confused. "But its your present. Don't you want it for yourself?"
Chuckling at the question, Samantha shook her head. "I'd love to, but I don't think it'd be healthy to eat all that cake myself. I'm not Wally. Besides sweets taste a lot more delicious when you share them with friends."
"Well I guess we can have some cake. But before that, its Superboy's turn. Time to see what our birthday girl has in store for you." Robin joked, pointing to the team's ice user to let her have the spotlight.
It was the mention of Superboy's gift that made the young teen freeze up a little. Caught up in all the festive nature over her birthday and the others gift giving, she had forgotten about how to explain her predicament. Knowing she couldn't keep silent for long, Samantha shifted her gaze downwards.
"Umm...I actually don't have anything." Samantha spoke with honesty.
"What do you mean you don't have anything?" Wally asked, his gaze giving off confusion at the ice users answer.
"What else do you think that could mean stupid? Don't make her feel worse." Artemis spoke, scolding Wally for his lack of tact.
Feeling a bit ashamed of the situation she was in, the ice user turned to Conner and bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry Conner. Things came up during the week and I couldn't find the time to get you something. I really did, honestly, but everything I came up with didn't seem right. But the time the party had come up I-"
Trying to continue her explanation, it was the soft touch of Conner's fingertips on her lips that made Samantha stop mid sentence. A bit embarrassed and caught up in the moment, the ice user looked to Conner unsure, but relaxed when she saw the small smile on his face.
"It's no problem. You already got me my present today." Conner reassured his friend, shrugging at his answer.
'He must mean our talk today.' Samantha thought, noticing the knowing look in the super boy's eyes. Heat rushing a little to her cheeks at the secret the two had between one another, Samantha couldn't help but simply nod, her voice momentarily gone as their interaction was the only thing consuming her and Conner's attention.
Watching from his seat on the floor, Robin had a knowing smirk on his face and rubbed his chin in thought at the sight of the two teens on the couch momentarily lost int heir own world. Leaning over to his speedster friend, Robin nudged the boy to get his attention. "Do those two seem to be acting a little closer than usual?"
Munching on some chips, Wally raised an eyebrow of uncertainty at the younger detective's suggestion. "What? Snow angel and Supey? Yeah sure. And while that's happening Artemis and I are gonna fall in love too." The speedster spoke with a food filled mouth, chuckling at his own joke.
Knowing Wally was a little more dense to romantic emotions and interactions, Robin shrugged his shoulders and watched as the festivities continued on, from Winter and Superboy remembering where they were at, to the group sharing cake, and lastly the teen heroes wishing each other a Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday.
From what he could tell the night had been a success, especially for Superboy. He'd been hesitant when he came to him to ask for help since he wasn't one to ever ask. But seeing the look on Winter's face and the moment the two had shared for a few seconds, Dick could tell that Superboy had gotten the perfect gift.
And here is the one shot. Sorry it took so long to make. I thought I'd be able to get this out by Christmas day at the latest, but finding the energy to write when you've got pneumonia is actually really hard. But it is out now...so yay?
I'm hoping it turned out well. I've been working and editing this thing for a while now because parts weren't sounding right or I had to tweak something. Overall I think most of it turned out well, though maybe the end was a little slow. I'm not sure about it, but I wanted to get this out. I hope you all liked it, because now I need to find the energy to do the next real chapter of Winters' Ballad, so please look forward to that whenever it comes out.
Hopefully it doesn't take as long. XD